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Therapy 101
1.0 Therapy Basics
2.0 Types of therapists
3.0 Costs and coverage
4.0 Mental health specializations
5.0 Therapy techniques
1.0 Therapy Basics
How does therapy work?
How to find a therapist
What to expect during your first therapy appointment
Online vs. in-person therapy appointments
Go to Therapy basics
2.0 Types of therapists
Psychiatrist licensing and education in Canada
Psychologist licensing and education in Canada
Social worker licensing and education in Canada
Psychotherapist licensing and education in Canada
Go to Types of therapists
3.0 Costs and coverage
How much does therapy cost?
Affordable and sliding scale therapy
Is therapy covered by provincial healthcare plans in Canada?
Therapies covered by workplace insurance benefits
Go to Costs and coverage
4.0 Mental health specializations
Anxiety disorder assessment and therapy techniques
Depression disorder assessment and therapy techniques
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assessment and therapy techniques
Trauma therapy techniques
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment and therapy techniques
Go to Mental health specializations
5.0 Therapy techniques
Compare popular therapy techniques: CBT, DBT, EMDR and Somatic
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) exercises and techniques
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy exercises and techniques
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) exercises and techniques
Somatic therapy exercises and techniques
Go to Therapy techniques
Go to Therapy 101
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Mental Health Articles and Blog
Therapy
Why BetterHelp is a Risk to Our Collective Mental Health
Is BetterHelp worth it? While thousands BetterHelp reviews (and ads) may reveal a bright picture, the reality is much different. From BetterHelp reddit posts to survey results, here's what we learned.
BY:
Rob Pintwala
Recent blogs and articles
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Desjardins insurance cover therapy?
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Blue Cross Insurance Cover Therapy?
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Manulife Insurance Cover Therapy?
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
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Anger
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Therapy Basics
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Therapy
Why BetterHelp is a Risk to Our Collective Mental Health
Is BetterHelp worth it? While thousands BetterHelp reviews (and ads) may reveal a bright picture, the reality is much different. From BetterHelp reddit posts to survey results, here's what we learned.
BY:
Rob Pintwala
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Desjardins insurance cover therapy?
Wondering if your Desjardins insurance covers therapy, counselling, and other mental health services? There’s no simple rule for what Desjardins insurance covers, so here's what to know.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Blue Cross Insurance Cover Therapy?
Wondering if your Blue Cross Insurance covers therapy, counselling, and other mental health services? There’s no hard and fast rule for what Blue Cross covers, but here is everything you need to know.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Manulife Insurance Cover Therapy?
Does Manulife insurance cover therapy? While Manulife frequently provides coverage for therapy, there are a few things to check before booking that first session. Here's what to know
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Communication
First Session Turns 5
Learnings and what's next after 5 years of First Session
BY:
Rob Pintwala
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Canada Life Cover Therapy?
Wondering if your Canada Life Insurance covers therapy, counselling, and other mental health services? There’s no simple rule for what Cana Life Insurance covers, so here's what to know.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
Does Sun Life Insurance Cover Therapy?
Wondering if your Sun Life Insurance covers therapy, counselling, and other mental health services? There’s no hard and fast rule for what Sun Life covers, but here is everything you need to know.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
Tuna on Toast: How George Costanza Helped Me Find the Right Therapist
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
When to End Therapy - 3 Signs You Should Be Aware Of
There are plenty of reasons people start therapy, and many ways therapy can help us overcome challenges, and to feel good. Some good things do come to an end—yes, there can be an end to therapy.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
How to Find a Counsellor in BC, Canada | Tips and Resources
Feel like talking to somebody? If you've never been to a counsellor or a therapist in British Columbia, here's what you need to know to get started.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Communication
Creating Healthy Boundaries
“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable,” writes best-selling self-help author Brené Brown, “we feel used and mistreated.” Setting healthy boundaries is essential to maintaining healthy relationships. Registered Social Worker Paula Fernández often treats clients who have issues setting boundaries.
BY:
Paula Fernandez
Therapy
Psychiatrist vs. Psychologist vs. Psychotherapist
You know you or a loved one needs the help of a mental health professional. But who do you turn to? The exact type of professional you see will depend on your needs.
