Costs
The cost for each 45-50 min assessment or psychotherapy session is $150. Sessions must be paid in full each time and only cash or Interac Transfers will be accepted.
Credit or debit cards are not accepted forms of payment at the clinic.
Please note that a $150 fee is applicable to last minute cancellations (24h or less) or no-shows at the agreed-upon time for the session. A $75 fee is also applicable for cancellations made within 24 to 48h of the agreed-upon time for the session.
Time
Sessions usually last 45 to 50 minutes.
The duration of therapy is very variable, depending on the needs of each client, as well as their motivation, their environment and out-of-control factors such as changes in their living situation.
Most therapies I do tend to last under 15 sessions. Considering the costs of a psychotherapy in the private sector, as well as studies that suggest benefits from psychotherapy tend to peak at around the 6th session in many cases, I tend to favor short-term therapies. However, many persons need help for longer periods and the clinic offers longer term therapies for anyone who needs it. Our services must be adapted to your needs, whether they require longer or shorter term psychotherapy.
Discuss it with your therapist early on in treatment, especially if your finances make it so that you can only manage to get a few sessions. It will then be easier for us to work on a more realistic treatment plan, which will take into account the time we can spend together.
Frequency
Therapists generally recommend weekly sessions. However, we frequently allow longer intervals between sessions towards the end of therapy, especially for middle to long term psychotherapies, a bit like a weaning process.
Clients can also have bi- or tri-weekly sessions. You may discuss this with your therapist early on in the process.
Progress of sessions/therapy
Usually, the first or first two sessions are used to assess the client’s presenting problems. A part of the assessment process may require an investigation into the client’s past, to trace their life story, so that the most significant events and relationships are exposed. The whole assessment process allows to clearly target each person’s specific difficulties and needs, in order to make sure the interventions made during therapy will be most appropriate for them, from the very first session onward.
Afterwards, sessions usually start with a return on the past week’s assignment. If needed, adjustments are made.
One or several problems will then be addressed and exercises may be practiced, in relationship with the problem(s). That same exercise, or a related one, will be assigned to the client for the coming week so that they may test it out between sessions. Note that, although that structure may seem very rigid when explained this way, we generally adopt a flexible attitude during sessions, as we always attempt to adapt to the most pressing matters in the client’s here-and-now. Sessions are always customized to the client who sits across from the therapist, as well as interventions are customized to their individual problems and needs of the moment.
Clients are free to end therapy at any time, without any obligation, besides that of warning their therapist at least 48 hours in advance, in case their decision is taken between two sessions. However, it is recommended that clients discuss the end of therapy during a final session, in order to either tie up any loose ends, highlight the next steps to be taken in the client’s life or proceed to refer them to another specialist.
Are your services covered (by my insurances, employee assistance program, CSST, SAAQ, IVAC)?
Most private insurances cover at least part of the services offered by a psychologist who is a member of OPQ. However, please check with your private insurance company, just to make sure they can authorize sessions with Francis Lemay, psychologist, before you initiate therapy. Some insurance companies only deal with a limited number of therapists who are listed in a directory of their own.
As for employee assistance programs, this question can only be answered on a case by case basis, because each program works according to different rules. Please note that if your employee assistance program does not allow therapists to collect, either entirely from them or partly from you and them, a fee of 150$ per session, we will refuse to do business with them.
Concerning people covered by CNESST, IVAC and SAAQ : I do not accept such mandates anymore.
How to initiate therapy?
In order to do so, you simply need to send me an E-mail or call me (see Contact section), making sure you quickly summarize your reason for consulting and specifying a few weekdays and times you would be available to come to the office. I will answer you as soon as possible and we can then arrange for our first session.
Meet me at 3136, Boulevard Hochelaga, for your first session. A waiting room can be found straight ahead after entering the building and I will make sure to come pick you up at the time of our appointment.
Free street parking is available on Louis-Riel Street, which is about a 2 min walk away from the office building.
Do I qualify for your services?
I meet adults for individual psychotherapy and couples psychotherapy.
If you fulfill these conditions, you should be eligible.