Psychological Services
Psychological Treatment Services
Our psychologists have extensive training and experience in numerous psychological treatment/therapy approaches, and create individualized treatment plans to best meet each individual’s unique needs.
Psychological treatment approaches used include: cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, emotion focused therapy (EFT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
We provide treatment for people of all ages including children, adolescents, and adults (including seniors).
The number of treatment sessions needed to assist people varies greatly. Sometimes just a few appointments are necessary when people are seeking practical advice about how to deal with a specific problem or concern. At other times therapy needs to continue over a longer period of time in order to fully treat more serious or chronic conditions. When appropriate, we can provide treatment services virtually by secure video or by telephone.
1. Individual Therapy
Many people call us seeking psychological services for themselves. Therapy can be beneficial when people experience problems that cause emotional distress or difficulty coping in their daily lives. We work frequently with people who struggle with concerns including anxiety, depression, stress, school and workplace difficulties, recovery from traumatic events, post- traumatic stress disorder, recovery from injury and chronic health conditions, addictions, relationship issues, and family-based difficulties. Individual therapy may also focus on longstanding personality based difficulties.
Service Providers: Dr. Anjuman Bains, Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Lesley Ruttan, Dr. Divi Tara
2. Couples Therapy
Psychologists provide therapy for couples wishing to address issues affecting their relationship, or wishing to improve the quality of their relationship. Sometimes couples are attempting to cope with major life crises that have occurred. Couples’ therapy focuses on improving conflict management skills, problem-solving skills and communication skills, and on enhancing emotional intimacy. If the couple decides to end their relationship, we may focus on separation counselling and/or on navigating co-parenting.
Service Providers: Dr. Miroslaw Grygo
3. Family Therapy
Families seek help for various difficulties particularly when they struggle to find ways to cope better with the major problems experienced by their children and adolescents. Families with older children often seek treatment in an effort to improve family relationships or to deal effectively with a specific problem. Sometimes adult children struggle to cope with concerns regarding their parents. Family therapy focuses on how to resolve the issues creating hardships for family members. This may involve meeting with the entire family or with smaller subgroups of the family.
Service Providers: Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Divi Tara
4. Addictions Treatment
We work frequently with people who struggle with addictions, whether early in the development of an addiction problem or when addictions have become severe and chronic. Drug and alcohol abuse are sometimes part of the difficulty experienced by adolescents and young adults as they struggle to manage their lives. We often work with people who use drugs and alcohol to cope with other personal difficulties (e.g. anxiety, depression, trauma etc.). Sometimes substance abuse or other addictive behaviours (e.g. gambling) are a significant part of problems experienced in a marriage or family, and need to be directly addressed in couples’ or family therapy.
Service Providers: Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Miroslaw Grygo
5. Psychological Rehabilitation
Our psychologists have extensive experience helping people recover from or adjust to a wide range of injuries and health conditions, including chronic diseases and health problems, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injuries. Often rehabilitation treatment includes working directly with a multidisciplinary team of health professionals.
Service Providers: Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Lesley Ruttan
6. Recovery from Abuse and Trauma
Our psychologists provide treatment for adults, adolescents and children who have experienced abuse and trauma earlier in life, particularly when it continues to negatively impact their current life (e.g. anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, self-esteem concerns). We also treat people who have experienced sexual harassment and/or assault, physical abuse, and other types of physical and/or psychological trauma.
Service Providers: Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Anjuman Bains
7. Treatment for First Responders
First responders often work in circumstances that can be highly stressful and traumatic. These work stresses and/or traumatic experiences can affect first responders’ ability to cope, their mental health, and their family and interpersonal relationships. Our psychologists have significant experience working with mental health and relationship issues that may impact first responders and their families. With this experience comes in-depth understanding regarding the unique challenges, stresses and cultures affecting each group of first responder professionals. Specifically, we have experience working with: active duty personnel, reservists, military veterans, police service personnel, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.
