Online Psychotherapy in Ontario

Whatever you are carrying, whether that is persistent worry, low mood, the slow burn of exhaustion or the weight of a hard experience, talking it through with a trained clinician can help you understand it and find a way forward. Belleisle Clinics connects you with independent, regulated clinicians across Ontario who provide online psychotherapy: Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO) and Psychologists and Psychological Associates (CPBAO), each working within their own authorized areas of practice. Wherever you live in the province, you can meet with the clinician best matched to your needs, in English or French. Our intake team will tell you what availability looks like when you get in touch.

Reviewed by Dr. Marie Paquette, C.Psych., Psychologist. Written and edited by the Belleisle Clinics care team. Last updated: August 2026.

What is online psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a structured, evidence-based process for working through emotional and psychological difficulties with a trained clinician. It is collaborative: you and your therapist make sense of what is happening, then build practical strategies that fit the reality of your life. Delivered online, it is the same work, with the same depth and the same clinical training, carried out over a secure video connection instead of in a consulting room. You may see it called virtual psychotherapy, online therapy or teletherapy; they describe the same thing.

For a great many people, that difference in format changes nothing about the outcome. A substantial body of research finds online psychotherapy comparable in effectiveness to in-person care for the most common concerns, and for some people it is a better fit, because it removes the travel, the waiting room and the scheduling friction that can otherwise get in the way of showing up consistently. A common worry is that it is harder to build a working relationship with someone through a screen. Studies comparing video sessions with in-person sessions have not found a difference in the strength of that relationship, whether it is rated by clients or by therapists. Consistency, more than setting, is what moves therapy forward.

What online psychotherapy can help with

The clinicians in the Belleisle network support adults, and in many cases adolescents and young adults, across a wide range of concerns. Each area has its own dedicated page with more detail:

• Online anxiety therapy — persistent worry, panic, social anxiety and phobias.
• Online depression therapy — low mood, loss of interest, and the heaviness that does not lift on its own.
• Online therapy for burnout — the exhaustion, cynicism and reduced effectiveness that build under sustained work stress.
• Online trauma therapy — the lasting effects of a distressing experience, including approaches such as EMDR.
• Online couples therapy — communication, conflict, trust and reconnection for couples.
• Online therapy for teens and young adults — support adapted to younger people, with parents involved for minors.

You do not need a formal diagnosis, or a tidy label for what you are going through, to start. If something is affecting your daily life more than you would like, that is reason enough to reach out.

Benefits of online psychotherapy — and when it is not the right fit

Online psychotherapy meets you where you are, which matters more than it sounds. You join from a private space of your choosing over a secure platform. There is no commute and no waiting room, and sessions fit more easily around work and family. For people in rural or remote parts of Ontario, an online therapist may be the only practical route to someone with the right expertise. And because the work happens in the environment where your life actually unfolds, the strategies you build tend to be easier to apply on the spot.

Online care is not the right fit for every situation. It is not designed for emergencies, acute crisis, or circumstances involving immediate safety concerns; those need in-person or specialized help. It also depends on a private space and a reliable connection. During the first session your clinician assesses whether online psychotherapy suits your needs, or whether in-person or more specialized care would serve you better, and can refer you accordingly.

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, 24/7 across Canada), call 9-1-1, or go to your nearest emergency department. Online psychotherapy is for ongoing, structured support, not crisis intervention.

What to expect from your first online therapy session

Starting therapy is often less daunting than it looks from the outside, and knowing roughly how it unfolds takes the edge off. The first session is mostly about getting oriented. Your therapist takes time to understand what has brought you in, what you are hoping for, and a little of your history and context. It is a two-way fit as much as an assessment, and a chance for you to get a feel for the person and how they work. You are never expected to have everything figured out, or to tell your whole story at once.

Before that first session you will also review how sessions are delivered online and give your consent to it, including how your information is kept and what the limits of confidentiality are.

From there you and your therapist set goals together, decide what you would like to be different in a few months, and shape a plan around them. Sessions typically run about 50 minutes, usually weekly to begin with, then spaced out as things progress. Much of the value comes between sessions too: the strongest approaches involve trying things differently in daily life, not only talking in the room, and your therapist will help design realistic steps. Therapy stays collaborative and flexible throughout. What is working, you keep; what is not, you adjust. How long it takes varies widely by person and concern, from a focused handful of sessions to longer-term work, and that is something you revisit together as you go.

