Patzia is a trained professional psychotherapist in private practice and, like other helping professionals, charges fees for her work.

Please note that psychotherapy is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Some insurance and benefits programs may cover your therapy, but this depends on your plan which you should check before you start. In most cases you will have to pay for therapy directly even if you get repaid later by insurance.

Like other professionals in the helping professions, Patzia does not quote or negotiate fees on the site or through email. Fees are discussed during consultations.

Patzia’s rate represents the current mid-range in the GTA. Psychotherapy is less expensive than the services of psychologists, and has accurately been described as a 'labour of love'.

Patzia does offer a package depending on the amount of sessions you want to prepay; and she offers several payment methods: cash, cheque, Interac email and also PayPal, enabling you to use a credit card. 

Sessions are paid in advance: cash and cheque are paid at the beginning of the session. If you are paying by Interac e-mail or PayPal, I need to receive the payment before the session. Payments are not refundable.

Sessions last 50 min. The first session lasts 80 min, the extra 30 min. are free.

Clients agree to pay for all charges incurred for services rendered; and agree to pay the full charge for any missed or forgotten appointments without 24 hour notice of cancellation.

Fees for Missed Appointments or Appointments Cancelled Without Sufficient Notice 

Missed appointments or appointments cancelled without sufficient notice have the potential to be troublesome and to challenge the therapeutic relationship. To protect that relationship, our policy concerning missed appointments is adhered to without exception. The Healing Hearts Centre (HHC) charges for all appointments missed or cancelled with less than 24-hours' notice.

An appointment booked is time reserved for your exclusive use. It remains your financial responsibility unless you release it for use by someone else by providing at least 24-hours' notice of cancellation, which allows HHC to offer the time to another client.

Missed appointments are a cost to someone. If an event occurs that means you miss an appointment without sufficient notice, the cost rests with you. Occasionally, a client thinks an exception should be made; but an appointment is time purchased and reserved for you just as though you had purchased and reserved a ticket for an event, which would have to be paid for even if at the last minute you could not attend.

Appointments may be cancelled by fax, email or by speaking with Patzia. It is important that if you leave a voicemail cancellation, you ensure that you receive confirmation from Patzia to guarantee the cancellation is in effect. Monday appointments must be cancelled no later than noon Friday.

Receipts for missed appointments say "Missed Appointment".

Why do psychotherapists charge for the session when the client is unable to give 24 hours notice?

  This is to provide an adequate income for the therapist while keeping the basic cost of sessions to a minimum. Twenty-four hours gives the therapist an opportunity to offer the appointment to someone else. This system is traditional among health care professionals, and some family doctors handle the matter by overbooking—not an option when appointments are for an hour.

It is important for a psychotherapist to be consistent and objective in carrying out her cancellation policy. If she gets involved in judging how good the client's reason is etc., she makes herself into an Authority Figure, which may upset the balance of power in the relationship and disrupt the therapy. (The client may imagine the therapist to be larger than life, but that is different from the therapist buying into it.) Furthermore, it is best if the client feels free to base his or her attendance on his or her own needs and does not confuse the issue with feeling guilty or worrying about the therapist's income.