Find answers to the most commonly asked questions here
Our greatest strength is our team. All of the psychologists at Connecte have completed doctoral studies and have strong backgrounds in research; we also have a number of student therapists (in the process of pursuing their doctoral studies in psychology and supervised by senior psychologists). Each member of our team has developed an area of expertise based on their formal training in addition to their unique life experiences. We are passionate about learning and keeping up-to-date with the latest research allowing us to incorporate the most effective techniques into their psychotherapy. Our team works together to support one another, learn from one another and create together a safe, solid space for you to grow and make the changes you are looking to make.
We offer a variety of services, including in-person individual, couples’ and family therapy as well as virtual therapy to best help meet your needs. Connecte also offers groups; some are one-day workshops and others include multiple sessions offered over a number of weeks. Our clients often reflect to us that they appreciate the collaborative, warm and safe space we have created. At Connecte, we are a multidisciplinary team, including psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers and dietitians.
The offices at Connecte are comfortable and conveniently located, close to downtown accessible by public transportation (Atwater metro). Paid parking is available on the street or underground (ex. Westmount Square) as well as free parking on nearby residential streets.
We know that reaching out for help is difficult for most of us, and looking for a certain type of healthcare or mental health service can be overwhelming. You can make an appointment and obtain more information by contacting our clinic coordinator, Sophia Hanna, who will be happy to assist you to arrange an appointment with one of our psychologists or therapists at a time that suits your schedule. You can reach her at (514) 507-0745 between the hours of 9am and 2pm, Monday through Friday. You may also leave a voicemail message for her at any time or email her directly at info@connectepsychology.com (please refer to Connecte’s Privacy Policy here).
The goal of the first session is to identify your needs, goals for therapy, and to ensure an appropriate fit with your assigned therapist. Your reasons for consulting will be explored in the initial evaluation session as well as things you would like to improve as a result of coming to therapy. Finally, your therapist will take time to answer any questions you might have about the therapeutic process.
All sessions are generally 50 minutes, including the initial evaluation session.
All information shared with your therapist is strictly confidential except in the case of imminent danger of death or severe injury. In such a case, the information may only be shared with those in danger or someone who can help them. Your file is kept in a secure location and only your therapist has access to your personal information (please refer to Connecte’s Privacy Policy here).
We’ve written a few blog posts on this subject and we encourage you to discuss any concerns about your progress with your therapist. Check out: 5 things you need to know to make therapy work for you, That Moment When You Don’t Like Your Therapist and Faire le point sur son suivi en thérapie.
You don’t need a referral from a doctor to start therapy. To make an appointment, you can contact our clinic coordinator, Sophia, directly at (514) 507-0745 or email her directly at info@connectepsychology.com. You’ll be asked your motive for consulting in order to ensure you are assigned to the psychologist with expertise in the area in which you are seeking help.
The duration of therapy depends on your needs and goals. We often recommend weekly sessions to help build momentum, particularly at the beginning of therapy. Regular sessions help to begin the work quickly and effectively rather than spending time “catching-up” each session. Less frequent sessions (ex. once every two weeks) may be preferable as therapy progresses.
Most insurance plans cover “psychological services” for services provided by members of l’Ordre des Psychologues du Québec (OPQ). All of our psychologists are members of the OPQ and will provide you with the required receipts after each session. We also have some therapists who are currently pursuing their doctoral studies who are supervised by more senior psychologists who are members of the OPQ. The amount covered varies depending on the insurance company and the plan. Please contact your insurance provider for the specifics of your plan.
We provide a range of professional services, including psychotherapy for eating disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, chronic pain, parenting issues, relationship problems, and family conflict. To see a list of our specializations see our team page. We use a variety of evidence-based treatments including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), mindfulness therapy, psychodynamic therapy, emotion-focused therapy (EFT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), schema therapy and integrative therapy.
All of our psychologists are licensed with the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec (OPQ) and will provide receipts for insurance or tax purposes. We offer services for children, adolescents, and adults, including couples and family therapy, in both English and French as well as one therapist who offers therapy in Mandarin.
CBT is a form of psychotherapy that has been scientifically evaluated and proven to be effective in numerous studies for a variety of problems such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, anger issues, eating disorders and insomnia. CBT is based on a cognitive model, which explains that the way we interpret situations is directly related to how we feel. A main goal of CBT is to help you become aware of the relationship between your thoughts, emotions and behaviours. To begin, you will be taught to identify distorted thoughts and evaluate how realistic such thoughts are. The next step is learning to challenge unhelpful thoughts, which allows you to develop a more balanced perspective and feel better. In contrast to other types of therapy, CBT is short-term and focuses on the present and future to help you work towards making changes and reach your goals. It is a collaborative and goal-oriented approach aimed at helping you develop valuable skills to allow you to cope with future challenges and improve your overall quality of life. For information on CBT, check out: CBT: What The &^%#O Is That?!
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a third wave therapy approach that uses acceptance and mindfulness techniques together with behaviour change skills to help improve psychological flexibility and move you towards value-based living. These techniques can help clients accept what they cannot control and commit to action that will help improve their quality of life. For information on ACT: The Skinny on ACT.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is particularly helpful for individuals who have difficulty coping with their emotions. Some of the skills taught in DBT are emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal skills. These skills are particularly helpful to our clients who struggle with intense emotions, have suicidal tendencies or self-destructive behaviours. For more on DBT: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Looking for the Plaid.
