Questions about paying for therapy
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book the free consultation yourself, today, without going through a doctor. Some extended health plans ask for a physician referral before they will reimburse, which is a separate question from whether you can be seen — worth checking your own plan before the first paid session rather than after.
How do I pay?
By Interac e-Transfer, or by credit card through Jane, the secure booking and health-records platform the practice runs on. Payment is taken per session; there is no package to buy up front and no minimum number of sessions to commit to.
Do you bill my insurance company directly?
Yes, for some plans. Direct billing is available with Mohamad and Alison for Pacific Blue Cross, CVAP and plans on the TELUS eClaims network (Canada Life and Manulife among them), so the plan pays its share at the time and you pay only the remainder. Rola is not on the direct-bill line; sessions with her are paid at the time, with a receipt. Where your plan is not one we can bill, you pay for the session and receive an insurance-ready receipt after each session to submit to your insurer yourself, so it is worth knowing you will be out of pocket in the gap. Full detail is on the direct billing page.
Is online therapy covered the same as in-person?
Coverage is written by the clinician’s designation, not by the format of the session, so a plan that names your clinician’s designation is the thing to check first. Some older plan wordings still specify in-person, so if yours is one of them it is better to find that out from your provider before you start.
Which designation should I look for in my plan?
Whichever one matches the clinician you would be seeing. Mohamad Shabib is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) and a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO in Ontario. Alison Shaji is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in British Columbia. Rola Shbib is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario. Plans differ on which of those they name, and a mismatch there is a reason claims get declined.
What will I pay per session at TEO?
At TEO Counselling, individual therapy is $150 per 60-minute session and couples counselling is $175 per 60-minute session, with a free 15-minute consultation first. Private counselling is not covered by MSP, OHIP or any other provincial health plan; reimbursement depends on the designation your plan covers (CCC, RCC, RSW or Registered Psychotherapist). Direct billing is available with Mohamad and Alison for Pacific Blue Cross, CVAP and plans on the TELUS eClaims network, and you receive an insurance-ready receipt after every session for everything else.
We are a couple with two separate benefit plans. Can we use both?
Sometimes. Coordination of benefits between two plans is possible for couples counselling, but the rules are set by the insurers rather than by us, and they vary. Ask both providers how they handle a shared session before assuming it works.
What happens if I need to cancel?
You can cancel or move a session free of charge with at least 24 hours notice, and you can do it yourself in the booking system without phoning or explaining why. Inside 24 hours the session is charged in full, and a missed session with no notice is charged in full as well. One thing worth knowing in advance: extended health plans do not reimburse a cancellation fee, so unlike a session it comes entirely out of pocket.
What if money is genuinely the obstacle?
Say so on the free consultation call. A small number of reduced-fee spots are held, and there is no awkward process to go through to ask about one. If they are full or the gap is still too wide, you will be pointed toward lower-cost options rather than left with nothing.
Anything not answered here is worth raising on the consultation call, or you can send a short note and get a reply by email.