Psychotherapist or psychologist: who you will work with in Ontario

Belleisle is a network of independent, qualified clinicians rather than a service provider in its own right. Online psychotherapy in the network is delivered by regulated professionals working within their own scope of practice: Registered Psychotherapists and Psychologists.

Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO)

Registered Psychotherapists hold a master’s-level qualification and are regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. They are bound by CRPO’s Code of Ethics and Practice Standards and carry mandatory professional liability insurance. Psychotherapy is their core scope of practice.

Psychologists and Psychological Associates (CPBAO)

Psychologists hold a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology; Psychological Associates hold a master’s degree together with an extended period of supervised practice. Both are regulated by the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario and use the designations C.Psych. and C.Psych.Assoc. Both are also authorized to conduct formal psychological assessment and to communicate a psychological diagnosis, which is a controlled act that Registered Psychotherapists are not authorized to perform.

How the choice is usually made

Both professions are regulated to provide psychotherapy in Ontario. Training depth and scope differ, and that difference matters most when formal assessment, a diagnosis, or a more complex clinical picture is involved. What the evidence does show consistently is that the working relationship between you and your therapist matters to how therapy goes. Our intake team works through the choice with you.

Not sure which fits your situation? Our guide, Psychologist vs. Psychotherapist in Ontario, sets out the differences in full.

Evidence-based therapy approaches used in online sessions

Clinicians in the network draw on a range of well-researched approaches, matched to the concern and to the person rather than applied one-size-fits-all. Often several are combined over the course of the work. The ones used most commonly include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — among the most extensively studied approaches for anxiety and depression. Structured, present-focused work on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — changing your relationship to difficult thoughts and feelings, and moving toward what matters to you, rather than fighting them.
• Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) — working with emotional experience and relationship patterns. Often used with individuals and with couples.
• Mindfulness-based approaches — present-moment awareness for stress, generalized anxiety and relapse prevention.
• Psychodynamic and other relational approaches — longer-term work on patterns rooted in earlier experiences and relationships.
• EMDR — a structured approach for trauma-related difficulties, included in several clinical practice guidelines for PTSD. Whether it is delivered online is a clinical decision your therapist makes with you.

You do not need to know which approach you want. Part of what intake and the first session are for is identifying the fit, both the clinician and the method best suited to your situation.

Online psychotherapy across Ontario: where it is available

Because sessions are online, the Belleisle network reaches every part of the province. Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Kingston, Mississauga, Sudbury, Kitchener–Waterloo, Windsor, Barrie, Thunder Bay, Kanata, and the smaller communities in between. Sessions are available in English and French.

The requirement is that you are physically located in Ontario at the time of your session, because that is where the network’s Ontario clinicians are authorized to practise. If you are in Quebec, the network also includes clinicians registered with the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ), and psychotherapy there is provided in French.

For some of Ontario’s larger centres we have dedicated pages with local detail:

• Online therapy in Ottawa
• Online psychotherapy in Toronto
• Online psychotherapy in Burlington

Online psychotherapy fees and insurance coverage in Ontario

Fees depend on the profession of the clinician you work with and differ between the two, reflecting differences in training and scope. Because rates vary and change over time, we do not publish set figures here. The intake team confirms the specific fee with you before your first session, based on who you are matched with.

Many extended health benefit plans cover online psychotherapy and online counselling with both professions, though coverage varies widely from plan to plan and can change. Some plans cover one profession but not the other, so it is worth reading the exact wording of your benefits, including which type of regulated professional is named as eligible.

Whether your sessions count toward the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit depends on the profession of the clinician and on the Canada Revenue Agency’s current list of authorized medical practitioners for Ontario, which is not the same list for every profession. Keep your receipts and confirm the current rules with the CRA or your tax advisor.

How to start online psychotherapy in Ontario

There are three steps, and no referral is needed.

1. Tell us briefly what brings you in

Fill out our short online form. No referral required, and every request is read by a member of our intake team.

2. We match you with the right clinician

Based on your concern, language preference, schedule and what you are looking for, our intake team identifies the clinician in the network whose training and approach fit your situation. You can ask questions by phone before booking.

3. Begin your first session

Your matched clinician contacts you to confirm a time. Sessions take place over a secure video platform, and from there the pace is whatever fits the work and your life.

Book your first online session

Frequently asked questions about online psychotherapy in Ontario

Is online psychotherapy as effective as in-person therapy?

For most common concerns, research finds online psychotherapy comparable in effectiveness to in-person care when it is delivered by a qualified clinician. The quality of the therapeutic relationship and attending consistently matter to how therapy goes, often more than the format of the meeting. Your clinician can advise whether online care fits your situation or whether in-person or more specialized support would serve you better.