BY:
Paula Fernandez
Anger
Understanding Anger
“Anger has got a bad rep,” says Registered Psychotherapist Juliann Rasanagayam. “It’s actually a very functional emotion. … [But] the way we end up reacting to anger becomes inappropriate.”
BY:
Juliann Rasanayagam
LGBTQ2IA+
Therapy and the LGBTQ+ Community
If you’re queer, you have your own, individual experience when it comes to mental health issues. That being said, information collected by Statistics Canada suggests that LGBTQ+ individuals are at a higher risk of experiencing mental illness than the rest of the population.
BY:
Jupiter Vaughan
Therapy
How to Find a Therapist in Canada | First-Time Guide
Don’t let the prefix “psycho” throw you off. “Psycho” means “of the mind.” A physiotherapist improves their patients’ physical wellbeing. A psychotherapist improves their mental wellbeing.You don’t need to suffer from debilitating mental health issues in order to see a psychotherapist. Many people you might consider “normal” have benefited from one.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Relationships
Couples Therapy: Is it Right For You?
The aim of couples counselling is to strengthen and improve the relationship between two people. Some couples seek out a therapist because there’s conflict in their relationship, and they’ve reached an impasse they believe therapy may resolve. Others do so because ongoing counselling makes their relationship deeper, closer, or more stable. There are as many reasons to attend couples counselling as there are to attend individual counselling.
BY:
Bryce Warnes
Burnout
Burnout and Loneliness
“I'm a mom, I have a young daughter, and in my work as a therapist, I'm always showing up for others. Sometimes that means that I have very little time for myself, and I can quickly see how my mood can change how I can feel.
BY:
Brittany Tilstra
Anxiety
Stefania Rossi (@dearmyanxiety) on Finding the Right Therapist
Stefania Rossi, the creator of @dearmyanxiety, was live with us on Instagram to share her story as part of our #mentalhealthweek series.
BY:
Rosa Park
Relationships
Nina Huynh, Lifestyle Influencer, on Breaking the Cultural Stigma around Mental Health
With over 250K followers across Instagram and YouTube, influencer and entrepreneur Nina Huynh inspires her followers to dress boldly, love deeply, and live freely.
BY:
Rosa Park
Anxiety
Pooja Handa, co-host on CP 24 Breakfast, talks about her mental health journey during quarantine
Pooja Handa is an award-winning broadcaster and the co-host of Toronto’s number one morning show, CP 24 Breakfast. She also makes regular appearances on CTV’s The Social, and the Marilyn Dennis show.
BY:
Rosa Park
Parenting
Carolina Rzeznikiewiz, co-founder of Momjo, on panic attacks and motherhood
Carolina Rzeznikiewiz is the co-founder of Momjo, a blog about education, entertaining, and supporting moms at all stages of their journeys.
BY:
Rosa Park
Anxiety
IG takeover: Tapping explained by Ashley Brodeur and guest Stefania Rossi
In this IG Live, we explore Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and a demonstration of tapping. The idea behind tapping is to simultaneously address a specific issue verbally while physically tapping endpoints of meridians in our body.
BY:
Rosa Park
Burnout
Hitting rock-bottom and overcoming burnout with Hamza Khan
In our most recent Instagram Live, Hamza Khan, award-winning marketer, professor, and entrepreneur, shared how he overcame burnout and depressive episodes using techniques he learned from his therapist. As a result, he was able to rewire how he speaks to himself and find success, but it was a long road to get there.
BY:
Rosa Park
Burnout
From Languishing to Flourishing
As described by sociologist Cory Keyes, languishing is the opposite of flourishing. In the context of mental health and individual wellbeing, to flourish is to feel good, function well, and pursue an authentic existence.
BY:
Bryce Warnes
Burnout
How to Talk to Your Boss about Your Mental Health
Mental health belongs to everyone; no one exists without it. Mental health can be strained when there is increased stress, when underlying mental health issues are not being addressed, and many other reasons
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
What Therapy is and is Not | First Session
In recent years, the stigma around therapy has been reversing and as a result the appetite for mental health support has increased.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Anxiety
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt are totally normal in life, especially when we’re striving for something new or are levelling up in some way (e.g. working toward higher education, preparing for a promotion, or training for a competition). Sometimes, though, those thoughts are so constant that we have trouble getting through regular tasks, and it can be really discouraging.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
How Can Therapy Help Me?
