|
|
|
|
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)What sorts of children’s problems do you treat when doing parent counselling? The most common problems I treat include behaviour-management difficulties such as increasing compliance - i.e. bed-time issues, homework, sibling rivalry, not-listening, aggressiveness, etc. I also help parents manage their children’s fears and insecurities. Parent counselling can also help build a solid parent-child relationship, increase the child’s self-esteem and confidence and reduce conflict. Do you do play therapy with children? No. I treat children indirectly by providing therapeutic programmes for parents to follow at home. I do help children with habits like nail-biting or for fears (of bugs, needles, clowns, flying in an airplane and so on) using a brief form of therapy (not play therapy) that targets these kinds of issues. Can you assess my child's learning problems? No. If you would like a formal assessment to determine the cause and nature of your child's learning problems, or other problems such as behavioural, social or emotional issues you should contact a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in the assessment of children's disorders. Do you do marriage counselling? Yes, I counsel couples for pre-marital, marital and separation/divorce issues. I have some personal concerns I want to discuss with you. Can you help me and if so, how long does counselling normally take? I can help you with many issues including things like stress, decision making, worries anger management troubling memories, relationship problems, work related issues and and more. Individual counselling can take as little as one or two sessions or it can take months, depending on your areas of concern. People who live in chronically stressful situations may benefit from long-term supportive counselling. The length of counselling is determined both by the issues being treated and the preferences of the client. For example, a client who only wants a few sessions (due to time, financial or other constraints), can create a specific goal and focus in counselling which can realistically be achieved in those sessions. Do you treat people with disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, autism or learning disabilities? No. I practice counselling psychology, which means that my clients are basically healthy individuals who have various challenges in living. These may include minor mood disorders (which do not intefere with functioning in the world), anxiety, worries, stress and relationship problems, but would not include major psychiatric disorders such as psychosis, clinical depression, anxiety disorders (like obsessive-compulsive disorder) or personality disorders (like narcissism). I do not assess for, or treat, learning disorders or ADHD. (I do help parents develop strategies for dealing with the problems that result from their child's ADD/ADHD issues.) Can you provide a diagnosis? I do not diagnose mental illness. If you require a diagnosis, you can consult with your medical practitioner and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist or to a psychological practitioner who works with clinical disorders (such as major depression, bi-polar depression, brief psychotic episode, schizophrenia, bulimia, anorexia nervosa, etc..). I have some further questions. Can I e-mail you about them? The best way to reach me regarding your personal situation, is by telephone at (416) 785-8046. Unfortunately, I cannot respond to general e-mail inquires. If you have a routine question about my services, you can e-mail at: scradcliffe@gmail.com. How do I make an appointment to see you in Toronto? Please call (416) 785-8046 and leave a confidential voice message stating the best times and telephone numbers to reach you at. I will return your call as soon as possible, generally within 48 hours. Please do not call on Saturdays. Please do not communicate via e-mail for this purpose. How do I make an appointment for a telephone consultation? Out-of-towners can arrange for a telephone consult by following the same procedure as above. However, telephone sessions must be pre-paid by cheque or money order (U.S. or Canadian funds). I live out of town. Can you refer me to a counsellor in my area? Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the services of out-of-town practitioners. I suggest you ask your doctor for a referral. What are your office hours? I work Sundays through Thursdays, 9 – 5 p.m. How long is a session? Each session is 50 minutes long. How do I pay? Fees are payable by cash or cheque at the time of the session. (I do not take bank cards or credit cards). Fees are subject to change. I do not have a sliding fee schedule. Are your services covered by my health insurance policy? If you have a medical/dental plan that covers psychological services, my services are most likely covered by your plan. I am a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Please check your plan to find how much coverage is offered for psychological services. Some plans require a note from the family doctor recommending counselling services. Most doctors are happy to make a brief referral for counselling when you ask them to.
|
Please call 416-785-8046 to
schedule appointments
|
