Services for Adults

We offer a range of different assessments including full psychological Assessments for adults. The Psychology Clinic also offers Individual, Couples, and Group Therapy for Adults. The type of assessment and therapy differs by type of service so please check the descriptions below.

Clients can refer themselves or be referred by a healthcare provider. We are currently accepting referrals through our Electronic Referral System, located here or by fax (613-533-3282).

Steps in an Adult Psychoeducational Assessment

Our waitlist for Adult Psychoeducational Assessment is currently closed, and we are not accepting referrals at this time.

  • You will meet with the Psychologist and Graduate Student for a full discussion of the presenting concerns, strengths, and needs.

  • This meeting typically takes about 1.5 hours.

  • Please bring copies of past report cards and assessments to this appointment.

  • We schedule 3 assessment sessions during which the graduate student meets with the person being assessed to look at overall abilities and functioning, learning strengths and challenges,  as well as social/emotional areas.

  • In between sessions, the graduate student meets with the supervising psychologist to examine the findings in depth and to determine if additional assessments are needed.

  • These sessions typically take 2 hours.

  • Approximately 2 weeks after the last assessment session, the psychologist and graduate student meet with the client (and their family, if applicable) to discuss the findings and to share any diagnoses that may be present

  • Recommendations are made for next steps.

  • This appointment typically takes 1.5 hours.

Individual Therapy Services

The Clinic offers individual therapy for individuals seeking treatment for a variety of mental health symptoms, as well as difficulties with adjustment/stress. Our waitlist is currently closed, and we are not accepting referrals at this time.

Therapy is provided by graduate students in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University, under the supervision of a registered Clinical Psychologist. Clients can expect to receive time-limited (i.e., between 4 to 16 sessions), evidence-based (i.e., therapy approach supported by research) treatment.

We are also continuing to accept referrals for our Brief Telepsychology Service. The Brief Telepsychology Service provides short-term psychological services via videoconferencing technology with clients in their homes. The service is appropriate to adults struggling with adjustment or stress, and focused on maximizing emotional and physical well-being by improving coping skills. Clients participate in four 30-minute sessions over a 2-week period focused on concrete problem-solving and skill building. Sessions may be group-based or individual depending on client needs. The service is available to people living in the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington region. Clients will need access to a device that can connect to the internet, and internet access that can support videoconferencing (using Zoom) to participate in this service.

There is a flat fee of $200 total (for 4 sessions) for this service. Please see Fees page for more information about methods of payment that are accepted at this time.

See full fee schedule.

Perinatal Mental Health Service

Our Perinatal Mental Health Service launched in January 2020, thanks to funding from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund.

The Perinatal Mental Health Service provides psychological services for new and expecting parents focused on mental health and well-being. The overarching goal is prevention and early intervention during this critical transition period for parents, to ultimately support family well-being and mental health. We primarily offer evidence-based group programs, with some limited opportunities for individual therapy available to clients in our service.

Services are primarily provided by experienced graduate students in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University, supervised by registered Clinical Psychologist, Stéphanie Boyer, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Current Programs: All programs and services are being offered virtually at this time. For the 2022-2023 year, we will offer our Perinatal Anxiety Group once in the Fall and once in the Winter.

  • Perinatal Anxiety Group: 6-week cognitive-behavioural group for new and expecting parents to develop skills to manage anxious thoughts, feelings, and other difficult moods/emotions. The next session is Winter 2024.

  • Transitioning to Parenthood Group: 6-week group providing new parents with education and support around changes and difficulties associated with this transition period, in a supportive environment to facilitate well-being and self-care. Not offered at this time, TBD.

Fees paid to the Queen’s Psychology Clinic follow a sliding scale, depending on your income; see our Fees page below for further information. Psychological services are not covered under OHIP. If you have health benefits (e.g., through your workplace) that cover psychological services, you can submit the receipt for full or partial reimbursement. Please let us know if the minimum fee is not affordable, as we have some pro bono spots available.

See full fee schedule.

Clients can refer themselves or be referred by a healthcare provider. We are currently accepting referrals through our Electronic Referral System, located here or by fax (613-533-3282). We will schedule a telephone call with each person referred to the service so that we can provide more information about our current programs and determine together if our service is a good fit for the person’s current needs.

Sex and Relationship Therapy Service

Student therapists are an integral part of the Sex and Relationship Therapy Service (SRTS). They are selected by, and work under the supervision of, Dr. Pukall and/or other supervising psychologists at the Service (listed above). All student therapists are in the PhD Program in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University and have the required academic background in the area of sexuality. Additional learners (e.g., observers), who meet the criteria above, also may be included in certain roles related to the Service.