Mindfulness skills involve helping individuals become more present and aware in their everyday lives. Practising mindfulness involves developing an attitude of acceptance towards our thoughts and feelings without judgment. It also allows people to live in the moment as opposed to ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. For more on mindfulness: Mindfulness: An Introductory Guide, 3 Simple Mindfulness Practices for Coping with Difficult Experiences and Emotions in Day-to-Day Life and Why Mindfulness In Our Romantic Relationships Matters.
Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism, often resulting from early experiences of abuse or neglect. CFT teaches individuals to cultivate the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, which help regulate mood and lead to feelings of safety, self-acceptance, and comfort. The technique is similar to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in that it also teaches about the science behind the mind-body connection and how to practice mind and body awareness. For more on CFT: To Do Or To Be? ; Back To The Present! One Time-Travelling Hack To Be Here Now
Emotion-focused Therapy (EFT) aims to improve couple and family relationships by restoring the physical and emotional bond that can get sacrificed to disappointment in a partner and alienation from them. Drawing on research supporting attachment theory, EFT regards the security of partner connection as the best lever for change in a dysfunctional relationship and a necessary source of both couple and individual growth. With the guidance of the therapist, couples are led to discover the unmet need for closeness that lies under their anger or alienation. The therapy is also used to repair family bonds in instances where parent-child relationships have become troubled.
Psychodynamic therapy is an in-depth form of talk therapy that focuses on recognizing, acknowledging, understanding, expressing, and overcoming negative and contradictory feelings and repressed emotions to improve an individual’s interpersonal experiences and relationships. Individuals who have the capacity to be self-reflective and are looking to obtain insight into themselves and their behaviour are best suited to this type of therapy. Individuals learn to analyze and resolve their current difficulties and change their behaviour in current relationships through deep exploration and analysis of earlier experiences and emotions.
Some common issues addressed in therapy are reducing stress and anxiety; alleviating depressed mood and increasing feelings of happiness; improving your relationship with food and eating; developing a more positive body image; decreasing negative, self-critical thoughts; improving your parenting skills; managing strong, negative emotions; and improving your performance at work.
At Connecte, we can help you develop the tools to overcome your fears and manage anxiety that might be interfering with your ability to enjoy life or fulfill your goals. More specifically, we specialize in the treatment of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, social anxiety, panic attacks/panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For tips on managing anxiety: Anxiety: A Few Tools for Your Toolbox and 4 Steps To Break The Anxiety Cycle
One of our main areas of expertise at Connecte is helping individuals struggling with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder) and issues related to weight and body image. Psychotherapy helps clients develop techniques to challenge distorted thoughts and reduce consuming concerns about food, weight and body image. These techniques can help you develop a healthier and more balanced relationship with food. We have a variety of eating-disorder related self-help literature on our website, including: Why You Should Like Your Body and How to Do It: Part 1 and Part 2; I Didn’t Realize Just How Much This Body Image Stuff Applied To Me… Maybe It’s The Same For You?; My Journey From Self-Hate To Self-Love; Ten Things I Tell My Clients about Weight Loss… With Compassion and Hope; and Eating Disorders Awareness Week – Information and Resources For Yourself, Your Clients, and Your Loved Ones.
One of our specialties is helping clients overcome depression. We can help you develop the skills needed to reduce symptoms of depression such as sadness and loss of interest or pleasure. We work with clients to help them learn new ways of thinking and help them to make behavioural changes that can have a significant impact on improving their mood. For tips on overcoming depression: Depression: Techniques to Help Boost Your Mood.
Psychotherapy can be very effective at helping you achieve a sense of balance in your life. We can help you develop valuable skills to allow you to feel more in control. Our professionals will teach you to challenge unhelpful thoughts as well as time management and problem solving strategies that can help reduce feelings of stress. For organizational tips: 9 Ways To Get Your @#$% Organized In 2016; for tips on coping with everyday difficult experiences: 3 Simple Mindfulness Practices For Coping With Difficult Experiences And Emotions In Day-To-Day Life; and for tips on coping with stressful academic transitions: Time for change: thriving through stressful academic transitions
Our experienced psychologists can help you develop tools to better manage your pain or other chronic health conditions. Through cognitive behavioural, mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy techniques we aim to help you improve your relationship with your body, change your perceptions of your pain/illness, function better and improve your quality of life. For more on chronic pain: Qu’est-Ce Que La Douleur Chronique?
Connecte’s team of health professionals can help you overcome insomnia or other sleep difficulties using cognitive behavioural, mindfulness and relaxation techniques to help you get the precious sleep you need. For tips on coping with insomnia: Getting Back To Bed.
At Connecte, we provide services for children and adolescents and their parents. More specifically, we provide treatment to children experiencing depression, anxiety (ex. intense fears, separation anxiety, school refusal, obsessive behaviours, extreme shyness, etc.) or low self-esteem. We also provide parents with parental coaching to help them develop the tools to support their children. For tips for parents, see Helping Versus Hovering: If You Want To Be A Better Parent, Looks Like It’s Time To Back Off! ; Helping Versus Hovering Part 2: How Can We Avoid Over Parenting ; Purposeful Parenting: Rethinking Discipline ; Punishment: why do we use it and what can we do instead? ; How Do I Respond To My Child’s Worries? ; and What is my child’s behaviour telling me? The Circle of Security as a roadmap for understanding and meeting your child’s needs
