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Registered Psychotherapists Serving Markham

Online Therapy in Markham

For people who hold themselves to a high standard at work, at home and in their families, and are tired of it never feeling like enough. Secure video sessions with a therapist chosen for you, usually within days.

Book a Free Consultation What We Help With
  • Free 15 to 20 minute consultation
  • A therapist matched to you
  • 50 minute sessions online
  • Fees from $90 per session

Doing Well and Not Doing Well at the Same Time

Many of the people who contact us from Markham have nothing that sounds wrong. The marks were good, the degree got finished, the job title looks good on paper. What they cannot account for is why every achievement lands like a pass mark instead of a win.

You start with a free 15 to 20 minute call, we choose a therapist with your situation in mind, and the first 50 minute video session usually lands within the week. No doctor’s note is needed.

The pairing is deliberate. We look at what is weighing on you and the kind of conversation you open up in, rather than handing you whichever calendar happens to have a gap.

Who Gets in Touch From Markham

Markham is a city of high achievers. Much of its working population is in technology, finance and corporate offices, and many families here hold high expectations for themselves and for each other. What our clients share is a standard rather than a background: the bar was set high and set early, and falling short of it registers as a flaw in character.

  • Habitual people pleasers who smooth things over for parents, managers and in-laws, and would like to decline something without replaying it for a week
  • Highly sensitive people who absorb every mood in the room and have heard “you take things too hard” since primary school
  • People who flip from shut down to flooded with little warning and want a steadier middle, not fewer feelings
  • Students carrying a course load, a part-time job and expectations decided before they had a say
  • Graduates who did every step in the right order and cannot find the outcome they were promised
  • Engineers, analysts and IT staff who are the dependable one on every team and the silent one in every meeting
  • Adults in their twenties and thirties in their parents’ house, where independence and the price of a mortgage conflict
  • Eldest children who organize, drive, fill in forms and absorb everyone’s worry, then get called responsible for it
  • Parents unsure whether they are supporting their child or repeating what was done to them
  • Adults who recognized ADHD or autism in themselves once school stopped compensating for it
  • People in their forties finding that perimenopause has made sleep thinner, worry louder and the old coping systems harder to run
  • People still shaped by emotionally immature parents whose approval came with conditions

Anxiety, ADHD and Trauma Counselling for Markham

The three things people in Markham most often want help with are anxiety, ADHD and trauma, and in a lot of lives they are one knot rather than three threads. It rarely looks like falling apart. It looks like doing everything right and never once feeling finished.

Anxiety here is often mistaken for conscientiousness. You check the report one more time, plan the week down to the quarter hour, and lie awake rehearsing what your manager might say in Monday’s meeting. The body carries the rest: a stomach that tightens before every review, a jaw clenched through the night, a weekend that never quite feels like rest.

Quite often the worry is standing guard over ADHD that strict schedules and strong report cards hid for decades. Discipline did the job attention could not, and adult life kept moving on planners, phone alarms and the rush that only a looming due date provides. Then one more demand arrived, a promotion, a new baby or perimenopause, and the scaffolding gave way. Plenty of people first suspect it while reading their own child’s assessment and recognizing every line. Effort was never the missing piece.

For others the source goes further back. A house where affection and comparison arrived together, where you checked a parent’s face before deciding whether to speak, teaches the body to stay braced long after you leave. That is the territory of complex trauma, or C-PTSD. One disappointed glance at work can pull you straight back to being ten and ashamed, which is what an emotional flashback feels like. No single dramatic event is required, and trauma therapy goes only as fast as you want it to.

The first sessions stay with the present and get concrete fast: sorting genuine risks from imagined ones, shaping routines around the way your attention really behaves, and teaching your body that the work day is allowed to end.

A typical starting point is anxiety therapy, ADHD therapy or a blend of the two. When the problem is less worry and more going blank or suddenly flooding, emotion regulation tends to suit better.

When Every Result Feels Like a Verdict on You

For a lot of high achievers, results were never only results. Marks, then performance reviews, then how the kids are doing became the way you knew you were okay, and how everyone else knew too. The people who reach out are rarely lazy and almost never unmotivated. They are tired from treating every review, deadline and report card as a verdict on who they are.

What shows up is recognizable: long hours that never feel like enough, procrastination that is really fear of finding out whether you are still good at this, a stomach that turns before every review or exam, a path chosen because it sounded impressive rather than because you wanted it. Some people land the job or the program everyone hoped for and come apart quietly once they get there.

  • Separating your worth from your results. Most of the work sits here, and it takes a while, because the two were welded together early.
  • Panic you can interrupt. Skills for the twenty minutes before a presentation, an exam or a hard conversation, which is where anxiety therapy earns its keep.
  • Perfectionism that stopped working. The standard that got you this far is often what makes the next step feel impossible.
  • Attention nobody assessed. Bright people with strict routines often reach adulthood before anyone considers ADHD.
  • Flatness instead of panic, which looks more like depression, or dread specifically about people, which points to social anxiety therapy.

Whether you are in school, building a career or raising a family, it is not too late to work on it.