What can online psychotherapy help with?

A wide range of concerns: anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, relationship difficulties, stress, grief, life transitions and more. Each of our main areas has a dedicated page with more detail, linked above. You do not need a diagnosis to begin. If something is affecting your daily life, that is reason enough to reach out.

Is online counselling the same as online psychotherapy?

In everyday use the words overlap, and many people search for online counselling when they mean therapy. In Ontario there is a legal distinction worth knowing: psychotherapy is a controlled act, and only members of certain regulated colleges may practise it and use protected titles such as Registered Psychotherapist, Psychologist or Psychological Associate. “Counsellor” and “therapist” are not, on their own, regulated professional titles in Ontario, so training, supervision and complaints mechanisms can vary. It is worth checking the exact title and any college registration. Everyone in the Belleisle network is registered with a regulatory college.

Will I see a psychotherapist or a psychologist?

That is your choice. Both professions are regulated to provide psychotherapy in Ontario, so for many concerns either can be a good fit. The exception is scope: formal psychological assessment and diagnosis fall to a Psychologist or Psychological Associate, as they are outside a Registered Psychotherapist’s scope of practice. Otherwise the decision usually turns on fees, availability, language and the kind of approach you are looking for. Tell our intake team what matters to you and they will set out the options; you decide from there. Our Psychologist vs. Psychotherapist in Ontario guide has more detail.

Do I need a referral from a doctor?

No. Therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist, a Psychologist or a Psychological Associate in Ontario does not require a physician referral, so you can book directly. Some insurance plans ask for a doctor’s note before they will reimburse, so it is worth checking your plan’s wording.

Is it confidential and secure?

Yes. Sessions are governed by the confidentiality obligations of each clinician’s regulatory college and by the privacy legislation applicable to the service, which is the health privacy law that applies to your care here. There are narrow legal exceptions, such as a risk of serious harm, suspected abuse of a child or a vulnerable adult, and court-ordered disclosure. Your clinician explains these in the first session.

Where in Ontario is online psychotherapy available?

Everywhere. Because sessions are online, you can access virtual psychotherapy from anywhere in the province, as long as you are physically in Ontario at the time of the session. Sessions are available in English and French. For clients in Quebec, the network also includes clinicians registered with the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ).

What if I am in crisis?

Online psychotherapy is for ongoing, structured support rather than crisis intervention. If you are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7 across Canada), call 9-1-1, or go to your nearest emergency department. Once things are stable, online psychotherapy can be part of your ongoing care.

Start online psychotherapy in Ontario

Starting is the hardest part, and it commits you to nothing beyond a first conversation. Tell us what is bringing you in and we will match you with a regulated clinician suited to your situation. Booking takes only a few minutes.

Book your first online session Sessions in English or French. Confidential and secure, to Ontario health-privacy standards.

Sources

• Seuling, P. D., Fendel, J. C., Spille, L., Göritz, A. S., & Schmidt, S. (2024). Therapeutic alliance in videoconferencing psychotherapy compared to psychotherapy in person: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 30(10), 1521–1531.Supports: studies comparing the working relationship in video sessions with in-person sessions found no difference, whether rated by clients or by therapists. 18 studies. This is the source for the sentence about building a relationship through a screen.
• Fernandez, E., Woldgabreal, Y., Day, A., Pham, T., Gleich, B., & Aboujaoude, E. (2021). Live psychotherapy by video versus in-person: A meta-analysis of efficacy and its relationship to types and targets of treatment. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 28(6), 1535–1549.Supports: comparable outcomes were reported between psychotherapy delivered live by video and the same therapy in person, in the studies included. 56 within-group studies (1,681 participants) and 47 between-group comparisons (3,564 participants); the difference between video and in-person was negligible. This is the source for the effectiveness statements on this page. These results do not mean the format suits every situation.
• Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: a meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316–340.Supports: the strength of the working relationship between client and therapist is associated with how therapy turns out. 295 studies; a moderate association (r = .278) that holds across therapeutic approaches. It does not support any claim about which profession achieves better outcomes, a question this literature does not address.

The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes. It does not constitute medical, psychological or therapeutic advice, it does not replace consultation with a qualified mental health professional, and reading it does not create a professional relationship between you and any clinician in the Belleisle network. If you are in crisis or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, please call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline), call 9-1-1, or visit your nearest emergency department.