No. All sessions are completed online via secure encrypted video chat or via telephone. The clients we serve love the sheer convenience of being able to connect from wherever they are (whether at home, the office, or their car) and wherever they feel most comfortable.

Online sessions allow you to avoid traffic and parking and are less of a time commitment than if you had to schedule a time to get to and from an office. They are also more discreet.

Online therapy has been thoroughly researched, and all the studies show it is just as effective as in-person therapy. Keep’N It Real Solutions only uses methods that are effective and backed by research to ensure we continue to provide the highest level of service to the clients we are honoured to serve.

Your investment will depend on the service and provider you work with. For more information on current fees, please see the “Fees” Section.

Because our services are offered by a master-level redirected social worker, our counselling and therapy sessions are covered by most insurance policies.

Our fees may be claimed as tax-deductible health-care expenses on your income tax return.

This can depend on several different factors. It is most common to schedule regular weekly sessions for the first few weeks (typically four-to-six weeks), or more often during a crisis to get the support you need. Depending on your own individual needs and therapy goals, you may choose to move to biweekly or monthly as you progress. The best results come from consistency, but you can talk with your provider to see what works best for you and your goals.

You may cancel your session directly in your client portal or by email or phone.

We require at least 48 hours advance notice of cancellation for all types of appointments including free consultations. You will be charged the full session fee for appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 hours advance notice.

Absolutely! Keep’N It Real Solutions has been proudly serving individuals, couples, and families from all diversities throughout Canada since the beginning. Same-sex couples, LGBTQ2s individuals, non-binary individuals and couples living alternative lifestyles (i.e. polyamorous, kink, BDSM, etc.) are all are welcome.

Yes! Online therapy is just as effective as meeting in person. Video counselling still enables everyone to see facial expressions and body language just as they can in person. We know that it can be a difficult transition for some people. After trying online counselling, many of our clients have commented that they prefer online sessions because they save time traveling to and from an office, dealing with traffic, parking, or finding childcare, and they feel more comfortable in their home or office.

If you choose telephone counselling, it can be just as effective. Some people find it is easier to open up because they do not see the provider’s face, especially if they are sharing something that is difficult to share. For individuals who may not have the best internet connection, telephone counselling still enables a connection and also the option of going for a walk (weather dependent) while attending therapy.

Benefits of telehealth
Some of the research-based benefits of telehealth services include the following:

● Increased access. Approximately 4.6 million Canadians live in an area with limited access to health care. Telehealth can play an important role in these communities by increasing accessibility.
● Reduced costs for clients. Telehealth saves money when compared with traditional approaches to providing care. Clients benefit from avoiding the hidden costs of therapy. By attending telehealth services, clients have lower transportation costs, miss less time from work, and spend less money on childcare.
● Same-level client care. No client outcome difference was found between telehealth appointments and face-to-face office visits across multiple studies.
● Better client experience. Telehealth eliminates wasted time travelling and sitting in the waiting room. Clients get to have their sessions in their own space, where they are already comfortable, which often leads to them opening up faster and moving towards healing sooner!
● Less time in between sessions because of conflicting schedules. Telehealth eliminates long waits for couples and family clients whose schedules may not always align because each member can sign in from a different location.

All major counseling, psychology, and social work associations have endorsed telemental health services. As the industry continues to evolve, telehealth is becoming more widely used and is becoming as mainstream as face-to-face counselling.

1. Ensure you are in a quiet, safe and private place where you will feel comfortable discussing sensitive information and will be free from distractions and interruptions.
2. Ensure you have a solid internet connection. Options for checking your internet speed may be found by typing “Check internet speed” on Google. It would be desirable to have a download speed of at least 15 Mbps. To improve your internet speed, consider connecting via ethernet rather than using Wi-Fi; closing unneeded programs and applications on your device; powering down any devices that use internet connection and are not in use at the time of your sessions; and asking other people, with whom you share your internet service, to avoid engaging in activities that take up bandwidth, such as streaming videos, during your sessions.
3. Use headphones to improve the sound quality of your sessions.
4. Select a well-lit room or area. (Some people prefer the solitude of their vehicle for sessions.)
5. Position your camera so that your whole face is visible.
6. Keep a notepad and pen or electronic device handy for note-taking.
7. Make sure your device is fully charged or that you have your charging cable with you.
8. Bring with you any questions, concerns, or feedback you wrote down earlier to ensure you get what you need out of your session.
9. Sign in at least five-to-ten minutes prior to your scheduled appointment to ensure proper connectivity and an on-time start.
10. Actively attend your session and work towards your Healing. Evolving. Growth.

