Frequently asked questions about therapy

Ruba provides individual psychotherapy for adults and relationship therapy for couples. People may seek support for anxiety, burnout, self-doubt, grief, boundaries, major transitions, identity questions, painful past experiences, attachment and relationship patterns, or tension involving culture, faith, migration, family, and intergenerational expectations. Couples may come with recurring conflict, disconnection, trust or intimacy concerns, parenting or financial disagreements, and differences involving values, religion, culture, or extended family. A consultation is a place to discuss whether the practice and current services fit what you are looking for.

No. People-pleasing is plain language for one possible pattern, not a diagnosis or identity you must accept. Therapy can focus on boundaries, guilt, over-responsibility, self-doubt, relationship patterns, or difficulty knowing what you need without using that label.

No. Culture, faith, migration, racialization, family, and community can be included when they are relevant and left in the background when they are not. Culturally responsive care means context is available to explore without becoming an assumption or requirement.

Therapy is not a set of instructions about family or a demand to choose independence over belonging. It can help you consider needs, values, responsibilities, safety, and consequences so that boundaries and decisions reflect the full context of your life.

Yes. Boundaries can be explored in relation to the people, responsibilities, culture, faith, and communities that matter to you. The work may involve clarifying a limit, changing how something is communicated, sharing responsibility differently, or deciding what you want to keep. Distance or confrontation is not treated as the automatic goal.

Yes. Faith, spirituality, doubt, religious community, and changes in belief can be sources of meaning, conflict, belonging, grief, pressure, or several of these at once. Therapy can explore what faith means in your life without treating it as automatically protective, harmful, or central to every concern.

Culturally affirming therapy considers the contexts that matter to you, which may include culture, racialization, migration, language, religion, spirituality, family roles, community expectations, discrimination, and intergenerational experience. Ruba aims to ask rather than assume, and to consider both individual experience and wider social conditions. People within any cultural, religious, immigrant, or racialized community are not all alike, and sharing a language or cultural reference does not guarantee complete understanding.

• Learn about culturally affirming therapy

Ruba Chihabi is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO registration number 19051. She is authorized to practise as a qualifying registrant. “Qualifying” is the current regulated registration category; it should not be replaced with “licensed.”

Therapy is available in English and Arabic. You can ask about your language preference when booking or during the consultation.

Couples therapy pays attention to the relationship and the patterns that develop between partners, rather than treating either person as the problem. Ruba's work is informed by Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman training and may involve slowing down recurring cycles, making room for each partner's perspective, and practising different ways of communicating. Couples therapy does not guarantee reconciliation. It may support partners in understanding their patterns, communicating differently, and making informed decisions about how they want to move forward.

• Learn about couples therapy

Uncertainty is a valid place to begin. You might start with a situation, a recurring feeling, a relationship pattern, or the sense that current ways of coping are difficult to sustain. Early sessions can help clarify what deserves attention without requiring a polished story or fixed goal.

The consultation is a free, 30 minutes virtual conversation. You can briefly describe what you are looking for, ask questions about Ruba's approach, and discuss service format, scheduling, fees, and possible fit. It is not a therapy session and does not commit you to ongoing care. Individual and couples consultations have separate Jane booking links.

• Book an individual consultation
• Book a couples consultation

The first session usually includes reviewing informed consent and confidentiality, discussing what brings you to therapy, and beginning to understand relevant history, relationships, context, and priorities. Ruba may ask questions, and you can ask questions too. You can begin without describing every experience at once. For couples, the first stage also considers each partner's perspective and the interaction patterns that bring you in. You and Ruba can discuss an initial direction without promising a particular result.

There is no standard number that applies to everyone. The length and frequency of therapy depend on your concerns, goals, circumstances, preferences, and the work you agree to undertake. Ruba can discuss an initial plan with you and revisit it over time, but cannot promise a particular timeline or outcome.

Individual therapy is $160 / 50 minutes. Couples therapy is $180 / 50 minutes. The virtual consultation is Free / 30 minutes. Fees are in Canadian dollars.

Coverage varies. Confirm that your plan covers services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). The practice cannot confirm or guarantee reimbursement for a particular plan. Ask your insurer whether your plan covers the current professional title, whether a referral is required, what annual limits apply, and whether couples sessions or late-cancellation fees are eligible. A receipt is emailed after payment for you to submit to your insurer.

Direct billing is not offered at this time. A receipt is emailed after payment for you to submit to your insurer.

You can self-refer without a referral. An insurer may have separate requirements for coverage.