FAQ

Play is the language of children. In play therapy, children are given the opportunity to play out their feelings, experiences and problems using toys and expressive arts. All the toys in the playroom have a therapeutic purpose. Some of the toys in playrooms are a sandtray with miniatures, water or water table, medical kits, puppets, paints and other art supplies, clay and doll houses among others. Play therapy helps children to express how they feel about an event, situation or problem, understand their feelings and learn to express their feelings in new ways (Riedel-Bowers).

The outcomes of play therapy depend on the goal of the child and/or parent(s)/caregiver(s). Children are able to build internal resilience and the family can learn new ways of understanding and interacting with their child to meet their child’s needs. Some outcomes may include the child being able to understand and express their emotions, play out their feelings of loneliness, anger or fear, learn coping skills when confronted with a situation where they are worried or scared, reprocess an experience or trauma or to overcome a specific fear. Play therapy can also be used to help children learn how to develop better interpersonal relationships, process the grief associated with the death or loss of a loved one, the onset of a childhood illness or disability or learn about a recent diagnosis. Outcomes can include having better relationships, doing better in school, resolving behavioural issues, learning how to regulate emotions and/or connecting more with the family.

There are many different types of play therapy approaches. These are based on different theories or models and are applied by the therapist to meet the needs of the child. Therapists may specialize in one or two different kinds of play therapy and others may use different approaches based on the child’s needs and goals. There is non-directive and directive play therapy. Child-centered play therapy is an example of non-directive play therapy where the child leads and decides the direction of play. An example of directive play therapy includes Cognitive Behavioural Play Therapy. In this case, the therapist would guide the play based on the child’s goals and needs. Other types of play therapy include Psychoanalytic, Jungian, Gestalt and Adlerian among others. There are also family play therapy approaches including Filial and Family Theraplay.

Play therapy helps children and teens living with anxiety. Often Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) will be used as a model for treating children or teens living with anxiety. Play therapy differs from conventional CBT approaches only in that it uses play and expressive arts to engage and assess, provide psychoeducation and treat children and teens. Play therapy is used to help children and teens learn about relaxation and mindfulness techniques, learn and understand their feelings, and how feelings are connected to thoughts and behaviour. Children can learn coping skills, develop a plan and implement exposure therapy. Parents will learn how to coach children in implementing their new skills at home and how to help their children learn these new ways of being in fun and creative ways.

Play therapy can be used for children as young as two years old. For this age, child- centered play therapy would most likely be used by the therapist. Despite the belief that play therapy is for young children, teens, adults and older adults all benefit from play therapy.

Play therapy techniques vary depending on the type of play therapy. One of the most widely used play therapy techniques is Sandtray-Worldplay (De Domenico), which involves sand, a sandtray, water and miniatures that the child and/or family/caregivers use to reflect, express and communicate their experiences (Fraser, 2013). Sandtray can be both directive with the therapist providing direction or non-directive with the child directing the play. Sandtray can be used in all phases of therapy. Another technique includes puppetry which can be used with a narrative model of play therapy. Puppet shows can be used in all phases of therapy and can also be used for the child to show the family what they have learned in therapy. Other techniques include the use of clay, doll houses, painting or drawing, dance and movement, writing, music and games, among others.

Therapists often start by telling the child about the playroom. In a child-centered playroom, the therapist will explain to the child that the playroom is a special playroom because the child can do whatever they want in the playroom, they do not clean up and the only rules are “no hurts for the therapist and no hurts for the child.” The therapist often explains play therapy and confidentiality with the use of books. The therapist will frequently ask the child if they know why they have come to play therapy and if the child has any questions. The therapist will often ask the child if they have any goals. Often the questions the therapist will ask has to do with the play or is part of a game. The questions therefore vary depending on the type of play therapy and the goals of the child and/or parent(s)/caregiver(s).

