Frequently Asked Questions
How are services paid for?
If you’re currently working:
You can use your employer’s extended health benefit plan to cover the cost of our services. Some employers also have dedicated funds set aside to pay for needed mental health services.
If you’re currently off work:
Your disability insurer or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) might have funds available to pay for services that are geared toward getting you back to your job.
If you’re a first responder:
There are funding options through the WSIB’s Community Mental Health Program, which you can access even if you plan to remain at work.
If you’re an active military service member:
Talk to your base medical officer about receiving services from us.
If you’re a veteran:
Talk to your Veterans Affairs Canada case manager. If you haven’t got one, visit the VAC website or call their contact line (1-800-522-2122) to explore your eligibility for services.
If you’re an organization:
We can work on a contractual or a fee-for-service basis, depending on your organization’s needs.
How much will my employer know about the work that I do with you?
- If you are a self-referring client, that’s up to you. You are under no obligation to tell your employer that you’re getting services, who’s providing them, or what those services are.
- In the event that there is some information-sharing arrangement in place with your employer, we will go over that with you prior to beginning services so there’s no confusion.
Sometimes disability insurance companies require that we send them periodic updates on progress, but they themselves have policies to protect your personal information.
Do you see people with substance abuse problems?
We do, but we don’t consider ourselves specialists in addiction or substance abuse, and we’ll steer you to other programs if we believe you need to do extra work in that area. In general, we don’t insist that our clients have all their substance use issues worked out, but we won’t continue seeing clients for whom substance use — whether prescribed or non-prescribed — is interfering with our work.
Do you see people who take cannabis?
Yes, we do. Many of our clients take cannabis or cannabis-derived products for sleep, anxiety and/or chronic pain. This only becomes an issue in cases when the drug interferes with the usefulness of what we’re trying to do.
Do you prescribe medications?
As non-medical doctors, our psychologists do not prescribe medications.
Our consulting psychiatrist offers one-time medication consults and forwards any prescribing recommendations to your general practitioner.
What’s the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
- Psychologists (PhD) are trained as scientists as well as clinicians. Psychologists are experts in the science of psychology, and tend to be involved in research, assessment, consultation and therapy. They help people manage or overcome their mental health problems using a variety of psychological tests and treatments.
- Psychiatrists (MD) are medical doctors who specialize in mental health and mental disorders. Their scope of practice is similar to that of psychologists, but they are also able to prescribe medication to help their clients manage their symptoms (an activity exclusively reserved to medical doctors).
What is EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback)?
EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) is a brain-training procedure in which an individual learns to control his or her brain activity through moment-to-moment measurement using an electroencephalograph (EEG).
As the brain’s electrical activity is recorded and analyzed, signals are provided to the brain via visual or auditory “rewards” when it shifts its activity in the direction of better regulation, promoting further, similar shifts.
Visit Breakwater Neuro for more information.
What is Heart-Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback?
Heart-Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback is a procedure that increases the brain’s ability to adapt its response to stress by challenging the autonomic nervous system.
HRV biofeedback is effective at promoting relaxation, decreasing anxiety and contributing to better coping with stress. Research has also suggested that it can reduce PTSD symptoms.
Visit Breakwater Neuro for more information.
What is repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)?
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a treatment technique that uses an electromagnetic coil to deliver a series of brief magnetic pulses to a particular location on the surface of the brain.
rTMS has been shown in scientific research to be effective for various psychological and neurological conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and more.
Visit Breakwater Neuro for more information.