It’s important to know that mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. Think of it in terms of your body health: everyone has physical health but not everyone has a physical illness. Still, you can take action to build strength and practice good health habits to keep yourself functioning day-to-day and to prevent more serious illness later in life.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Communication
What is Active Listening? Tips from First Session Therapists
One of the reasons therapy is so effective is that it’s a space where you are talking to someone who is trained to listen.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Signs You Found a Good Therapist
People start and continue with therapy for a variety of reasons. Often, the factors leading us to seek help often intersect. In other words, more than one aspect of our lives will be relevant to finding the right therapy and therapist that works for us.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Parenting
A letter to my newborn, Anderson
A letter to my 2-month-old, Anderson. This is my personal story about struggle, asking for help, and the power of support.
BY:
Rob Pintwala
Anxiety
What is Rumination: Understanding the Process of Overthinking
Beat overthinking: Understanding rumination and actionable coping strategies. Find the right therapist for you.
BY:
Rosa Park
Communication
War, Misinformation and Mental Health—a Therapist’s Perspective
It’s been just over a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions of people have fled the country, thousands of people have died, and those in Canada (home to some of the largest populations of both Ukrainian and Russian diasporas) have watched the conflict progress.
BY:
Margarita Iarovaia
Therapy
“Holding onto that sh*t is exhausting!”—vulnerability, masculinity and men's therapy
It’s hard for everyone to ask for help. But, the idea of asking for help creates intense vulnerability for the man who has been attempting to do his best impression of “classic masculinity.”
BY:
Jupiter Vaughan
Communication
Journaling for Mental Health
Are you someone who kept a diary as a teen? Maybe as an adult, you live by your to-do lists. There are reasons we turn to writing down ideas and tasks — it gets thought clutter out of our heads and allows us to see it in a more organized way. The same applies to keeping a journal for therapy or for overall better mental health.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Burnout
What is ‘Quiet-Quitting’ and Why Should You Care?
You may have noticed some colleagues around you or, yourself, ‘quiet-quitting’ - just doing your duties, the bare minimum to coast through, a lack of engagement in work or reduced engagement in work.
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Iranian-Canadian Therapist on Women’s Rights, Cultural Values and Empowerment
In light of the women’s protests in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, we reached out to one of our therapists who grew up in Iran.
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Christmas: The Loneliest Time of the Year
Sara Jones, First Session staff member, shares about anxiety, depression, fear, and loneliness during the Christmas holiday season.
BY:
Sara Jones
Therapy
Why do New Year's Resolutions fail? Goal-setting and mental health
Do you ring in every new year with a laundry list of life-changing resolutions? Then, by mid-January you’re already feeling behind, you’re disappointed, or you’ve simply forgotten about them?
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
How to Practice Self-Love this Valentine’s Day
The season of love is upon us! More accurately, that one day of the year laser focused on romantic love—Valentine’s Day.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Ten Lessons I Learned in Therapy
First Session’s founder reflects on a decade of working on his mental health
BY:
Rob Pintwala
Therapy
What Does a Successful Relationship with Your Therapist Look Like?
Making the decision to reach out to a therapist can be nerve wracking. When you start to the process of finding a therapist, it’s likely you’ll come across several different kinds of professionals, each one with their own therapy speciality, such as anxiety therapy, and method (known as a therapy modality), such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). You might start to worry you’ll choose the wrong “kind” of therapist or counsellor.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
How to Tell If Therapy is Working
If you’re working with a therapist regularly now, you’ve likely already spent some time finding a therapist or counsellor who is a good fit for you and you’ve invested time, energy, and money into your work together.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Counselling for Depression: Can it Actually Help? [And How]
It’s normal to experience sadness, or to retreat into some solitude when going through something particularly upsetting or difficult. It’s actually healthy to allow ourselves to feel negative emotions, instead of burying or ignoring them.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Counsellor vs Therapist | How To Know What's Right For You
Like physical health, mental health can vary person-to-person and ebb and flow depending on our own unique circumstances – family mental health history, body and brain chemistry, life experiences, traumatic events, and more. Also like physical health, sometimes we can manage our wellbeing on our own, and sometimes we can’t; that’s when it can be beneficial to seek the help of a professional.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Psychologist vs Psychotherapist: How They Differ (Canada)
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Relationships
The 5 Stages of Divorce Grief | How to Understand Your Feelings
If you are going through a separation or divorce, it can be a very challenging time. It’s important to remember that it’s normal to go through a process of mourning after a relationship has ended. You don’t have to “bounce back” immediately.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Mental Illness Disability Benefits for Canadians (2023 Guide)
Everyone experiences moments when they’re low on energy because of stress or sadness. It can be difficult during those times to keep up with the day-to-day. Many people in Canada struggle consistently with their mental health, and it can deeply impact daily life, including when it comes to employment.