The goal of play therapy is to help children to reprocess experiences, express their emotions, heal and grow. More specifically, for young children the goal of play therapy is often developed between the parent(s)/caregiver(s) and the therapist during parent/caregiver consultation. Young children, teens and adults also develop their own goals for therapy. Even if a parent has a goal for therapy, the therapist will also work with the child to establish their own goals for therapy. Goals may include, for example, going to bed alone, resolving separation anxiety or learning how to express feelings among others.

Many expect that success, motivation and the skills needed to maneuver all of life’s obstacles are innate, they just have to “make it happen.”  But what happens when you’ve learned ineffective methods, developed problematic patterns, or find yourself stuck among options?  How can one be expected to solve life’s equation when they don’t know or understand the formula?

Therapy can help! By providing individuals a dedicated time to examine patterns, build skills, and develop a deeper understanding of one’s strengths, and how to use them, people can become more effective in their lives. They can feel competent managing stressors and pain, create resilience, adapt to life’s never-ending uncertainty, and find the motivation to overcome personal hurdles and reach their goals.

Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

• Developing new skills for handling stress and anxiety
• Modifying unhealthy behaviour and long-standing patterns
• Attaining insight into personal patterns and behaviour
• Increasing confidence, peace, vitality, and well-being
• Improving ways to manage anger, depression and moods
• Discovering new ways to solve problems
• Navigating life’s obstacles more effectively
• Improving listening and communication skills
• Developing new ways of relating to self and others
• Revitalized relationships and increased intimacy
• Enhancing the overall quality of life

Bloom Child & Family Therapy offers accessible and strength-based therapy to children, teens and families using creative approaches. The use of play, expressive arts and other creative forms of therapy allows our team to help the client to express themselves in any way that they feel most comfortable as well as providing accessible therapeutic interventions to clients with diverse needs and abilities. At Bloom we will tailor our services to meet client needs and ensure that you are matched with the therapist that is the right fit for you and your family.

The Bloom team will contact you to ensure you are matched with the therapist that has the expertise to meet you and your family’s needs. If your child is under the age of 12 years old, you can expect to have a parent consultation session to get a full history of your child. Depending on the needs of the family, therapists may see all the family members together in session(s), involve parents in session or see the child or teen on their own. The ways in which the assessment and treatment process is developed will depend on the approach used by the therapist, the needs of the family and will involve collaboration between the therapist and the family or individual.

Majority of our services at Bloom Therapy are covered by your workplace benefits package or health insurance. It’s important to check with your provider to find out what your plan covers, as every plan is different for each individual.

If you have EAP or Employee Benefits, it is important to confirm with your insurance provider what credentials they require in a counselling practitioner prior to your first session. Please check the following questions with your provider:

• Do I have coverage for counselling, psychotherapy, social work or psychological services?
• What are the credential requirements for the therapist?
  • Do I have coverage for counselling with a registered social worker?
  • Do I have coverage for counselling with a registered psychotherapist?
• What is my allowable coverage total per person per year?

At your session, we will provide you with an insurance-friendly receipt that includes all the information about your practitioner, the service provided, and the amount paid. This receipt can be submitted to your insurance company by you for re-imbursement. If you have no coverage, the receipts are still useful for income tax use.

Insurance companies that generally cover services from Bloom Child & Family Therapy include:

• Manulife
• Great West Life
• SunLife
• StateFarm
• Blue Cross

Therapy is only covered by OHIP when it is provided by a medical doctor, through a crisis visit to the hospital, or through a non-profit community service. Other practitioners in private practice are not covered. However, many private insurance plans or employer benefit packages include coverage for therapy sessions. It is important to check with your provider to find out what your plan covers, as every plan is different for each individual.

Since September 26, 2012 counselling services provided by a Registered Social Worker (RSW) can be claimed as a medical expense when filing your income tax return. In other words, Registered Social Workers are now authorized “medical practitioners” for the purposes of claiming medical expenses. This includes sessions with a Certified Psychologist as well.

Our rates vary depending on the length of the session as well as the experience and expertise of the clinician you are seeing. However, they are consistent with community norms, ranging from $160 to $200 per counselling hour (50 minutes in length). Shorter and extended sessions are available upon request.