The Conversation You Never Had at Home

In a lot of high-expectation homes, struggling was simply not discussed. Not disapproval so much as absence: you pushed through, you did not describe it, and anyone who did was thought fragile. So wanting a therapist can feel like admitting you could not keep up.

That is two problems rather than one, and the second need not be solved first. You need nobody’s blessing to book, sessions are confidential, and reminders and receipts reach you rather than the household.

And family often stays close. Some adults live with their parents for years because of housing costs; others moved out long ago and still feel the old rules the moment they walk in the door.

  • Family that still has a say. Boundary setting with parents, whether you live under their roof or across town, is a skill, not a confrontation.
  • Being the child who never needed managing. When agreeing was always cheaper than explaining, people-pleasing stops feeling like a choice.
  • A childhood that was not gentle. Discipline, comparison and a home where nobody was soothed leaves marks, and that is complex trauma therapy.
  • Grief that never got room. A loss that lands in the middle of exams or a busy season at work gets postponed, and grief counselling is years late by the time anyone books it.

When Every Promotion Raises the Bar Again

Markham’s software firms, banks, corporate offices and the consultancies around them produce a particular client: technically excellent, professionally quiet, and unable to say out loud that none of it feels like enough. Every promotion raises the bar, and every raised bar quietly becomes the new minimum.

So the pressure gets absorbed. You never escalate. Restructuring rounds pass and you say nothing about the three months of not sleeping beforehand. You speak last in meetings, then reread your own message hunting for the sentence that will be used against you. Sometimes that is social anxiety, and sometimes a nervous system at a low simmer since a childhood where nobody demonstrated resting, which is where emotion regulation begins.

Clients open the link from Unionville, Milliken Mills, Cornell, Markham Village, Berczy and the Markham side of Thornhill, and the hour is identical wherever you sit.

Parenting When You and Your Partner Were Raised Differently

Many couples who come to us aren’t arguing about love. They’re arguing about pressure: how hard to push their kids, whether Saturday is for tutoring or rest, and who decides which programs to apply to. Often each partner grew up with very different expectations and has never said out loud what they believe.

You can do a couples session together on one laptop or from separate rooms, as long as you’re both in Ontario. And if your partner won’t come, changing your side of the conversation can still change the pattern.

Where People Usually Start

All of it over secure video, the same from a bedroom, an office or a parked car.

Also here: neurodivergent affirming therapy, EMDR, emotion regulation, LGBTQ affirming therapy and the rest of what we do.

Meet Some of Our Therapists

Because everyone on our team sees clients by video, your postal code does not narrow the list. The therapists below often help with the pressures Markham clients describe. Read their profiles and book a free consultation with whoever feels like the right fit.

Want to see everyone? Meet the full team.

How It Works

Most people move from a first message to a first real session in a matter of days.

  1. Pick a Time

    Book a free 15 to 20 minute consultation at an hour that suits you, and give us a short sense of what has brought you here.

  2. We Match You

    We then choose a therapist for you, weighing what you are working through, the way you like to communicate and your background, and confirm the appointment by email or text.

  3. Free Meet & Greet With Your Therapist

    Meet them for free, ask anything you like and decide whether they suit you. If so, you book with them directly and can usually begin within days.

What Happens in Your Meet & Greet

Think of it as a short, no-pressure conversation. You can describe what is going on, what you hope therapy changes, and anything about your background that matters, then ask how this therapist tends to work. The real question is whether talking to them feels right. If it does, you book your first session straight with them. If not, tell us and we will match you again. Most people find the right fit on the first match. All you need is a private spot and a stable internet connection.

Sorting Out the Three Titles Before You Book

Students and parents both ask which of these they are meant to look for, usually after a family doctor mentions one in passing.

Counselling and psychotherapy

Registered Psychotherapist

Offers talk therapy for things like anxiety, trauma, relationship strain and big life changes. Overseen by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). OHIP does not pay for it, though extended health benefits often do.

Assessment and diagnosis

Psychologist

Typically trained to the doctoral level, and able to assess and diagnose mental health conditions as well as offer therapy. Overseen by the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. Private visits are not covered by OHIP.

Medical care

Psychiatrist

A physician who diagnoses mental health conditions and can prescribe medication. OHIP covers the visits, and you will usually need a referral from your family doctor or a nurse practitioner first.

Our clinicians are Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying) and pre-licensed Master’s-level psychotherapy interns. An RP(Q) is registered with the CRPO and works under clinical supervision while finishing the steps to full registration. Affordable Care sessions are with Master’s-level psychotherapy interns, supervised by highly experienced psychotherapists.

What We Offer

Special Approach to Every Client

We have three levels of service based on the experience of the clinician and your financial needs.

Affordable Care

$90
Per Session
  • Sessions completed with a Masters Level Resident Intern working under supervision.
  • Receipts provided for reimbursement.
  • Ideal for clients experiencing hardship.
Learn More

Sliding Scale

$100–$160
Per Session
  • Sessions completed with a Masters Level Resident Intern or Advanced Therapists offering sliding scale.
  • Receipts provided for reimbursement.
  • Ideal for clients with limited health insurance.
Learn More

Standard & Specialty

$170+
Per Session
  • Sessions completed with therapists with higher levels of experience or with specialized care with different issues.
  • Ideal for clients with health insurance coverage.
Learn More

All sessions are online over secure video. We don’t offer in-person therapy in Markham.

