What to Expect

Starting therapy can feel uncertain. Knowing what comes next can help.

At The Mindful Living Centre, we know that reaching out for therapy is a meaningful first step—and we’re committed to making the process clear, respectful, and seamless.

When you contact us, a member of our team will reach out within one business day to schedule your first appointment with a therapist who best fits your goals and preferences.

Before your session, you’ll receive secure, confidential electronic intake forms to complete online. For couples or family appointments, we may also ask you to arrive a few minutes early to finalize brief consent and background forms—this helps your therapist begin with a clear understanding of everyone’s needs.

Depending on your situation, your therapist may share additional questionnaires after your first meeting to help tailor your care plan and track progress together.

At every stage, our aim is simple: to make your first experience feel supported, organized, and centered around you.

FEES

Our fees are charged on an hourly basis, and currently range between $200 and $255/hour, depending on the service provider.
Our services are tax deductible, but are not covered by OHIP.
Clients with extended health benefits may be eligible for partial or full reimbursement of service fees, depending on their insurance provider.

Couples Therapy

Healthy relationships take understanding, communication, and courage. Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive space for both partners to explore patterns, reconnect, and grow together.

Because every relationship involves two unique perspectives, we structure couples therapy in a way that supports fairness, clarity, and collaboration.

Typically, both partners attend the first session to share their perspectives and begin defining shared goals. The second and third sessions are held individually with each partner, giving your therapist a fuller understanding of each person’s experiences and needs.

From there, ongoing sessions are conducted together to strengthen communication, foster collaboration, and support meaningful change as a couple.

Couple looking to each other during therapy session

Psycho-educational Assessments

(not currently accepting new clients)

We offer a range of assessment services, including ASD, ADD/ADHD, giftedness and comprehensive psycho-educational assessments, and can tailor the assessment to your needs.
Prior to setting up an appointment, a member of our Child & Family Services team will ask you a few brief questions to understand the main concerns you wish to address through an assessment of yourself or your child. This will help your Psychologist select the most appropriate tools and measures available and provide a quote for the assessment.

While each assessment is individualized, the process for a child’s assessment typically includes the following:

An initial meeting with parents to gain a more thorough understanding of the child’s areas of cognitive, academic, social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulty — questionnaires are usually provided at this meeting for parents and teachers to complete. 1-2 testing sessions (typically 6-8 hours in total), where the child completes a number of tests selected to answer specific questions you have about your child’s cognitive, academic and socio-emotional functioning. Information may also be gathered from collateral sources, such as teachers and other services providers. A feedback session with parents and child, where we provide a comprehensive assessment report and review diagnoses (if applicable) and recommendations for the child. This session provides an opportunity to discuss strategies for building on your child’s strengths and addressing their areas of difficulty. Specific, practical, individually-tailored recommendations are provided to help parents, teachers and other professionals work with your child in ways that will benefit their emotional health and maximize their likelihood of academic success.

The Mindful Living Centre - Frequently Asked Questions

Where are your offices located?

The Mindful Living Centre offers in-person appointments at three locations:

Milton: 400 Bronte Street South, Unit 219, Milton, ON
Burlington: 5045 Mainway Avenue, Unit 204, Burlington, ON
Oakville/Mississauga: 1943 Ironoak Way, Unit B204, Oakville, ON

We also offer virtual therapy to clients located across Ontario. You can choose to attend from your home or office if that’s a better fit!

What kinds of concerns do you help with?

The MLC supports a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, stress, sleep issues, chronic pain/health psychology, relationship concerns, and more.

We work with adults, children & adolescents, couples, and families, depending on clinician scope and availability.

What therapy approaches do you use?

Our licensed clinicians draw from several evidence-based approaches, including modalities such as CBT, ACT, EFT, DBT, MBCT, and Schema Therapy (among others), based on fit, the therapist’s unique training and skillset, and clinical need.

If you’re unsure what approach you would benefit most from, that’s not unusual – your therapist will help clarify what’s most likely to help.

