Frequently Asked Questions

Mindfulness meditation is one way to practice mindfulness, but since mindfulness simply involves paying attention to the present moment, mindfulness can be brought to anything you do. Becoming more mindful takes practice, and mindfulness meditation is good tool to learn to be more mindful. However, you can become more mindful without meditation, and even if you do practice mindfulness meditation, the benefits of mindfulness are greatest when mindfulness is incorporated into everyday life. Many of my clients never practice meditation and find other ways to bring mindfulness into their lives.

Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation are an important part of many Buddhist traditions, but there is nothing exclusively Buddhist about mindfulness. Many other religious and spiritual practices involve mindfulness, and you can learn mindfulness and realize its benefits regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs.

Many people try meditation and find it impossible to keep their mind from wandering and believe that mindfulness is something they will never be able to learn. But mindfulness does not need to involve meditation, and mindfulness does not involve emptying your mind. Mindfulness simply involves paying attention to whatever is going on in the present moment, and learning to bring your mind back to the present whenever you notice it wandering. Mindfulness does not need to involve extended periods of meditation. It can be practiced for just a few minutes at a time, and brought to whatever you are doing in your everyday life. Even if you may never be inclined to meditate, you can still learn to incorporate mindfulness into your life and realize its benefits.

Since mindfulness simply involves paying attention to whatever is going on in the present moment, you can bring mindfulness to any aspect of your life. The formal way to practice mindfulness is through meditation, which involves paying attention to things such as your breath, physical sensations, your thoughts and your emotions. Mindfulness can also be practiced informally by focusing your attention on your breathing for brief periods throughout your day, or by bringing mindfulness to everyday activities such as walking, driving, eating, cleaning, or whatever else you may be doing at any given time. As you become more comfortable practicing mindfulness, you will be able to bring mindfulness to your thoughts, your feelings and emotions, and any problems or difficulties you face.

I belong to the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP). Counselling and psychotherapy are not currently regulated in Ontario. Legislation has been passed to restrict the practice of psychotherapy to members of the College of Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario, however the government has not yet established this College. Once the College is in place, I will be qualified to join.

My fess is $100 for a session that lasts 50 minutes to an hour.

I can accept payment by cheque or cash. Payment is due either before or immediately after each session.

I regret that my office is in a building that is not accessible.

All information that you share with me is confidential and will not be communicated, directly or indirectly, to a third party without your informed and written consent. The only exceptions are when I have a legal, and/or ethical obligation to:

• Inform a potential victim of violence of a client's intention to harm them.
• Inform an appropriate family member, health care professional, or police if necessary of a client's intention to end his or her life.
• Release a client's file if it is subpoenaed by a court.
• Inform Child and Family Services if there is suspicion that a child under the age of 16 is at risk or in need of protection due to neglect, or physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
• Report a regulated health professional who has sexually abused a client to the professional's regulatory body.

Other than in these rare exceptions, any information that you disclose will be kept strictly confidential.