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A student therapist is completing graduate-level training in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, social work, or a related field. They see clients as part of a supervised practicum placement, gaining hands-on experience before completing their training.
Student therapists provide real therapy while working under the guidance of a qualified clinical supervisor. Because they are still completing their education and practicum requirements, their sessions are often offered at a lower cost than therapy with a fully qualified practitioner.
Training, professional titles and regulatory requirements vary across Canada, so you should review each therapist’s profile and ask about their education, supervision, practicum site and credentials.
Okay… but are they safe to work with? Read the next FAQ…
Yes. Student therapists provide therapy under the supervision of an experienced clinical supervisor while completing their practicum training.
Clinical supervisors are responsible for supporting student therapists’ professional development and helping ensure clients receive safe, ethical care. Supervision may include case consultation, discussion of therapeutic approaches, review of clinical decisions, and guidance on ethical or complex situations. Client confidentiality remains an essential part of this process.
The amount and format of supervision varies by educational program and practicum site. If supervision is important to you, don’t hesitate to ask a therapist about their supervisor, how supervision works, and how often they receive it.
For many people, yes.
Research consistently shows that the quality of the relationship between a therapist and client is one of the strongest predictors of successful therapy, regardless of the therapist’s years of experience. Some research does support student therapists’ effectiveness – however this area needs more investigation. Student therapists also receive regular clinical supervision and are often highly engaged with current research and evidence-based practices as part of their training.
Like any therapist, student therapists vary in their interests, personalities, and areas of experience. Some clients find an excellent fit with a student therapist, while others may prefer a therapist with many years of clinical experience, particularly for highly specialized or complex concerns.
If you’re unsure, consider booking an initial consultation. It can help you decide whether a particular therapist feels like the right fit for your needs.
Resources
Lars-Göran Öst, Anna Karlstedt, and Sara Widén. 2012. The effects of cognitive behavior therapy delivered by students in a psychologist training program: An effectiveness study. Behavior Therapy (2012). doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.05.001
Peipert A, Rodriguez-Quintana N, Lorenzo-Luaces L. Outcomes of student trainee-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on internalizing symptoms, CBT skills, and life satisfaction. Int J Cogn Ther. 2022 Mar;15(1):94-113. doi: 10.1007/s41811-022-00131-3. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 36211599; PMCID: PMC9536488.
Roseborough DJ, Chigbu KU, Jergensen KB. Client Outcomes in Graduate Trainee-Provided Psychotherapies: A Mixed Model and Exploratory Analysis. Research on Social Work Practice. 2022 Nov;33(7). doi: 10.1177/10497315221115868
Rowen, J., Giedgowd, G., & Demos, A. (2023). Effectiveness of videoconferencing psychotherapy delivered by novice clinicians in a training clinic. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 17(2), 158–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000410
Walsh LM, Roddy MK, Scott K, Lewis CC, Jensen-Doss A. A meta-analysis of the effect of therapist experience on outcomes for clients with internalizing disorders. Psychother Res. 2019 Oct;29(7):846-859. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2018.1469802. Epub 2018 May 3. PMID: 29724135; PMCID: PMC6602872.
Yes. Student therapists are expected to protect your confidentiality just as other mental health professionals do.
As part of their training, student therapists discuss aspects of their clinical work with their supervisor. This allows them to receive guidance, develop their skills, and help ensure clients receive safe, ethical care. Supervisors are also bound by professional and ethical obligations to maintain confidentiality.
As with any therapist, there are limited legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality, such as situations involving an immediate risk of serious harm, concerns about the abuse or neglect of a child, or when records are required by law. Your therapist will explain these exceptions before you begin therapy.
Before a therapist’s listing is published, we review information about their education, training and practicum placement.
As part of the application process, therapists are asked to provide:
We also send an automated notification to the therapist’s practicum placement site and clinical supervisor as an additional safeguard.
While these steps help us verify that applicants appear to be legitimate student therapists, Find a Student Therapist is not a regulatory body and cannot guarantee the ongoing accuracy of every listing or the quality of any therapist’s services. Registration with a regulatory body is part of the public record, and each college has a list of registrants that we refer to for verification.
