Anxiety Therapy and Counselling for Panic Attacks, OCD and Chronic Stress

Individual therapy sessions last 50 minutes and cost $180. Payment is due at your appointment. We offer direct billing whenever possible, depending on your insurance plan.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about insurance, direct billing, payment and cancellation policies.

Many extended health insurance plans cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist. You may have coverage through your employer, your partner's plan, a parent's plan (if you qualify as a dependent), personal insurance, a college or university student health plan or another source.

Before your first appointment, ask your insurer:

• Does my plan cover services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist?

• How much or what percentage is reimbursed per session?

• What is my annual coverage limit, and how much remains available?

• When does my annual coverage reset?

• Is direct billing available under my plan?

Knowing these details can help you plan your appointments and understand any costs you will need to pay yourself. 

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for more helpful information about appointments, insurance, policies and what to expect.

The following insurance plans and benefit programs may cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist:

If your insurer is on this list, it does not guarantee coverage or direct billing. Before your first appointment, confirm with your insurer whether your sessions are covered and how much they cover.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful answers about getting started, appointments, policies and what to expect.

Our private psychotherapy services are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), Ontario's publicly funded health insurance program.

Depending on your eligibility, coverage may be available through the following programs and benefits:

• Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB): Mental health counselling coverage for eligible First Nations and Inuit clients.

• Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP): Temporary health coverage that may include mental health counselling for eligible refugees, refugee claimants and certain other groups.

• Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC): Psychotherapy coverage for eligible Veterans through approved benefits.

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Eligible serving or former members may have coverage through their RCMP health benefits or programs administered by VAC.

Our therapists are registered providers with these programs. Each program has different rules about who qualifies, how much it pays and whether approval is needed before sessions begin. Depending on your coverage, you may need to pay part of the session fee yourself.

Please get in touch with us before your first appointment so we can discuss the program you plan to use and any arrangements needed.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for helpful answers about appointments, payment, policies and what to expect.

You do not need to be in crisis to ask for support. You may be keeping up with work, family and daily responsibilities while worry, racing thoughts, panic, intrusive thoughts or tension take a toll behind the scenes. If anxiety is affecting your sleep, choices, relationships or enjoyment of life, it is worth talking about. The National Institute of Mental Health's guide to anxiety explains more about how anxiety can affect daily life. 

You do not need a diagnosis or a clear goal to begin. You can start with a free consultation to tell a therapist what you have been experiencing, ask questions and see whether working together feels like a good fit. From there, you can explore what kind of support would be helpful.

Panic attacks can feel frightening and unpredictable. Your heart may race, your breathing may change, or you may begin avoiding places because you fear another attack.

Therapy can help you recognize what happens in your body as panic builds, explore possible triggers, identify what you need in those moments, and practise ways to feel calmer. Together, you can make sense of the fear of another attack, which may be affecting your daily life.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we work with your thoughts, emotions and body at a pace that feels manageable, helping you build greater confidence in responding to panic.

For more information, explore the National Institute of Mental Health's guide to guide to panic attacks and treatment.

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images or urges that keep coming back and may feel upsetting or frightening. Compulsions are things you feel driven to do to ease the distress, such as checking, seeking reassurance, counting or repeating behaviours. Having an intrusive thought does not, by itself, mean you have OCD.

You can talk about these experiences in therapy without fear of judgment. Your therapist can help you explore how they affect your daily life and discuss what kind of support would be helpful for you.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we aim to help you feel safe enough to share what is happening, even if you have never said it aloud before.

Learn more in the National Institute of Mental Health's guide to OCD.

You can begin with what is happening in your life now. You do not have to share painful memories before you feel ready, and you can let your therapist know if you are worried that talking about them might bring on a panic attack.

If you start to feel overwhelmed during a session, you and your therapist can slow down, pause or focus on what helps you feel more present. As trust develops, you can decide together whether exploring past experiences would help you reach your goals.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, your sense of safety and choice guides the pace of our work. You can learn more about this gentle, body-oriented approach from Somatic Experiencing International.

Your identity, culture and life experiences are welcome in therapy. We work with people of diverse races, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities and faith backgrounds, including trans and nonbinary people. Your therapist will not assume anything about your relationships, values, or goals.

You can explore how discrimination, cultural expectations or a sense of belonging may affect your anxiety, if those experiences feel important to you. A free consultation gives you space to ask questions and see whether a therapist feels like a good fit.

At Inner Core Psychotherapy, we aim to offer respectful, affirming care guided by your experiences and choices.

Explore our Frequently Asked Questions for answers about getting started, appointments, fees, insurance and what to expect.