Assessment and Treatment

Working together to determine the best plan for your unique needs.

Assessment

During the initial phone call consultation, we will ask questions regarding the problem you are seeking help for and other questions that help us to understand the context of your difficulties. If our services are appropriate for you, we then schedule a first session to provide a comprehensive assessment of your current difficulties.

The focus of the first session is for assessment and treatment planning. To understand the reason you are seeking help and to place this information into context, the therapist will ask detailed questions about your symptoms, and briefly review your psychological, medical, school, social, work, family and relationship history by using a structured diagnostic interview and questionnaires. Depending on the amount of information necessary for the assessment, a longer or second appointment may be required to complete the interview.

Once the assessment is completed, the therapist will provide you with feedback of the assessment and any self-report measures you completed, and discuss with you a suitable treatment plan or further assessment.

If the therapist believes our services are appropriate to your needs, a treatment plan, including the therapy approach and an estimated number of therapy sessions will be outlined to you. If our services are not appropriate to you, we will provide other appropriate resources for you.

*Consent is required from both parents when a child is assessed.

Treatment

At Toronto West Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the primary treatment approach. It typically involves 8-20 sessions of individual or group psychotherapy. It is a collaborative and well established therapy approach that has shown to actually change not only how we think, feel, and act, but it can actually change our brains as shown by PET brain imaging research.

Treatment sessions will focus on helping you reach your treatment goals. It is recommended you attend weekly therapy sessions to learn techniques to help reduce your symptoms, challenge your thinking style, and change your behavior. Treatment sessions will gradually be less frequent with bi-weekly, monthly and then on an as-needed-basis. It is important to note that the length of treatment will depend on the nature, severity and complexity of symptoms. Some clients require less or more than the typically recommended session attendance of 8-20 CBT sessions to achieve their treatment goals. Therapists and clients collaboratively discuss a treatment plan suitable for each client.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a short-term treatment approach (usually 8-20 sessions) that emphasizes the importance of our thoughts in determining how we feel and act. The basic principle of CBT is that the way a person thinks has a powerful effect on his or her feelings and behaviour. It also addresses the role those thoughts, feelings, and behaviours play in a person’s symptoms, daily functioning, and quality of life in order to help bring about positive emotional and behavioural change. CBT is a present-focused therapy which means that it focuses on the here and now, rather than on the past. Some time may be spent discussing your past in order to better understand your current problems. The focus is always on how to help you with your current difficulties. CBT is the treatment, of choice and in the prevention of a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, personality disorders, chronic pain and illness, alcohol abuse and anger issues.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an adaptation of CBT, is an effective empirically based treatment for individuals with PTSD and related difficulties. It is a short-term treatment (typically 12 sessions) that focuses on the challenges individual’s face in recovering from their traumatic experience(s). More specifically, the goal of CPT is to help the individual progress towards recovery by understanding their PTSD symptoms, thoughts, and feelings, and learn new skills.

Personal and professional development

In addition to providing clinical services, Toronto West Psychology also offers clinical supervision, talks, and workshops for personal and professional development. Some individuals prefer to attend our affordable and easily accessible workshops that we offer throughout the year on various relevant topics. These workshops provide the attendee sufficient information and tools that can be immediately applied to one’s situation without the commitment of attending weekly sessions. These workshops are conducted at Toronto West Psychology or other venues for larger groups and upon request (e.g., schools).

Our most popular workshops have included:

  • The ABC’s of Being Present-Focused
  • Turning the Dial on Negative Self-Talk
  • Preventing Burnout
  • Social Skills 101 for Teens
  • Help for Parents: Raising Confident Kids
  • Dealing with Loss: Is this Normal?
  • Tips for a Better Sleep