(Thank you Audrey Kodye for helping us compile this list)

At Keep’N It Real Solutions we love children! Malissa sees children ages three and up and has a special program that includes a first parent session and individually tailored program sessions. Children love therapy because they have a professionally trained provider giving them full attention, have a safe place to share their feelings without judgment, and can learn effective healthy tools to help them with their current situation(s) well into the future.

At this time, Keep’N It Real Solutions’ intern is able to see children ages ten and up.

We get it! It can be challenging to share so much personal information and know so little about your provider. It is important to know that the session is for you and your healing—after all, you are paying for it!

How much your provider reveals about themselves really depends on the theories that guide their work and their relationship with each client. Most providers will share very little about their personal lives because they are all more interested in helping you. If self-disclosure does occur, it will be kept to a minimum and only be offered to benefit you on your healing journey. If you do not like hearing something from your provider—tell them!

Providers all come to therapy trying to figure out their own stuff. What one specializes in usually is a direct result of their personal experience. Malissa appropriately shares her own journey in surviving narcissistic abuse to help normalize its often hidden realities so other survivors know they are not alone, which most of her clients love!

You may come to see and know Nina, the emotional support animal and in-training psychiatric service dog. Nina loves children, treats, walks, wearing cute outfits, and greeting people! She likes to sit in her red therapy chair while Malissa serves clients. If seeing a dog is bothersome to you—no worries—just let Malissa know, and Nina will happily lie down in one of her other beds!

Absolutely! This is one of the many benefits of online therapy!

Once you schedule and secure your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email with a link. You can forward this link to the other attending members for that session. Your loved ones and provider will be able to see each other at the same time.

We are so glad that you asked this! It is important to know who you are working with and that they are qualified to assist you, especially considering the vast number of people, such as life coaches, in the marketplace today branding themselves despite their limited formal training and experience. Being a smart consumer is important.

Malissa Veroni holds an honours master’s degree in social work and completed well over 2000 hours of supervised experience with clients prior to becoming registered and has worked in the field for over fifteen years. She also holds several certifications, and you can learn more about her and her practice by clicking the “About Us” section.

Carrie Taks, a contracted designated capacity assessor who also holds a master’s degree in social work, is registered in Alberta and has been in the field for over ten years.

Our Keep’N It Real Solutions intern, Andrea Salway, is currently completing her Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She has several years’ experience and is strictly supervised by Malissa Veroni.

Your providers have a minimum of five-to-ten years’ experience supporting clients just like you. Professionalism, a high-level education, and constantly updated skills are important to all providers who work at Keep’N It Real Solutions.

Unfortunately, most life coaches and some providers are not regulated by a board and do not need to go through any type of supervision or certification process to practice. While we do believe that many life coaches are well-meaning and great people, it is important to always do your due diligence when hiring anyone!

This is a great question! There are several benefits available from seeking services from a trained and registered therapist. By working with your provider, you will gain support, problem-solving skills, enhanced coping skills, increased motivation and solutions! By attending therapy, you are working on your healing, evolvement and growth. You can expect to have increased self-esteem, improved and healthy boundaries, better connections and interpersonal relationships, improved or decreased symptomology and less stress. Working with someone who is not directly in the situation with you can provide you with a fresh or different perspective of your challenges and help guide you to your own solutions. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it, so success will be dependent on your being active in and out of therapy and on the positive rapport you have with your provider.

Keep’N It Real Solutions strictly upholds confidentiality because it is pivotal to the therapeutic process. Successful therapy requires a high level of trust because we are dealing with highly sensitive subjects that are usually not discussed anywhere but in session.

Everything you say to your provider is kept confidential. There are limitations that are standard and upheld all throughout Canada which include the following:

● If you or others are at immediate risk of harm to self or others.
● If your provider suspects child or elder abuse or neglect
● If there is a medical emergency
● If there is a subpoena by a court of law

There may be times you would like your provider to provide collaborative care. If that is the case, you will need to complete the Third-Party Consent form and discuss it with your provider. You have the right to withdraw written Third-Party Consent at any time.

If you have any further questions about confidentiality, please speak with your provider and they will walk you through the process.