Service Providers: Dr. Miroslaw Grygo
Psychological Assessment Services
Our psychologists conduct various types of psychological assessment with children, adolescents, and adults (including seniors).
The amount of time required to complete a psychological assessment varies greatly. Assessments may include the following components:
- Review of relevant reports and documents
- Clinical assessment interviews with the individual
- Assessment interviews with a partner or family member
- Consultation with other professionals (i.e., physicians, educators)
- Psychological testing
- Test scoring and interpretation
- Report writing
1. General Psychological Assessment
A general psychological assessment can be either a brief or comprehensive assessment of psychological symptoms and functioning, often completed in preparation for treatment planning. This type of assessment helps to clarify mental health concerns, needs, psychological diagnoses, and to provide treatment recommendations. Psychological assessments are often requested by individuals, or by other referral sources including extended health and disability insurers, automobile insurers, agencies such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and lawyers in personal injury cases.
Assessment Service Providers: Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Lesley Ruttan
2. Psychoeducational Assessment
A comprehensive psychoeducational assessment investigates the factors associated with learning, including intellectual abilities, attention, memory, academic skills, emotional, behavioural and developmental health. Psychoeducational assessment can provide information regarding an individual’s learning profile and diagnose learning disabilities (and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
A psychoeducational assessment is recommended when people are experiencing significant difficulties in their education or for future education planning. Typical referral sources include parents, students or school staff.
Assessment Service Providers: Dr. Lawrence Dong, Dr. Divi Tara
3. Psychological Medical-Legal Assessment
These independent psychological assessments address legal questions for litigation/court purposes. These assessments include evaluation of psychological injuries, clarification of diagnoses, discussion of causation, evaluation of pre-existing factors, examination of mitigating/ameliorating factors, and clarification of psychological treatment issues. Psychological assessment can also be conducted to assess the psychological impact of workplace injuries, personal injuries, medical malpractice, and the impact of crime (e.g. sexual and/or physical assault).
Assessment Service Providers: Dr. Lesley Ruttan
4. Disability Evaluation/Assessment
Disability evaluation/assessment can determine whether psychological symptoms and conditions are affecting an individual’s performance/functioning in their daily and vocational activities. They can assist in the evaluation of a person’s psychological ability to perform occupational duties in the context of an injury or psychological disorder. They can also identify psychological barriers to returning to work or assess permanent psychological injuries for pension/compensation purposes.
Assessment Service Providers: Dr. Miroslaw Grygo, Dr. Lesley Ruttan
5. Neuropsychological Assessment
Neuropsychological assessments are typically requested by a doctor or other health professional to understand how the brain is functioning, especially when an individual has experienced changes in their thinking abilities and/or behaviour. The assessment itself involves detailed testing of various aspects of functioning including intellectual ability, attention, learning and memory, language, higher-level “executive” skills (e.g. reasoning, problem-solving), visual-spatial skills, academic skills, motor and sensory abilities as well as emotional functioning. A neuropsychological evaluation may be helpful in detecting possible problems with brain functioning, forming a diagnosis and differentiating among illnesses, defining areas of cognitive strength and weakness, guiding treatment for educational/vocational or personal needs, providing a “baseline” before treatments are implemented, making recommendations to your health care provider or in some cases, documenting changes in thinking that may occur over time.
Neuropsychological Assessment Service Provider: Dr. Lesley Ruttan
Fees
Fees for Psychological services are not covered by OHIP, but they may be covered by your group insurance plan /extended health care benefits.
Please check with your insurance provider to determine if psychological services are covered under your plan and if there are limits to your benefits.
The fees for all treatment and assessment services provided at MSPC are charged on an hourly basis including the fee for the initial consultation with the psychologist. All MSPC psychologists are currently charging fees according to the suggested fee schedule recommended by the Ontario Psychological Association. Please call to discuss our current fees with our administrative staff.