Counselling

Request service

Call 311 or toll-free at 1-888-721-0622, Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm.

Arrangements will be made for you to speak with an Intake worker. They will gather information and assess your situation. If they assess FSD’s services cannot meet your needs, information about other community supports and resources will be provided.

During your first appointment, your counsellor will spend time getting to know you. They will gather information about your situation and work with you to find out what you want to achieve in your sessions.

Each appointment takes about 50 minutes.

Many types of therapy are offered, including:

• Solution-focused therapy
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Emotionally focused therapy
• Narrative therapy
• Trauma therapy
• Feminist-informed therapy
• Dialectical behaviour therapy 
• Psychoeducation
• Mindfulness
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing 

FSD can help you find solutions to many types of problems that are mild to moderate in severity. These can include:

• Abuse (past or current)
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Bullying
• Communication and conflict resolution
• Couple or family conflict
• Depression
• Drug or alcohol problems
• Grief and loss
• Parenting
• Relationship problems
• Self-esteem
• Self-harm
• Separation and divorce
• Sexuality or gender issues
• Social problems
• Stress
• Trauma

Information you share with intake staff and your counsellor will remain confidential. We will only release it if we are legally required to tell other professionals.

FSD cannot take a position in third-party matters, which may include situations involving:

• Employers
• Family members
• Legal issues
• Insurance claims

FSD offers counselling and psychotherapy to parents/caregivers and families with children of all ages. FSD offers direct service to children aged six and older. If parents or caregivers are separated or divorced, they may both need to provide consent.

Children aged 12 and older have the legal right to consent to counselling and psychotherapy on their own behalf. We cannot share information about their service with anyone without their written consent. This includes parents and caregivers.

The Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA) accredits Family Services Durham.

Our counsellors are:

• Social workers
• Psychotherapists

They have Masters-level training. Each is a member of at least one of the following:

• The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Services Workers (OCSWSSW)
• The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)

• Adult abuse survivors.
• Children and youth who have witnessed or experienced domestic abuse.
• Survivors of past or recent sexual abuse or assault.
• Victims of internet child exploitation and their immediate family members.

We provide counselling to people who use abusive behaviour towards others.

We also offer a Partner Assault Response (PAR) Program for people who are referred by the Crown Attorney's Office, or their probation and parole officer. The PAR program may accept voluntary clients who have no outstanding partner assault charges.

605 Rossland Road East
Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A3
Phone: 311 or toll-free 1-888-721-0622

Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

339 Westney Road South, Suite #103
Ajax, Ontario L1S 7J6
Phone: 311 or toll-free 1-888-721-0622

Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

234 King Street East, Unit #4
Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 1P5
Phone: 311 or toll-free 1-888-721-0622

Hours:

Monday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday: 1 to 9 p.m. 

OHIP does not cover fees for counselling or psychotherapy.

The fee for service is set during the Intake process based on your household income.

Fees for in-person sessions are due at the beginning of each appointment. Fees for remote sessions are due upon receipt of your invoice. Payments can be made by cash, cheque, e-transfer, or debit where available.

Receipts are provided for payment. You can claim counselling fees as a medical expense on your income tax return. Some private health insurance plans also cover counselling fees. Registered Social Workers and Psychotherapists are considered medical practitioners for the purpose of the Medical Expense Tax Credit.

To provide a caring, compassionate environment where people can recognize and develop their own capacity for change.

Our philosophy is the foundation upon which we strive to:

• Improve the well-being of our community.
• Contribute to our field of practice.
• Promote our expertise and reputation in the community.
• Encourage continuous quality improvement and learning.

Our service philosophy, vision, and mission are guided by the following values:

Client-focused

• Creating a positive and satisfying service experience by focusing on individual needs and strengths, promoting self-reliance and individual empowerment.

Professional

• Maintaining high service standards, including confidentiality and ethics.
• Using evidence-based/informed approaches, and measuring client satisfaction to ensure responsive services.

Respect

• Recognizing the inherent value and worth of each individual.
• Promoting open communication, mutual and shared understanding, and commitment.

Excellence

• Inspiring people to be the best they can be.
• Maintaining service excellence for our clients and our community.

Continuous learning

• Encouraging creativity, learning and growth, and sharing specialized knowledge and expertise with others.

Accountability

• Following responsible and ethical practice, and making efficient use of resources.

Quality

• Focusing on continuous improvement by monitoring and evaluating how services make a difference for clients and the Region.

Inclusiveness

• Embracing diversity and providing responsive services in meeting client needs.
• Providing services to all residents and employees of Durham Region regardless of income or ability to pay.

Collaboration

• Working together with community partners to support client and community well-being.