However, we do not take responsibility for ensuring that every student therapist listed has the appropriate training, registration/licensure, appropriate practicum site and supervision, and liability insurance. It is each person’s responsibility to ensure that their therapist is qualified. You are invited to check with your chosen student therapist and their practicum site about their training, regulation, supervision and insurance. We encourage prospective clients to review therapist profiles carefully and ask any questions that are important to them before beginning therapy.
Psychotherapy is regulated, or not regulated, differently across Canada’s provinces. In some places, there are regulatory bodies protecting the act of psychotherapy, or the titles of psychotherapists. In other provinces, there is no regulation and therapists often belong to a professional association, such as the CCPA. Visit the CCPA website to learn more about this topic.
For more information about this, visit https://www.crpo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CATG-Information-for-Ontarians.pdf and https://www.crpo.ca/find-a-registered-psychotherapist/what-is-psychotherapy/
Find a Student Therapist lists student therapists offering a wide range of affordable options. Many therapists charge between $25 and $80 per session, with fees on the directory ranging from pro bono (free) to $100 per session.
Some therapists charge a fixed fee, while others offer sliding-scale, pay-what-you-can, or needs-based pricing. A few therapists may charge more than $100 for their standard rate but list $100 as the upper limit of their sliding-scale range.
Each therapist’s profile clearly displays their fees, making it easy to compare options and find a therapist that fits your budget.
Many therapists offer a free phone or video consultation, giving you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss your goals, and see whether the therapist feels like a good fit. However, not all therapists offer free consultations.
If a therapist offers a free consultation, it will be noted on their profile. If you’re unsure, you can always ask when you reach out.
Finding the right therapist is important, and it’s perfectly okay to speak with more than one therapist before deciding who you’d like to work with.
Insurance policies are each different. Some cover student therapists under appropriate supervision, but others might not. Some cover certain designations, but not others. Some cover therapists across provincial lines, and some may not. The most commonly covered designations in Ontario, for example, are Psychologists, Social Workers and Registered Psychotherapists.
It is advised that you check with your specific insurer regarding your coverage, based on the student therapist’s details.
Find a Student Therapist may be a good fit if you,
Browse through the listings and use the search feature to narrow down criteria you are looking for in a therapist. Consider their areas of interest, their personal ethnicity, language, style of therapy, communities they serve, and past experience.
Use the provided contact information to set up an initial call with as many therapists as you feel might be a good fit. We recommend speaking to at least two before choosing one. Ultimately, the choice is up to you, based on who feels good/right to you.
Student therapists are trained to have an entry-to-practice competency, as this is the beginning of their careers. They typically can see clients to treat issues related to anxiety, depression, relationship problems, life transition problems, workplace stressors, self-image, boundaries, etc.
Some may have additional training; however, their school program and practicum site may limit the complexity or severity of the cases they take on, and the methods they are permitted to use as new practitioners. For example, some schools do not allow student therapists to utilize EMDR techniques, even if they have training. This would be considered a more advanced tool than an entry-to-practice competency.
Student therapists may not be equipped to deal with things such as eating disorders, psychosis, mood disorders, self-harm and suicidality. It’s difficult to fully differentiate what is within or beyond their scope, as the human experience is very complex. If you have a serious mental health problem or psychiatric disorder requiring specialized care, that may be beyond the scope of student therapists.
It’s a good idea to reach out to a student therapist and ask whether your case would be within their scope. They typically offer a free initial call to help both parties decide if there is a good match for therapy.
Your first full session is an intake session. This may be structured or unstructured, depending on the therapist. You can expect to go over an Informed Consent process with your therapist, discuss some of your personal history, problems, and goals. You can also ask questions!
By the end of the session, you may have discussed how you’ll know when you are feeling better, how often you will have therapy sessions, the benefits and risks of psychotherapy and administrative details. You may also have a better feel for how well you and your therapist work together – which is important, because evidence shows that the relationship between client and therapist is the most predictive factor for good outcomes.
Remember, you may realize after a few or more sessions that it’s not the right fit for you. Your therapist should appreciate hearing from you about what is and isn’t working. Sometimes providing feedback is helpful in making the therapy work better for you. It is always a good policy to be upfront with your therapist!
If that does not work to make the relationship better, there is nothing wrong with and no shame in switching therapists. Try someone else! You deserve therapy that works for you.
If you are looking for long-term therapy, know that student therapists typically see clients for their practicum period and then move into full-pay work in a variety of settings. You may or may not be able to continue with them at that stage. Each therapist includes the details of when their practicum placement ends as part of their profile, so you can take into consideration how long you want therapy to last when choosing.