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
9 Actionable Tips to Help Cope with the Stress of Moving
Discover 9 essential tips for coping with the stress of moving. Prioritize your mental health during this transition. Find the right therapist at firstsession.com.
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
CBT vs DBT: Understanding the Differences and Benefits
Gain insights into the distinctions between prevalent talk therapies - CBT and DBT - for managing anxiety, depression, and mental health concerns. Find your perfect therapist at firstsession.com.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
What is Sliding Scale Therapy?
Curious about sliding scale therapy? Explore this detailed guide on how sliding scale therapy works at firstsession.com
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
How to Relieve Physical Symptoms of Anxiety: Top Techniques
Explore the types of physical symptoms that may arise from anxiety. Learn to deal with anxiety effectively with our step by step guide.
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health (For Employees and Employers)
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Exercises to Improve Mental Health
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a widely recognized and effective therapeutic approach for addressing mental health concerns.
BY:
Rosa Park
Relationships
Caring for Elderly Parents: Stress Management for Caregivers
BY:
Rosa Park
Relationships
How to Deal With Disrespectful Family Members
BY:
Rosa Park
Relationships
How to Deal with a Breakup Alone: Tips for Moving On
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Relationships
How to Deal with a Sexless Marriage (as a Woman)
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Recovery
Can Psychotherapists Prescribe Medication in Canada?
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Relationships
The Psychology Behind ‘Escaping Twin Flames’
BY:
Rosa Park
Relationships
How to Divorce the Right Way: Prioritizing Children and Mental Health
BY:
Margarita Iarovaia
Communication
How to Use "I" Statements: A Clear Guide
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Managing ADHD Through Talk Therapy (Non-Medication Strategies)
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
How to Convince (Or Encourage) Someone To Go To Therapy?
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Relationships
What to Do When Your Partner is Emotionally Cheating
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Burnout
Can 4-Day Work Week Solve Your Employees' Burnout?
Many companies are implementing a 4-day work week. Explore the benefits and potential pitfalls.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
What is Somatic Experiencing (SE)
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Relationships
How to Deal with a Toxic Family Member: Tips and Strategies
BY:
Rosa Park
Recovery
Why Taylor Swift's Music Resonates in Today's Mental Health Conversations
BY:
Rosa Park
Career
What to Look for in a Company's Benefits Package
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Why is Therapy So Expensive in Canada? (Professional Therapy)
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Recovery
Is Napping Good for You? Optimal Nap Time for Mental Wellbeing and Productivity
BY:
Rosa Park
Therapy
Confidentiality in Therapy and Ethical Guidelines in Canada
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy Costs & Coverage
How Much Does Therapy Cost?
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
Does Therapy Help? Understanding Its Impact On Mental Health And Wellness
BY:
Nicole Laoutaris
Therapy
How To Find a Therapist in Toronto
This guide aims to demystify the process of finding a therapist in Toronto, offering practical steps and supporting you in starting this exciting new chapter.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
How To Find a Therapist in Alberta
This guide offers practical steps to finding a therapist in Alberta and tips on how to choose the right therapist for you.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
How To Find A Therapist in Calgary
This guide offers practical steps to finding a therapist in Calgary and tips on how to choose the right therapist for you.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
How To Find a Therapist in Ontario
We’ve created this guide filled with practical steps to help you not only find an Ontario therapist, but to find the right therapist for you, so you can get the most out of therapy and improve your mental health. So let’s get started.
BY:
First Session Editorial Team
Therapy
How We Vet Our Therapists and Counsellors | First Session
BY:
Rob Pintwala
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