Pay What You Can (PWYC) Program
Know about our Pay What You Can (PWYC) program!
There has been a relative increase in mental health awareness today. The willingness to reach out to mental health services has also increased, making cost affordability an important factor to be considered. Unfortunately, counselling or psychotherapy services are not covered by OHIP. This leaves many individuals wondering about how to reach out for help when dealing with mental health concerns in terms of affordability. Community and some local centers offer these services for free or very low rates, however, due to unbalanced demand and supply, most clients end up in long wait times. Certain psychiatry services are available upon obtaining a medical doctor’s referral, but talk therapy is harder to access. This further leads to frustration and feeling demotivated to get help. Due to an increase in mental health awareness, employers have begun to offer mental health benefits if employees need it. Yet again, people from a low-income stratum or those who are unemployed are often deprived of help.
Research has shown that if mental health concerns are not addressed, a risk of mental illness rises and a person experiences increased mental health symptoms, such as frequent stress and affects their ability to function. People can have mental health concerns from time to time making them feel miserable and depressed. This can also result in difficulty when performing daily tasks.
The impact of untreated mental health symptoms may start to impact individuals within their school, work or relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy). At Vaughan Counselling and Psychotherapy, we believe that psychotherapy can be made accessible to all. Our clinic has a special program called PWYC which allows clients to pay what they can afford to. This is called a sliding scale fee which can range from $20-$80 per session.
Our clinic has intern therapists who offer a sliding scale fee. Our administrative staff first ensures to get background information on clients’ current struggles and what the affordability is like. If you feel unsure about the therapist, you are welcome to have a free 15-minute consultation with them before you book your first session.
Cara. Angela. Rasha. and Melissa are intern therapists part of the PWYC program.If you would like to schedule a consultation with any one of our therapists, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 647 267 9853, and we would be more than happy to assist.