Psychotherapists typically discuss the end of service with their clients along the way, and may provide options such as referral to a new therapist, a new student therapist, or following them to their new workplace. Continuation of care is important, and the clients best interest should be a priority.
No. FAST is a directory of student therapists, intern therapists and therapists in practicum placement. These are all different terms for the same thing.
FAST is an online directory. It’s like the old-fashioned yellow pages you may have known in the 80s and 90s.
Student therapists, practicum sites and supervisors subscribe to be able to showcase their services on this directory, and FAST works to market their services through increasing visibility in the world and online.
On each therapist’s page you will find a contact form. You can quickly send a message through that form and the therapist will get back to you by email.
Please remember not to include confidential or identifiable information by email. The form is meant solely for that initial contact, and isn’t a confidential mode of communication. A copy of the message does get saved in FAST’s software for a period of time before it is deleted.
There are many people across Canada struggling to find psychotherapy services that fit with their circumstances. There are many reasons to use FAST to find your therapist. Sometimes you’ve exhausted other options. Sometimes you may not qualify for publicly funded services. Sometimes you might want a different kind of service, not provided by public funding – such as more than a maximum number of sessions, or a particular type of therapy you want to try. Or, you might want more control or choice in the process of finding therapy.
That is up to you, your school, site and supervisor. We allow students to list themselves, or their site can list them, as long as everyone is following the rules applicable to them and their circumstance.
We expect each student to understand the rules of their school program and practicum site regarding advertisement during practicum. We expect each student therapist to coordinate with their practicum site about who will register and pay for their account with us. We will not be verifying the rules of individual educational programs or practicum sites, or student adherence to those rules. Please use your discretion, common sense and respect of your school or site’s ethics.
If we receive a complaint, we will investigate the issue on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to de-activate listings at your cost for the remainder of your agreed subscription period, if you are found to be violating your school or practicum site’s rules around advertising.
Photos:
Select a professional looking photo. A neutral or contrasting, uncluttered, blurry background tends to look more professional. Dress and groom yourself to be the best version of you! It’s ok to look like yourself, and to show your personality.
If you don’t have a professional photographer, ask a friend to use the portrait mode on your phone. Take many photos. Try different poses and facial expressions. Get playful. It’s often better to stand at an angle to the camera and turn your head toward the camera.
About yourself section:
This is where you get to show your individuality and personality. You can sell yourself to your ideal clients. Consider including any details that are not covered by the preset filters/checkbox areas. For example, if you speak other languages or come from a particular ethnic, cultural or religious background.
Write about who you are, what makes you a great therapist, what you feel is special about yourself or your approach. If you practice a particular modality that is more specific than the broad areas included in the filters (eg. you use ACT, Motivational Interviewing, DBT), include that information.
Checkboxes & Filters:
Choose as many checkboxes as fit you. If you are still experimenting with different modalities, check all the ones that fit. In general, checking more boxes helps you show up in more searches, however please only check boxes which apply to you.
Credentials and Supervisor Information:
We do collect information about you, your supervisor, school program and practicum site. Most of these details will not be displayed on your directory profile. They are for internal use only. Your practicum site contact information will be displayed in your listing, so that clients can contact you.
All information you enter should be factual and verifiable.
There are several ways to increase your online visibility:
Having trouble finding your profile? Remember that your subscription is not your profile. Once you have subscribed, you’ll need to visit your Dashboard and “Create a New Listing” –> See screenshot below.
Once you’ve submitted your profile, it can take 24-48 hours for approval. Check your email in case there is some clarification required before your listing is approved. After initial set-up, and any updates to your profile, it will be delisted for 24-48 hours until it can be screened for content and approved.
Subscribers are responsible for cancelling your subscription, or you will continue to be charged monthly. FAST does not take responsibility for tracking the end of each student therapist’s practicum period, or guessing when listings should be cancelled.
There are no refunds for months purchased and your card will continue to be charged until you cancel your subscription.
Cancellations can be self-initiated via your subscriber dashboard. If there are any difficulties, you may also contact us to assist you – admin@findastudenttherapist.ca
Today is the day to take charge of your mental health journey!
Take a browse of our therapists, and choose a few to reach out to through our inquiry form.
You might be surprised to find a good match!
