The poor man should have as much right to assistance for his mind as he now has to the life-saving help offered by surgery.
Client therapy is provided by students who are in their second or third year of the TICP’s three-year training program in psychotherapy. This training program is recognized by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), which is the regulatory body for all Registered Psychotherapists in the province of Ontario. The student therapists are working under supervision of very skilled and experienced registered psychotherapists. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement; clients are contributing to the development of early career professionals who will take this experience forward in their continuing work to help others, while at the same time also receiving high quality mental health care.
If you would prefer a referral to an experienced therapist please use our non-student TICP Referral Service.
Clients of the TICP Community Clinic represent a highly diverse population, with diversity found on almost all dimensions such as: presenting issues; socio-economic status; sexual orientation; gender; race and/or ethnic or cultural affiliation; religion; age, physical ability, etc. Our awareness of, and sensitivity to, these differences, and our efforts toward inclusivity, are reflected in all aspects of our services. The TICP Community Clinic recognizes that the diversity of our community is a source of excellence, enrichment, and strength.
The TICP Community Clinic affirms its commitment to human rights and to the principle that every member of our community has the right to equitable treatment without harassment or discrimination on the grounds prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code, including race, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, or disability. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment in which clients, students, staff, and faculty feel respected, valued, and celebrated for their unique identities and experiences.
Location
The Clinic is located at 427 Vaughan Road, Toronto, Ontario M6X 2P1.
Hours of operation: no walk-ins accepted, therapy is by appointment only.
Please note only clients over the age of 18 will be accepted.
HOURS:
Mondays: 10am-9pm
Tuesdays: 10am-9pm
Wednesdays: 10am-9pm
Thursdays: 10am-9pm (summer hours)
Fridays: 10am-4pm
Saturdays: 10am-6pm
Sundays: 10pm-5pm
The Clinic is accessible by public transit. The neighbourhood offers free and metered parking on the streets just south of the Clinic. The Clinic entrance is on the street level, is wheelchair accessible and occupies the main floor.
Clinic Accessibility
The Clinic operates throughout the year and requests for services are taken year-round. The Clinic is not equipped to handle crises or emergencies. This is clearly stated on the Informed Consent that all Clients must sign in advance of starting therapy sessions.
Fragrance Free
The Clinic is a fragrance-free environment. Certain people experience serious health problems when exposed to strong scents such as perfumes and colognes. In view of this situation, we thank you in advance for your cooperation and respect for others.
Providing Consent
All Clients must sign a form of Informed Consent. This provides permission prior to taking part in a treatment program. When the Client provides informed consent, they indicate that they understand that entering treatment is voluntary and they accept the possible risks, benefits, and outcomes of participating. The Client is provided with a copy of this form.
The Informed Consent form provides the following policy explanations:
- Room Fees
- Cancellations
- Client Record Security and Retention Period
- Acknowledgment of Supervised Practice
- Emergency Procedures
- Confidentiality – Limits of Confidentiality
A Client may withdraw consent at any time. A withdrawal of consent will usually require the termination of therapy.
Room Fees
We kindly ask that all Clients seeing a therapist at the clinic pay a weekly room fee, which is guided by each individual’s own discretion and ability to pay. The room fees are used to support the infrastructure required to maintain and operate the TICP Community Clinic. A suggested fee amount would be between $5 – $25 per week.
The TICP Clinic offers an accessible resource for individuals in our community in need of psychotherapy as the growing demand for mental health treatment is at epidemic proportions. So almost a century later, we continue the legacy and spirit of Freud’s Free Clinics in the city of Toronto. The clinic opens its doors in September 2021.
The TICP Community Clinic is conceived from a long history of social interest in psychoanalytic communities originating concurrently with the inception of Psychoanalysis. In contrast to the caricatures of Sigmund Freud as a doctor to the bourgeoisie, we have archival evidence documenting the social justice mission in psychoanalysis. Between 1920 and 1938 and in ten different cities, the first and second generations of psychoanalysts created a transnational network of outpatient centers that provided free mental health care for people who were otherwise unable to afford treatment. Psychoanalysis would share in the transformation of civil society, the analysts believed, and the new community‐based outpatient centers would help restore citizens to their inherently good and productive selves (Danto, E., 2005).
Fast forward to the emergence of the Toronto Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis (TICP) in 1991. A dynamic and innovative group of psychoanalysts began a contemporary institute in Toronto to offer psychoanalytic training that integrates new and emerging expressions of psychoanalytic theory and practice with classical paradigms. Quietly and unbeknownst to many, analytic training cases at the TICP typically are completed with individuals who cannot afford the fees associated with the services they are receiving. Notably, Dr. Dan Merkur, Psychoanalyst, and esteemed member of the TICP community who sadly passed away in 2016, engaged in psychoanalysis during his training with a homeless gentleman who paid one dollar per session. Over the years, the TICP referral service has paired individuals seeking low fee psychoanalytic treatment with training candidates.
In 2017, Dr. Frances Newman, C.Psych., Psychoanalyst, brought the attention of the TICP to the important work of Elizabeth Danto, Ph.D., author of “Freud’s Free Clinics-Psychoanalysis and Social Justice, 1918-1938” and the TICP invited her to present her research to our community to open dialogue about community outreach and psychoanalysis. For years, Dr. Newman supervised new candidates and offered them the use of her office to work with analysands at a nominal fee. She planted the seeds and spirit for the TICP Community Clinic.
In 2017, the TICP hosted a fundraiser and invited members of our community as well as the public to attend the play “Freud’s Last Session” to raise funds to launch the Community Clinic. This inspiring event attracted the attention of donors who are interested in supporting resources for the growing mental health needs of Torontonians. The success of “Freud’s Last Session” created the path for many future sessions at the TICP Community Clinic.
In 2019, the development of the TICP 3-year Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Diploma Program commenced led by the exceptional efforts of Dr. Stephanie Bot, C.Psych., Psychoanalyst. Dr. Bot’s initiative to formally conceptualize this new program generated the development of its operational framework and its recognition at both the professional regulatory college and the provincial ministry of education. This clinically based program enables students to receive their clinical training through the TICP Community Clinic while well over 100 clients access affordable treatment in psychotherapy. This program received approvals from the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities as well as the College of Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario. The dual purpose of the training site allows students to meet the College’s practicum expectations for licensure while giving back to their community. Graduates of the program depart with a breadth of clinical experience from a diverse client base with a commitment to promoting the psychosocial well-being of others.