Psychotherapist often hears the phrase \u2018I know I need therapy, but I can\u2019t afford it\u2019; she says mental health care should be as accessible as physical health care<\/p>\n
Mental health care should be as accessible as physical health care, believes Guelph\u2019s Marinela Trickett. That\u2019s why she\u2019s calling on the provincial government to fund psychotherapy sessions with qualified mental-health professionals through expanded OHIP coverage.<\/p>\n
Trickett, a registered psychotherapist and clinical director of Trickett Psychotherapy, is collecting signatures of support for an upcoming petition presentation at Queen\u2019s Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been on my mind for a very long time,\u201d she said, noting she\u2019s often heard the phrase \u2018I know I need therapy, but I can\u2019t afford it\u2019 during her more than two decades in practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a single decision you made in your life without the involvement of emotions?\u201d Trickett asks. \u201cThere isn’t one, because emotions are a very important part of our functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n
The publicly funded Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) doesn\u2019t cover psychotherapy, leaving people to use workplace benefits which often cover the cost of only a few sessions annually, pay out of pocket or wait for a publicly funded program with a narrower scope of care.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur government reports how people who will seek some kind of mental health support for the first time will go to emergency services in our hospitals for the first time,\u201d Trickett said. \u201cThey wait there on average for 19 hours and then leave \u2026 without actually having their needs met.\u201d<\/p>\n