The information provided below is general in nature and may not apply in unique cases. If  you would like clarification on any matter discussed below please contact our office by clicking here.

Information on who is providing your clinical services:

Your treatment team is made up of different types of professionals. What are the differences?
There are several different professions who provide psychotherapeutic services in Ontario. All members of the FLEX treatment team are either registered members of a regulatory College that is permitted to provide psychotherapy in Ontario or are in the process of obtaining registration and are under a period of clinical supervision.
My insurance limits me to accessing services from a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario, will this prevent me from seeking treatment with other members of the FLEX team?
This is generally not a concern for assessment services, as the case is directly managed by a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. For psychotherapy, most services are generally covered, but some insurance plans restrict which providers are covered. This is commonly a result of out of date plans that are not in keeping with recent regulatory changes in Ontario.  Still, this is usually the exception to the rule. Our office can help you navigate this process and determine which members of our treatment team are able to support you. Ultimately, however, a client is responsible to confirm with their insurance provider that services will be covered.
Can you provide more information regarding the supervision process at FLEX and who supervises these services?
All members of the FLEX team are regulated professionals who are licensed to practice psychotherapy or are in the process of obtaining licensure in order to practice independently. In some instances, those who are already registered with a regulatory college may access supervisory or consultative services from other members of FLEX. This allows us to provide a more collaborative and supportive environment to meet your individual needs. If your clinician is in an active supervisory relationship this will have been shared with you at your first appointment. You always have the right to raise any questions or concerns you have regarding our services either directly with your clinician or the identified supervisor.
Can you provide clarification on who is supervised at FLEX and who their supervisors are?
Regulated Members Accessing Some Supervisory/Consultative Services

Amy Herberman, M.S.W., RP, RECE

Amy is a Registered Psychotherapist and has full rights to practice psychotherapy autonomously. Given the complex and fluid diagnostic needs of the clients she serves, Amy is a member of FLEX's Psychology lead child support team. To allow an ongoing examination of diagnostic considerations and needs, Amy's work is supervised by Kelly Blanchette. Secondary supervision is provided by Michael Decaire when needed.
​
Jessica Danilewitz, MA, RP

Jessica is a Registered Psychotherapist, but is also working towards registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO). While she has the authorization to practice autonomously as per the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), her work remains supervised as per the requirements of obtaining additional CPO registration. Jessica's primary supervisor is Carolyne Lee. Secondary supervision is provided by Jennifer Marcus and Michael Decaire.

Craig Rafla, MPsy, RP

Craig is a Registered Psychothearpist (Qualifying), but is also working towards registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO).  While he has the authorization to practice as per the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), his work remains supervised as per the requirements of obtaining additional CPO registration. Craig's primary supervisor is Michael Decaire. His secondary supervisor is Jennifer Marcus.

Therapists in the Process of Obtaining Licensure
​
Sean Ladds, C.C.A.C.

Sean is in the process of working towards registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Sean's primary supervisor is Michael Decaire.
How is supervision provided at FLEX?
The College of Psychologists of Ontario recently introduced new supervisory guidelines, most of which were already in place at FLEX. We have been actively reviewing and revising some procedures to remain in keeping with new regulations, but any changes that have been made have been primarily logistical in nature. FLEX has always followed the best practice supervision guidelines developed and published jointly by the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) and the Ontario Association of Psychological Associate (OAPA). Those guidelines were authored in part by FLEX’s founder Michael Decaire. In our reading the OPA/OAPA guidelines generally meet or exceed CPO and CRPO standards. You can find a copy of those standards by clicking here.

Intake Procedures:

how do I contact FLEX Psychology to set up an appointment?
You can set up your first appointment by calling our office at 647-494-3173, by emailing our office manager at admin@flexpsychology.ca, or through our contact form by clicking here. Please note that we cannot guarantee the security of email prior to it being received by our email server. If you call in for an intake, our office manager may need to return your call at a scheduled time in order to provide you with an uninterrupted intake session.
Can i book an appointment for someone other than myself?
We recognize that potential clients may not always be able to book their first appointment or complete the intake on their own behalf for a variety of reasons (e.g. difficulties with initiation or other difficulties related to their area of concern; scheduling issues). Thus, we will complete an initial intake with a third party when appropriate. Children under age 18 may also have their initial intake completed by a parent with custodial access. We will not proceed with care, however, until the capable individual has consented to care on their own accord or an incapable individual has assented to care.
What is involved in the phone intake procedure?
Our phone intake is a brief procedure aimed at understanding why the potential client is seeking services, determining which service provider would best to assist with the identified area of concern, and the acquisition of simple logistical information necessary to begin care (e.g. contact information; education or work status; information information). Our intake coordinator does not delve deeply into identified areas of concern, as this is a conversation best completed with your assigned treatment provider and following the in session consent and confidentiality procedures. Assessment clients will be provided a comprehensive history form to complete prior to their first session, as a more complete background history is helpful in focusing an assessment to a clients individual needs.
Why was I asked to provide a copy of my extended health plan?
Extended health plans can be quite distinct from one employer to the next. Plans may include or exclude different treatment providers, may have unusual limitations regarding session length, or could have other restrictions that impact your ability to be appropriately reimbursed for treatment. Being "surprised" by your adjusters determination of qualification can be stressful and reviewing your documentation can decrease the risk of denied claims. FLEX will reimburse clients for declined claims if we reviewed your insurance plan and deemed that the services provided would be covered, the client had sufficient coverage remaining in their calendar year, and those claims were submitted in a timely fashion (submitted within one week of the paid invoice).
do i need a referral from a physician or nurse practitioner to access services at flex?
While the FLEX team does not require an external referral, your insurance provider may require a referral in order to obtain access to your insurance coverage for psychological, social work, or psychotherapeutic services.

