John R. Cook, Ph.D.
Registered Psychologist

The decision to seek psychotherapy or counselling is one that most people give great consideration. After all, most of us don't feel comfortable opening up about the intimate details of our lives to just anyone, and some of us don't feel comfortable opening up at all. Having made the decision to seek help, we want to feel as confident as possible about our choice of helping professional in whom we invest both our money and our trust. The financial investment can range from $75 to $175 an hour, while our investment of trust is, as the saying goes, "priceless".

How does one make the choice? As with other important decisions involving placing our trust in another professional, word of mouth is usually a good policy. Find out from trusted friends and family who they have seen in the past, and what their experiences were. Another good source of information about therapists is your family physician. They will have referred patients to therapists in the past, and received feedback from these patients. Many physicians will give you a shortlist of two or three names to investigate on your own.

A third source of information about who's out there in the helping professions is the Yellow Pages. Now things start to get complicated, because if you open up the Yellow Pages directory you'll discover separate listings for Counsellors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Psychologists. First of all, don't get hung up on the difference between counsellors and therapists; there isn't any as far as the Yellow Pages is concerned. Anyone, regardless of their credentials, can advertise their services in the Counsellors and in the Marriage and Family Therapists sections.

On the other hand, the title "psychologist" is protected under the Health Professions Act, and so, only registered psychologists and psychological associates are legally permitted to advertise as such. This should stop non-psychologists from advertising in the Psychologists' section of the Yellow Pages, but doesn't always. So, as a further safeguard, check the listings of psychologists and psychological associates for their registration numbers.

If academic preparation means anything to you, psychologists and psychological associates are usually trained at the Ph.D. and Masters levels, respectively. Social workers are required to have a Masters of Social Work, and clinical counsellors a Masters degree.

A final consideration in chosing a helping professional may be whether or not they are covered under your extended health benefit package at work. Government and some of the larger companies and institutions offer this type of coverage for their employees and family members, subject to an annual limit and deductable. Most benefit packages cover the services of a psychologist, and some the services of social workers. Otherwise, you will have to pay the entire amount out of pocket.

Still confused? Read more about psychologists, social workers and counsellors under the "people" tab of the Aegis Website. Finally, don't be afraid to ask for a complementary consultation with the helping professionals on your shortlist. Many of my colleagues and I routinely offer these consultations so that the general public is able to make informed choices about services they are seeking.