Extended health plans often cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), as well as sessions with a therapist supervised by a Registered Psychotherapist. Check your plan, and keep the receipt we send after every session.

Student Plans, Parents’ Plans and the Year You Age Off Them

OHIP pays nothing toward private psychotherapy, so the question is what else will. A fair number of people here are covered without knowing it, and others are about to stop being covered.

  • Read your student plan properly. If you are enrolled at a college or university, check whether psychotherapy appears at all, the yearly amount, and which designations it names.
  • Ask whether you are still a dependant. A parent’s workplace plan often covers children to an age set out in the booklet, sometimes longer during full-time study. Confirm before that birthday.
  • Check which titles your plan names. Insurers often reimburse a Registered Psychotherapist, an RP(Q) and a supervised intern differently, and that wording decides what you get back.
  • Look for a health spending account, offered by many employers alongside the main plan and usually spendable on therapy.
  • No coverage anywhere? Affordable Care is $90 a session with a Master’s-level psychotherapy intern, Sliding Scale runs $100 to $160, and Standard and Specialty suits people with a generous plan.

Every session comes with a receipt that lists psychotherapy and no other detail. If any fee is out of reach for now, see the free provincial options in the next section.

Mental Health Support in Markham Beyond Us

Therapy with us is one option among several. If you need something we do not offer, or something alongside us, these York Region services are worth knowing.

In a crisis, call or text 9‑8‑8 any time, or call 911.

What People Ask Us Before They Book

How long is the wait for a first appointment?
You will not sit on a list. The free 15 to 20 minute consultation can usually be booked this week, you meet the therapist we match you with, and a full 50 minute session tends to follow within days.
What does a session cost?
There are three fee levels. Affordable Care is $90 per session with Master’s-level psychotherapy interns, Sliding Scale is $100 to $160, and Standard and Specialty starts at $170 with our more experienced therapists.
Does OHIP pay for any of it?
No. OHIP does not fund private psychotherapy anywhere in the province. Many extended health plans do, and you get a receipt after every session to send in.
Do you offer direct billing to my insurance?
Not yet. We don’t currently offer direct billing, but we’re working on it. For now, you pay for each session and we send a receipt you can submit to your extended health plan for reimbursement.
I am on a student plan, or still a dependant on a parent’s plan. Does that help?
Often, and it is worth reading the booklet before deciding therapy is out of reach. Look for whether psychotherapy is listed at all, the yearly amount, which designations are reimbursed, and the age at which a dependant stops being covered.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
No. In Ontario you can book a Registered Psychotherapist on your own. A few insurance plans want a referral on file before they pay out, so it is worth checking yours, but we do not ask for one.
My parents think therapy is for people who are actually ill. Will they be told anything?
No. What you say stays between you and your therapist, apart from the narrow legal exceptions they will explain at the outset. Reminders and receipts reach you by email or text, and who else ever hears about it is your decision.
I still live at home. Where am I supposed to take a session?
Somewhere ordinary, usually: a bedroom with headphones on, an hour when the house is empty, a booked study room, a car in the driveway. Your therapist will not mind hearing a household in the background.
Can sessions be in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil or another language?
All sessions are held in English, and it is better you know that now than after booking. We do take culture and family background into account when matching, so tell us what matters.
Do you have an office in Markham?
No. Everything happens by video, so there is no drive along Highway 7, no parking lot and no waiting room where a neighbour might spot you. It also widens the choice of therapist well beyond whoever has an opening nearby.
Nothing terrible has happened to me. Is that a reason not to come?
Not at all, and we hear this question from Markham often. You do not have to wait for life to fall apart before therapy counts. Constant pressure, quiet dread and feeling numb deserve attention in their own right.
Can my partner and I be seen together?
Yes. Couples therapy, still called marriage counselling by many insurers and grandparents, happens on one video call. Share a screen or log in from different rooms, as long as you are both in Ontario.
Nobody suggested I might have ADHD until I was an adult. Do you work with that?
Frequently. Good marks and a strict routine can cover attention difficulties for years, and the cracks tend to show once school stops supplying the structure. Several of our therapists work with late-recognized ADHD and with autistic adults.
Who would I actually be seeing?
Someone from a team of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying), both registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, along with pre-licensed Master’s-level psychotherapy interns. Affordable Care sessions are with Master’s-level psychotherapy interns, supervised by highly experienced psychotherapists.

Nearby, and Everywhere Else in Ontario

Wherever in Ontario you log in from, the therapists and the fees stay the same.

Somewhere else in Ontario? Our locations page lists every city we serve, or call or text 289‑270‑1220.

Ready to Start Therapy in Markham?

Book a free 15 to 20 minute video consultation with a therapist matched to you.

Book a Free Consultation

or call / text 289‑270‑1220

True Self Counselling is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 9‑8‑8 any time, or call 911 in an emergency.