Billing and Payment:

How do I receive and pay for my invoices?​
Invoices and receipts are provided electronically in order to allow you to have easy access to your records. Payments can be made online by credit card or bank transfer. In person payments can be made by credit card, cash, or cheque. Further information on payment terms is provided in our intake package, which you can view here.
Can you directly process payments with my insurance provider?
Many insurance provider have begun allowing service providers to do direct billing to insurers in order to minimize a clients out of pocket costs. We are in the process of integrating these systems and anticipate being able to do direct billing in the future. FLEX already completes direct billing services for our MVA clients.

Assessment and Treatment Services:

How do I know what type of therapy is right for me?
While a few of our clients know exactly the type of therapy they would like to explore, most clients are unsure what type of treatment would best fit for their needs. Each member of the FLEX team is an "eclectic" practitioner, meaning your treatment team will work with you to integrate therapeutic modalities in a manner that fits your needs. If your therapist does not specialize in an area that has been deemed especially supportive of your needs, we will work collaboratively within our treatment team to support you.

A description of treatment modalities used by members of the FLEX team is available here.
I AM UNSURE WHETHER I SHOULD BEGIN WITH TREATMENT OR SEEK ANOTHER FORM OF SERVICE.
We hear this comment a lot. To better support your needs our supervising psychologists will gladly meet with you to complete a thorough intake, propose a treatment plan, direct you to the right therapist, or point you towards services outside of FLEX that may better suit your needs. If you continue to work with the FLEX team this intake will be complimentary. If you seek support elsewhere we bill for the initial consultation at our normal hourly rate.
What does a psychoeducational assessment entail?
FLEX's psychoeducational process was designed by our founder, Michael Decaire, who spent a significant portion of his career in the test design and training field. Our assessments are comprehensive and generally require 6 to 9 hours of direct testing, along with additional interviewing and support services. We assess different intellectual/learning style, memory, clerical processing, attention, executive functioning, reading and reading disorders, writing, mathematics, and related social-emotional concerns. Diagnoses that may be conveyed including Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Giftedness, varied dyslexia subtypes, oppositional defiant disorders, etc.. 
Does FLEX offer gifted assessments?
FLEX prides itself on providing a full range of support services for gifted students, having provided gifted testing and focused learning coaching for nearly a decade. Our giftedness assessments will also aim to flag any unexpected learning concerns to help determine if additional testing is needed to rule out other conditions that may be causing your bright child to not meet their full potential.
Why would one want to complete a mental health assessment?
People are complex and we are strong believers that equally complex difficulties cannot be easily understood through just a few questions. We provide comprehensive emotional and personality assessments to better support you and provide additional diagnostic clarification for physicians and other treatment partners. We have also completed many assessments for defence teams in legal proceedings in order to explore mental health needs prior to consideration of a forensic assessment.

Treatment of Children and Adolescents at FLEX

Can youth consent to psychological or psychotherapeutic treatment?
​The Health Care Consent Act (HCCA) and the Personal Health Information Privacy Acts (PHIPA) state that a capable individual is able to consent to both treatment and how information regarding their treatment is handled. For most adolescents and all adults, the capacity to make these decisions is presumed to already exist. For younger children, the capacity to make health care decisions is determined on a case by case basis. How capacity is determined is not well defined in legislation, but is generally presumed to require that the individual understands what they are consenting to, the limits of their consent (e.g. reasons that confidentiality must be violated by law), and the risks and benefits of either accessing or declining services. In our experience, many pre-adolescents and nearly all adolescents are capable of consenting to care.
If a youth is not deemed capable to provide their own consent, can your office still provide care?
While the manner which an individual is deemed incapable of consenting to their own care is not well defined, it is generally accepted to be a high burden and the revocation of one's ability to consent to their own care is a serious one. That being said, adolescents of a low developmental status and younger children certainly do meet this threshold from time to time. When a youth is deemed incapable of consenting to their own care, responsibilities regarding accessing treatment switch to a custodial parent. In most cases, the consent of only one parent is required. However, in cases of separation or divorce, all families engaging with FLEX regarding the treatment of an incapable youth are asked to provide a copy of any relevant court orders. In the event of any dispute between the parents of an incapable youth regarding interpretation of a court order, the parties may be required to obtain further direction from the court.

