Psychotherapy is a collaborative process between a therapist and client aimed at creating positive changes in the client’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and social functioning. While many people seek therapy for various reasons, including maintaining mental wellness or simply having someone to talk to, it's especially common for clients to turn to psychotherapy when their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors negatively impact their ability to function or enjoy life.

All of our therapists are Registered Psychotherapists with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and are authorized to perform the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy. To learn more about psychotherapy and the Controlled Act, we encourage you to visit the CRPO website here.

Queer-affirming therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that actively supports and affirms 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, relationships, and lived experiences. It recognizes the impact of systemic oppression, intersectionality, minority stress, and past harm within mental health systems, and works to ensure therapy is a safe, respectful, and empowering space. Rather than viewing queer identities as problems to be fixed, queer-affirming therapy honours them as valid, meaningful, and central to your wellbeing.

Your identity will never be questioned here. We also understand that identity can evolve over time as you become closer to yourself, and queer-affirming therapy supports that evolution with compassion, kindness, and understanding.

We understand that finding the right therapist can be challenging, especially if you’ve had difficulty in the past. To help you make an informed decision, each of our therapists has provided a detailed introduction on our website. Their bios outline who they are, the clients they serve, the therapeutic approaches they use, and any additional relevant information. You can explore our team at charlottepidgeon.com/meettheteam.

If you're still unsure, feel free to email us at hello@charlottepidgeon.com with details about what you're looking for in therapy, the issues you want to work on, and your availability. We’ll help you find the best match for your needs.

If you’re choosing between two or more therapists, we encourage you to book a free initial consultation or a first session with multiple therapists to get a better sense of who might be the best fit for you.

Currently, all sessions at Charlotte Pidgeon Psychotherapy are conducted virtually. This approach helps us keep overhead costs low, allowing us to offer therapy at more affordable rates. Virtual therapy also increases accessibility for those who may not live nearby or have difficulty traveling. We proudly welcome clients from all across Canada to book with us!

Each of our therapists brings their own unique approach to therapy, allowing us to offer a wide range of therapeutic modalities to suit different client needs. While many of our therapists use an eclectic or integrated approach, some are specifically trained in modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relational Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and more.

If you're interested in a specific modality or have been recommended one, feel free to email us at hello@charlottepidgeon.com, and our admin team will help match you with a therapist who specializes in that approach. You can also learn more about the therapeutic modalities each of our therapists uses by visiting their individual profiles at www.charlottepidgeon.com/meettheteam.

We do not offer direct billing to insurance companies and operate on a “pay and reimburse” model. After each session, you will receive a receipt with all the necessary details to submit your claim for reimbursement. If your insurance plan covers psychotherapy provided by a Registered Psychotherapist, you should be able to get reimbursed. However, we cannot make any guarantees or review your insurance policy. We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance provider to confirm that they will reimburse psychotherapy services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist or a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) before starting sessions.

While we understand the desire to quickly "fix" problems, we encourage you to think of therapy as a journey rather than a quick solution. We specialize in long-term therapy, so while you may start to notice positive changes after just a few sessions, it’s also possible that progress may take longer to become apparent.

Think of therapy like going to the gym—it’s not realistic to expect immediate results, but with consistency and commitment, you’ll gradually notice yourself getting stronger. That being said, progress varies from person to person and often depends on the effort and openness you bring to the process. We encourage you to take your time and be patient, as growth, healing, and the development of healthy habits all take time.

Absolutely. At Charlotte Pidgeon Psychotherapy, we take great pride in our commitment to cultural humility and continuously work toward cultural competency. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and experiences, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and other marginalized communities.

We strive to make our services as accessible as possible, offering sliding scale and low-cost therapy options for those who find our fees out of reach. We also prioritize diversity within our team, focusing on hiring queer therapists, therapists of color, and neurodiverse therapists, to ensure that our clients can find someone they resonate with. We believe representation matters, and we understand the importance of working with a therapist who “gets” you on a personal level.

If you’re seeking a therapist from a specific demographic and don’t see someone on our team who matches what you’re looking for, please feel free to reach out to us. We’ll be happy to help you find a therapist who may be a good fit for your needs.

If you’ve found a therapist you'd like to work with, you can book a session online at https://charlottepidgeon.janeapp.com/. Please note that some therapists may not have available times listed online. This doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepting new clients, but their schedule may not allow for online booking. In that case, you can email your preferred therapist directly, and they can assist with booking you in manually.

If a therapist is not accepting new clients or has a waitlist, this will be noted on our booking site. To join a waitlist, feel free to email us at hello@charlottepidgeon.com.

Your appointment time is reserved specifically for you, and a late cancellation or missed session prevents another client from taking that slot. We require at least 24 hours’ notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. If you provide less than 24 hours’ notice or miss your appointment, you will be charged the full session fee.

We encourage you to contact us as soon as you know you can’t make your appointment so we can reschedule and offer your original time slot to another client.

We understand that therapy can be expensive, and while we hope for a future where therapeutic services are covered by provincial healthcare plans, this is not yet the case. If you have extended health coverage through work, school, or a private insurance plan, we encourage you to check if your sessions can be reimbursed.

For those without extended coverage, many of our Clinical Associates offer sliding scale options, which are available by request and subject to availability. We encourage you to discuss your budget with your therapist during your initial correspondence to explore whether this option is available for you.

We are also excited to offer low-cost therapy, with a standard fee of $80 and sliding scale options available, provided by our Student Therapists. These spots tend to fill up quickly, so there may be a waitlist at the time you reach out. Please note that since low-cost therapy is offered by our Student Therapists while they complete their practicum, your time with that therapist at the low-cost rate will be limited to the duration of their practicum. However, you are welcome to transition to a new Student Therapist once your current therapist graduates to continue receiving therapy at the same low-cost fee. New Student Therapists join our team every September, January, and May, and as a bonus, if you're one of their first clients, you'll receive your first 3 sessions for free.

Additionally, be sure to check our booking site https://charlottepidgeon.janeapp.com/ for any current or upcoming promotions!

Yes! Charlotte will begin offering clinical supervision starting in January 2025. If you're interested in learning more about the supervision options available, please feel free to reach out at charlotte@charlottepidgeon.com.