We do not currently employ a sliding scale fee structure. However, Bloom Therapy may offer services at a reduced rate, at individual counsellor’s discretion. Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis and vary based on the experience of the clinician. Please contact us directly for more information.

Subsidized counselling agencies (that may offer a sliding scale fee) include:

• Carizon Family and Community Services (formerly Mosaic Counselling and Family Services);
• K-W Counselling;
• Lutherwood;
• Cambridge and North Dumfries Family Counselling; and
• Perth Huron Family Services.

If you struggle with addiction, you qualify for free counselling through St. Mary’s Hospital’s Substance Use Program. You may also want to check out Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), which are free support groups with regular meetings in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.

Cash, debit, e-transfers and all major credit cards accepted for payment at the time of the appointment.

In order to avoid clients being charged for missed appointments, we require 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule appointments. With adequate notice, Bloom will be able to accommodate your desired change and offer the timeslot to another client. We understand that emergencies and extenuating circumstances happen. Please contact us as soon as possible if there is a change needed in regards to your appointment.

Confidentiality is an ethical responsibility of all therapists and mental health practitioners. In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all conversations between client and clinician.  Information about your work with your therapist is not shared with anyone else without your written consent. Even the fact that you are attending counselling will remain confidential. If you happen to see your therapist in the community, they will not greet you unless you greet them first.

The only thing that takes precedence over confidentiality is safety, meaning there are limits to confidentiality where your therapist has a legal obligation to report to the appropriate authorities, which include:

1. intent to harm one’s self or others;
2. risk of harm to children and/or dependents;
3. disclosure of harm by a health professional (no matter how long ago);
4. if your therapist receives a court order for your clinical records or to testify.

When appropriate, your therapist may consult with other mental health professionals and engage in clinical supervision in order to provide you with the best possible service. When discussing aspects of your case in supervision or consultation, every effort will be made to exclude information that could identify you in order to protect your privacy.

We recognize that schedules can be complicated! There are several evening time slots available, throughout the week, if you are unable to make a daytime appointment. Often, these are the first timeslots to be filled, so it’s important to book in advance to ensure you receive the spot you wish.

Bloom Therapy office hours include daytime, evening and Saturday and Sunday hours in order to accommodate our clients needs.

In Ontario, only medical doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists can make a mental health diagnosis. Of these professionals, doctors and psychiatrists are covered by OHIP and are can prescribe medication. If you have questions about receiving a diagnosis or starting medication we recommend asking your family doctor or visiting a walk-in clinic as a first step.

To book an appointment at Bloom please email us at info@bloomkwtherapy.ca or call us at 226-647-7529 (PLAY). We are located in Uptown Waterloo at 7 Willow St. Waterloo, ON N2J 1V6

Bloom Therapy offers a wide array of services tailored to meet your needs:  Child Therapy, Family Therapy, Teen Therapy, Individual Sessions, Parent Sessions, Virtual/Online Sessions, Group Therapy , Education, Workshops, E-Courses, Seminars and Consultancy in addition to traditional therapy. We welcome you to visit our services pages for more information on these unique offerings.

Bloom does not provide crisis services. However, we do have urgent virtual therapy for teens (ages 12-21 years old). These appointments will be booked with the first available psychotherapist or social worker. Please contact us at info@bloomkwtherapy.ca or 226-647-7529 to book an urgent virtual therapy appointment.

If this is an emergency please call 911, head to your nearest emergency department or call the local distress line for 24 hour support at 1-866-531-2600 or 519-745-1166.
Other resources include:
Here 24/7: 1-844-Here247 (1-844-437-3247)
Black Youth Helpline: 1-833-294-8650
Indigenous Hope for Wellness Hotline: 1-855-242-3310
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
LGBTQ+Youth Line: call 1-800-268-9688 text 647-694-4275
Multilingual Distress Line: 1-877-298-5444
Naseeha Helpline: Muslim Support call 1-866-627-3342 text 1-866-627-3342
Trans Line: Trans peer support line 1-877-330-6366