Sexual Issues

The SRTS offers treatment to adults (i.e., individuals aged 18 years and over). Services are geared toward individuals who experience distressing sexual concerns, including:

  • low sexual desire

  • difficulties with sexual arousal/interest,

  • erection difficulties,

  • problems with ejaculation,

  • genital pain (e.g., vulvodynia),

  • difficulties with sexual intercourse/activity due to anxiety/discomfort (including vaginismus), and

  • problems with orgasm.

We offer treatment to individuals and those in relationships who attend therapy with or without their partner/s. For those who experience general relationship issues (e.g., communication problems, conflict) and will attend therapy with their partner/s for these concerns, please see “Relationship Issues” section below for more information on the services offered by the SRTS.

We also offer group programs for certain sexual concerns for group program information and offerings. Please note that, usually, individual clients will attend a group program before individual sessions are considered, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

We do not offer treatment to clients with sex/porn addiction or paraphilic disorders, such as pedophilic disorder or fetishistic disorder.

When there is another presenting concern (such as complex and/or unresolved trauma or problematic substance/alcohol use) that needs clinical attention before someone can fully benefit from our services, we will offer our services after appropriate treatment has been completed.

Relationship Issues

We offer relationship therapy for those who have distressing concerns with their relationships (e.g., communication problems, disagreements or conflict, sexual desire/frequency discrepancies, etc. that interfere with their relationship) and who will attend therapy with their partner/s.

We do not offer treatment to clients in relationships with intimate partner violence, ongoing infidelity, or sex/porn addiction.

Gender support and transition-related assessments

We provide support for individuals who are transitioning and/or who do not identify with their birth-assigned sex, in the forms of support, therapy, and assessments (e.g., for a referral for hormone therapy, surgical procedures). Note that we only see trans and nonbinary clients aged 18 years and older.

What type of therapy is offered at the SRTS?

The type of therapy that we provide is evidence-based, meaning that its effectiveness is supported by scientific evidence. Our approach is primarily based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and some of the relationship therapy is rooted in Integrative Behaviour Couples Therapy (IBCT).

CBT is a type of therapy that focuses on how the way that you think and behave impacts your mood, and in turn, how that is connected to your sexual life/relationship. It is a structured and skills-building therapy, and it involves active participation from clients during sessions and in between sessions to practice these skills. CBT is also goal-focused, which means that during sessions, we focus on your goals for therapy. A CBT approach is used in sessions with individuals and may be used in therapy with those in relationships.

IBCT may also be used in relationship therapy. IBCT combines techniques from behavioural couples therapy with strategies to cultivate acceptance and understanding of each other’s emotions.

The therapy that we provide is different from what’s called “supportive counselling”. Supportive counselling is a type of counselling that involves meeting with your therapist on a regular basis to talk about your concerns, but has less of a focus on structure, goals, and practicing skills between sessions.

We adhere to a range of 12-16 sessions for most cases involving individuals and those in relationships who attend with their partner/s. Our group programs usually consist of 4-12 sessions.

What can I expect?

For those presenting individually for sex therapy, whether in a relationship or not: The initial appointment is a consultation that lasts around 1.5-2 hours. It is completed with Dr. Pukall (and/or another supervising psychologist) and a student therapist to determine whether our treatment services are appropriate for you, including specific recommendations about what program/s (e.g., individual, relationship, group) and other resources we recommend. If you are interested in the services offered, you will be provided with information related to the program.

Please note that, usually, individual clients will attend a group program before individual sessions are considered, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Learn more about the upcoming group programs.

For those presenting with their partner/s for relationship therapy: Depending on the nature of the issue, the consultation may last 1.5-2 hours (with Dr. Pukall and a student therapist) or several one-hour sessions (with Dr. Flores and a student therapist). The consultation is completed to determine whether our treatment services are appropriate for you, including specific recommendations about what program/s (e.g., individual, relationship, group) and other resources we recommend. If you are interested in the services offered, you will be provided with information related to the program.

PLEASE NOTE* All group programs in the SRTS are currently being conducted virtually, and are open to individuals currently residing in the province of Ontario.