Do you offer assessments (e.g., ADHD, psycho-educational)?

The MLC currently offers the following assessment services:

Adult ADHD Assessments (age 17+)
Psychological diagnostic assessments
WSIB Assessments for Workers with Workplace-Related Injuries / Disabilities

We recommend contacting our team for current assessment availability and next steps.

The MLC is not offering psycho-educational or Autism (ASD) assessments at this time.

How long are sessions, and how often do people usually come in?

Sessions are booked in 1-hour appointment blocks. Sessions are typically 50-55 minutes long, with the last 5-10 minutes of the hour used by the therapist for session notes. Appointment frequency is tailored to your specific goals and situation. Fees are billed hourly.

Many people start with weekly or biweekly appointments, and then adjust over time as they build skills and momentum. Our therapists are happy to collaborate with you about frequency of sessions according to your goals, specific circumstances, and any financial limitations. Where insurance coverage or finances are limited, we can often supplement therapy with things like readings or podcasts you can engage in on your own between appointments.

Is virtual therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

The MLC provides secure virtual therapy across Ontario via the Jane App, and many clients enjoy the convenience of online sessions and meeting from their own space.

Research suggests that, for many common concerns (like anxiety and depression), psychotherapy delivered by secure videoconference can produce outcomes comparable to in-person care.

Reference: Rafieifar, M., et al. (2025). Comparative Efficacy of Online vs. Face-to-Face Group Interventions: A Systematic Review. Research on Social Work Practice.

How is The Mindful Living Centre different from other clinics?

Two big differences clients often make note of:

Clinical excellence with real-world warmth: Our team includes psychologists and social workers who focus on both skill and relationship-building, and our Centre offers individually-tailored, innovative treatment approaches that are backed by research.
We track outcomes: The MLC uses valid and reliable measures to monitor progress and improve effectiveness (rather than assuming).

We provide support that continues: From your first call to every step ahead, you’ll feel supported, informed, and inspired. Through ongoing follow-ups and meaningful online resources, our care extends beyond the session—helping you stay connected, motivated, and thriving for life.

In other words: we refrain from vague, generic support based on a “one size fits all” approach, and instead aim to offer personalized, collaborative care, based on the highest standards of effective care available.

What are your fees?

Fees are billed on an hourly basis and currently range from $165–$255/hour, depending on the service provider.

Our services are not covered by OHIP, but many clients are eligible for reimbursement through private insurance/extended health care benefits (e.g. through an employer). If applicable, we encourage you to check your plan for coverage details.

Do you take insurance? Do you offer direct-billing?

Direct-billing is not currently available (though is being considered for a future date) – most clients pay the session fee and then submit our official receipt to their private insurer for reimbursement (if eligible).

Direct-billing is available for WSIB-funded services as well as for some other third party-funded care – we recommend inquiring with our Admin. Team when booking, to confirm what’s possible for your specific coverage.

What about privacy and confidentiality?

The MLC takes privacy seriously. Intake and communications with clients include guidance about privacy and the limits of electronic communication, and client information is handled with great care.

Health information recorded on paper or electronically uses multiple levels of encryption, is securely stored, and is not disclosed without client consent. Physical client files are kept in a secured filing cabinet and files are held for a minimum of 10 years following the date of client’s last contact with The Mindful Living Centre.

Please note that there are some legal limitations to confidentiality including subpoena (relatively uncommon), reports of potential harm to self or others, etc., which are outlined in more detail on our psychotherapy consent forms.

How do I get started?

You can contact The MLC via phone, email, webform via our website, or text, and you can expect a response within 24 business hours. Our skilled and compassionate Admin. Team will help guide you in selecting a therapist based on your needs and goals, keeping in mind any scheduling constraints as well.

If you’re ready to move forward, they will help you to set up your first appointment! If you’re still feeling unsure, they may suggest that you start with a complimentary, brief initial phone or video consultation with one of our clinical Team members.