Frequently Asked Questions

No, clients don’t need a physician’s referral to book an initial consultation.

The practice welcomes referrals by other healthcare professioanls. Please complete the general query form for your referral, or phone the practice directly at (416) 822 - 8954.

Fees

Services are not covered by OHIP. Fees are set following the Ontario Psychological Association and CPBAO ‘s guidelines. The cost of psychological service is often reimbursed by individual health insurance plans. The practice aims to keep some sliding scale spots available.

Clients are strongly encouraged to contact their insurance providers to learn about their coverage and documentation requirements, such as needing a physician’s referral for their own records - the clinic does not need a referral though.

Sessions last 50 minutes, unless previously arranged to have a 60 minute face to face therapy session.

Payment is expected at the end of each session; electronic transfers and credit cards accepted.

Cancellations with less than 2 regular business days will be subject to charges. Please contact Dr. Wainer at (416) 822-8954 as soon as possible if you would like to cancel an appointment. If a client does not attend a scheduled appointment, the absence will result in fees due for the full scheduled time. Please note that late cancellations and no-show fees are not covered by health insurance plans.

If you are interested in seeking services for you, your family, your teenager/youth (referrals for school age children not accepted at the moment), you may phone or e-mail to arrange a time to talk. During this brief courtesy phone (15 minutes) conversation, Dr. Wainer will answer general questions, invite you to share with her the reasons for your call, what is causing you, your family, your teen’s distress and review in what way arranging a consultation may be helpful to you. 

Typically, an appointment can be arranged within one to two weeks from the time you contact her practice.  Dr. Wainer strives to respond to queries within 24 hours (during regular business hours). Whenever possible, the appointment might be scheduled sooner.   

1. Connect with the practice; we strive to reply within 24-48 hours.

2. We will get back to you to determine if a courtesy phone call is the right next step.

3. Once setting up a time for a courtesy call with Dr. Wainer, you will discuss with her general the general concerns that prompted the query, and if approapriate and there is a good fit, an appointment will be arranged.

Regrettably the practice does not keep a waiting list. Whenever possible, we make alternative recommendations.

Initial consultation:

A visit to a psychologist always starts with an initial consultation to better understand the reasons for seeking out help. This initial visit, or in some cases visits, would result in a shared understanding of a client’s concerns - a key ingredient - and after the initial sessions, in making a collaborative decision with regards to the need for treatment.

Consultations can take place as a way to determine the need for treatment, or they could be more focused on examining a particular issue and problem solving about some alternative ways of addressing it. For example by coming up with strategies that might increase a person’s coping skills and understanding in facing life transitions, such as experiencing mental health concerns during pregnancy, loss/bereavement or other life changing circumstances.

Clinical assessment:

The initial consultation and the initial assessment phase takes about 2 to 3 sessions. It consists of the process of learning about the client's concerns, identifying the areas where they struggle, defining goals and tailoring a treatment that would suit each particular person's needs. Independent of the specific mode of therapy (attachment, psychodynamic, interpersonal psychotherapy, emotion focused therapy, cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT). At the core of this journey there needs to be a sense of comfort and security that a client is able to develop with the psychologist. Often research indicates that at the root of all successful treatments is the establishment of a good working relationship between the client and the clinician, an agreement between client and therapist about the goals/focus of treatment, and the way approach(es) to be implemented in this context.Item description

Dr. Wainer discusses with her clients the frequency of the sessions, as well as the rationale behind the recommendations.

Yes, of course! Clients are encouraged to discuss bringing their infant/young child to the appointments.

Dr. Wainer uses evidence based psychotherapy approaches to address pregnancy difficulties, pregnancy loss, fertility concerns and post-partum stress.

Beginning with a clinical assessment, the evidenced-based psychotherapy modality will be discussed with clients, and embark on a journey that will best support them with their struggles.

Dr. Wainer offers evidenced based psychotherapy to support clients heal from their past wounds, including interpersonal psychotherapy for trauma related problems and narrative exposure therapy.