It is important to recognize that these issues can be complex ones and that the information provided above is general in nature and may not apply in specific cases.
IF I WANT MY CHILD TO ACCESS SERVICES AND THEY REFUSE, ARE THEY ABLE TO COUNTER MY WISHES AND REFUSE SERVICES?
If a youth is deemed capable of consenting to care they are able to refuse to access supports. With younger children, a custodial parent may be deemed the only individual capable of actively consenting to care. Still, treatment may not be effective without, at the very least, the assent of the child. In our experience few children and youth actively refuse accessing treatment, though their level of participation and commitment to change may vary.
AS A PARENT, DO I HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION REGARDING THE TREATMENT SESSIONS COMPLETED WITH YOUTH?
If a youth is capable to consent to care they are deemed capable of determining how information is communicated about their treatment sessions. If a capable youth refuses to permit their therapist to communicate with their parents, the therapist is legally obligated to respect the capable youth’s wishes unless there is an overt risk to the their or another parties health and safety. Still, FLEX has generally found that communication with a supportive family member is often useful in treating youth. In cases where the youth wishes to have some restriction to the flow of information to their parents, we will encourage the youth to permit us to communicate a treatment summary to their parents in order to facilitate the completion of treatment homework or to allow sessions to continue with some confidence that goals are being met in session. Ultimately, however, we are legally required to respect the final wishes of a capable youth.
CAN I PROVIDE YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MY CAPABLE CHILD ONCE TREATMENT HAS BEGUN?
​If you would like to provide additional information to support your capable and independently consenting child’s care, we will seek the capable child’s permission to receive that information. If the capable child refuses, we are legally required to decline accessing that information. If we unexpectedly are provided information from a third party, we are required to inform the capable child what information was received.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE CHILDREN OF JOINT CUSTODY OR HIGH CONFLICT DIVORCE?
FLEX does not provide child custody or parental capacity assessments. We are also not able to provide an expert opinion towards court proceedings in this regard, as this is a highly specialized area of assessment and has little to do with direct client care. We do, however, support children who are struggling with the management of divorce or who happen to be in a high conflict situations, but need services unrelated to that conflict (e.g. a learning assessment). Ideally, we attempt to support children and adolescents with the consent of all related parties, though, on a case by case basis we may work with a child on the basis of their own consent (if they are deemed capable) or at the request of a parent with custodial rights, as long as a parenting agreement does not prohibit singular consent. Ideally, we believe that it is often in the best interest of youth for all parties to be in agreement and supportive of care. To meet that goal we attempt to bring all parties into care as soon as this is possible.

If a case appears to be in need of a custodial or capacity assessment we will provide a referral to such services as needed. Again, these services are not provided at FLEX Psychology.

MVA and WSIB Assessment and Treatment Services:

What is an MVA assessment?
An MVA or "Motor Vehicle Accident" assessment is an evaluation completed following an automobile accident to determine whether additional treatment services are necessary. It is generally a requirement for accessing insurance funds for therapy following an accident. If an obvious need can be demonstrated it is commonly paid for through your auto insurance. It can also be funded privately in certain circumstances.
Who is THE "client" during an MVA assessment?
We believe it is essential that the FLEX team be seen as independent in MVA assessments regardless of whether we have been approached by the victim of an accident, their lawyer, or their insurer. By avoiding an advocacy role, the FLEX team can better support access to treatment services for those who legitimately need such supports.
Do you offer assessments and treatment through WSIB?
FLEX is an assessment and treatment partner in WSIB's Community Mental Health Program. This means that emotional injuries obtained through a work related incident or chronic stress environment may be available to you at no cost. Contact us today to see if the FLEX team can help you navigate accessing care through this program.

Online Therapy and Consultation:

In what regions do you offer online psychotherapy?
We currently offer psychotherapeutic services in Ontario.

We occasionally offer psychotherapeutic services to international regions that permit treatment to English speaking ex-patriots and other anglophones. This is permitted in areas where the "act" of psychotherapy or psychology is not restricted by a regional regulatory authority. We are unable to provide treatment services into the United States at this time.
Do you provide professional consultation outside of Ontario?
We provide consultation and training services to English speaking health professionals internationally.
Why our your webinars available to all regions?
Our training and education webinars are not a therapeutic service and are provided internationally. They are for educational purpose only and are the equivalent of selling a book to a professional or as a self-help guide.