There is strong evidence that group programs can be an effective way to provide therapy for a wide range of problems, including sexual concerns. Group programs also provide an opportunity to connect with others who may struggle with similar concerns as we do. Group therapy offered at the SRTS are mainly structured, skills-based groups, meaning that you and the other participants in the group will meet on a regular basis while the group is ongoing to learn new information and strategies to work toward your goals. Like individual therapy, group therapy requires an active effort on your part both during and outside of the group sessions. The group will follow a similar format each week, with specific goals and topics to be covered by the group leaders. Although there will be opportunities for group discussion, how much you share and participate in these discussions will be completely up to you.  

Please see information below about our current and upcoming program offerings.

Men’s Sexual Health Group (next session Spring 2024)

This 4-week program is for men who are motivated to improve their experience of sexuality. The group is cognitive-behavioural, meaning that it involves learning specific skills—actions and ways of thinking—that have been shown through research to be effective for improving sexual function and satisfaction. Topics we will cover range from information about anatomy and sexual response, exploring barriers to sexual arousal, and learning strategies to increase sexual pleasure.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Group for Genital Pain (Spring 2024)

This 8-week cognitive-behavioural group is for women experiencing recurrent and persistent pain during sexual activity. The group will provide education about genital pain and its effects on sexuality, help identify factors that can influence the experience of chronic pain, and teach a variety of skills—actions and ways of thinking—to cope with pain and improve sexuality.

Women’s Sexual Pleasure Group (next session TBD)

This 6-week program is for women who want to learn about and improve their experience of sexual pleasure. The group is cognitive-behavioural, meaning that it involves learning specific skills—actions and ways of thinking—that have been shown through research to be effective for improving sexual function and satisfaction. Topics we will cover range from education about anatomy and sexual response, exploring barriers to sexual desire, and learning strategies to increase sexual pleasure.

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder/Genito-Pelvic Dysesthesia (PGAD/GPD) Group (next session TBD)

This 8-week cognitive-behavioural group is for women experiencing persistent and unwanted genital arousal sensations in the absence of mental arousal and sexual desire. The group will provide education about our understanding of PGAD/GPD symptoms, help identify factors that can influence the experience of symptoms, and teach a variety of skills—actions and ways of thinking—to cope with symptoms and the distress and interference associated with them. For the time being, participation in this group coincides with participation in a research study examining the group’s effectiveness on a variety of outcomes, like symptom intensity. For more information about this study, please email SHRL@queensu.ca

Consultation and individual/relationship session fees are based on a sliding scale ($20-150 per session). For participation in our group programs, please note that the fees below are per session (group programs range from 4-12 sessions and range from $10-75 per session). If you participate in a group program, an individual consultation is required and the fee for this consultation is included in the group program fee. However, if you decide to not participate in the group program following the individual consultation, you will be charged the equivalent of one individual session.

Arrangements for lower fees can sometimes be made for those with undue financial hardship.

See full fee schedule.

Average wait time is variable and depends on many factors. Presently, it is about 6-12 months.

Clients can refer themselves or be referred by a healthcare provider. We are currently accepting referrals through our Electronic Referral System, located here or by fax (613-533-3282). We will schedule a telephone call with each person referred to the service so that we can provide more information about our current programs and determine together if our service is a good fit for the person’s current needs.

Social Skills Training Group for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

These services are for motivated young adults (aged 18 – 30), with Autism Spectrum Disorder (without a concurrent diagnosis of Intellectual Disability). Please note that since the group focuses on social skills training, it is not appropriate for individuals who are currently in crisis due to difficulties with emotion regulation or other mental health concerns. If you have any questions about these criteria please don’t hesitate to contact us.

$400 for 16 2-hour sessions. We understand that clients receiving support from ODSP may be eligible for reimbursement of this fee. In addition, there will be a limited number of reduced rate spaces available for clients in financial need. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for one of these spaces on the referral form.

See full fee schedule.

Clients can refer themselves or be referred by a healthcare provider. We are currently accepting referrals through our Electronic Referral System, located here or by fax (613-533-3282). We will schedule a telephone call with each person referred to the service so that we can provide more information about our current programs and determine together if our service is a good fit for the person’s current needs.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Assessment and Treatment

The Psychology Clinic is registered with the Community Mental Health Program offered through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). If you have been injured in the workplace and are seeking psychological services (assessment and/or intervention), please follow the steps below.

  • Register your claim with WSIB

  • Contact us and we will ask questions to see if we can meet your needs for assessment and/or treatment. If we can and we have your permission, we will contact WSIB to obtain approval to move forwards under the Community Mental Health Program.

  • Once we receive approval, we will book an appointment to meet you.

  • Services are offered on an individual basis

  • Payment for services for Clients referred through WSIB are paid directly by WSIB.