Psychotherapy

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy (often called talk therapy or therapy for short) is a form of treatment for individuals experiencing mental health symptoms, including but not limited to stressful life events, trauma, addiction, medical illnesses, grief, persistent low mood and anxiety.

Not everyone who benefits from psychotherapy is diagnosed with a mental health condition. Rather, psychotherapy can assist individuals in navigating challenges of any kind.

What is psychotherapy used for?

Psychotherapy aims to provide tools and healthy coping mechanism to relieve stress, cope with life changes, improve function and maintain overall emotional wellbeing.

Who provides psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is provided by the following professional designations in Canada: registered psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. It is important to ensure that the medical provider you seek holds an advanced medical degree or is registered with a regulatory body for counselling.

There are many forms of psychotherapy which can be used, depending on the nature of an individual’s condition and symptoms. The length of psychotherapy depends on the same; while some utilize psychotherapy for a short period of time, others continue with it for many years. Often psychotherapy is applied in conjunction with other forms of treatment such as medication, although this depends on the severity of a condition and is not always required for psychotherapy to be effective.

Click here more information about psychotherapy treatment types.