Our Services

Psychological and Counselling Services

Our Approach

The foundation of clinical practice is client relations. We are committed to client-centered values and place an emphasis on strength, resiliency, and collaboration. Our intent is to provide a “one-stop” full-range psychological and counselling service for you and your family. Our goal is to help you in your effort for change and growth. We use a variety of evidence-based approaches. This means that the interventions that we use have been proven effective by research. These approaches are based on a systemic and lifespan orientation. In other words, we consider the influence of different social system relationships such as family, peer, and community at large on a person, as well as the unique challenges that a person or a family might face during various phases of the life cycle. Treatment might be offered in an individual, group, couple or family format, depending on the problem and whom it affects. Services are provided by registered psychologists or by experienced masters and doctoral clinicians under the supervision of a psychologist.

Treatments or psychotherapeutic approaches used by psychologists should be empirically-supported treatments. In other words, psychologists should use treatments which have been proven effective by research. 

Our Clients’ Issues

We help our clients with:

• Personal growth and development issues such as self-esteem, career, and vocational interests
• Major situational and developmental transitions such as stress management, separation and divorce, loss and bereavement, motor vehicle accidents, chronic illness, and family life transition
• Significant relationship conflicts and intimacy issues such as family relationship discord, parent-child conflict, parenting, couple relationship breakup, intimacy issues, and sexual difficulties
• Socially-related issues and trauma such as immigration and cultural dislocation, social isolation, child abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence
• Behavioural difficulties and mental health concerns such as anger management, depression, anxiety, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Child development and behavioural issues such as cognitive and intellectual functioning, Attention Deficit Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, disruptive and oppositional behaviours, conduct problems, and trouble with the law.

Counselling and Psychotherapy
As the list above illustrates, people choose counselling and psychotherapy for many different reasons. One client might want to explore how to capitalize on talents to achieve life goals, while another might seek assistance in dealing with a traumatic life event such as divorce or chronic illness. Other clients might be looking for help to overcome a mental health concern such as anxiety or depression, or a family or relationship conflict.

No matter what their reason is for choosing counselling and psychotherapy, clients will find a safe and supportive environment where they can discuss their issues and concerns with a mental health professional who will listen without judging them, and genuinely try to help them deal with and overcome life challenges.

The individual counselling and therapy for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as art and play therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, and sex therapy that we offer at Oshawa Psychological & Counselling Services can also help clients.achieve general improvement in quality of life, or more specific benefits such as improved interpersonal relationships, enhanced self-efficacy, and increased self-esteem. Although there is no guarantee of improvement in every situation, the psychologists at our clinic have been trained to use interventions and techniques that have been researched and proven to be beneficial for most people. 

Our goal, in addition to helping clients resolve their concerns, is to promote self-efficacy and enhance a client’s ability to work through life situations. We actively collaborate with clients during the therapeutic process, following the minimum but sufficient intervention principle, and invite our clients to be an active agent in the change process whenever it is possible and appropriate.

Psychological Assessment
We provide behavioural and personality assessment, intellectual and psycho-educational assessment, vocational assessment, and family assessment, as well as assessment after motor vehicle accidents.

Rehabilitation Counselling
We provide rehabilitation counselling for motor vehicle accidents, post-traumatic stress disorder, and pain management.

Consultation and Training Service in Psychotherapy and Counselling
It can be very challenging to work with difficult cases and process traumatic client materials. Therefore, in addition to peer support, ongoing supervision and training are not only important elements in a clinician’s professional pursuit, they are essential for preventing vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burn out.

Service Exclusion Categories 
While we respond to our clients in a timely manner, as an office-based out-patient practice, our service is not appropriate for clients who have significant risk of serious bodily harm to self or others, severe substance dependency problems or acute psychiatric disorders, and/or other psychiatric emergencies. For community agency and health service referral information, please contact Community Helpline at (905) 434-4636. 

Effective counselling requires a safe relationship environment where clients are confident of their personal security and not fearful of reprisal. Therefore, couple and/or family counselling are not recommended when there are serious relationship conflicts, particularly in the case of acute domestic violence and/or child abuse. In those situations, individual counselling and the involvement of other protection agencies are more appropriate. 

Referrals: If your patient/client is being referred by the Court, or has recently been charged with spousal assault, please contact the Partner Assault Response Program (PAR), Family Services Durham at (905) 434-5855.

Family & Workplace Mediation Services

Family Mediation   
When a marriage breaks down, the decision to separate may or may not be mutual. With so many changes and new issues to be addressed, separating couples are often unsure of how to proceed.  Issues such as care and control of the children as well as financial decisions may be difficult because of competing interests and emotions.  Mediation is a one way for couples to work out the issues and problems that have arisen due to the separation. A neutral third party, can help the couple communicate their ideas and set out a plan to move forward.  They will then be ready to work with their individual lawyers to put their agreements in writing. 

Workplace Mediation 
In the workplace due to differences in role function, competing personal and/or organizational  interests and divergence of personality styles; tension and friction are unavoidable and inevitable.  Unresolved conflict can severely affect workplace communication, work performance, and employee job satisfaction.  The result can be costly in terms of productivity. Work place mediation is an effective means of resolving conflict in a respectful and productive manner.

At Oshawa Psychological & Counselling Services, our Mediation Services offers:

• Family mediation with separation/divorce family related matters including custody and access, parenting plans and child support issues.
• Workplace mediations to resolve management/employee conflict and employee peer relationship conflict
• Workplace employee and supervisor training workshops

For more information:
Family Mediation Canada
The Ontario Association for Family Mediation

Service Fees 
As a private practice, our services are not covered by OHIP. However, they may be covered by extended health insurance plans and/or some Employee Assistance Plans (EAP).  The fee schedule varies depending on the nature of the service and the qualifications of the clinician. Fees are charged according to the guidelines set out by related professional organizations including Ontario Psychological Association.

Child Psychology | Adolescent Psychology | Depression | Phobias | Relationships | Family Mediator