Online therapy in Ontario lets you meet with a Registered Psychotherapist by secure video, wherever you are in the province. Serenity Psychotherapy Clinic’s in-person office is in Mississauga, but virtual therapy in Ontario is open to individuals and families located anywhere in the province — the same intake process, the same therapist, and the same session length as an in-office visit, without the drive. Ahmad Shihab, MA, RP, works with individuals, couples and families online, using the same approach he uses in person. A free 30-minute consultation is the easiest way to find out whether online counselling in Ontario is a good fit before booking a full session.

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How Online Therapy in Ontario Works

Booking works the same way for online and in-person sessions: choose a time through our online scheduler, and your booking confirmation will explain how to join your video appointment. Your session link is issued at your appointment time through our booking system; depending on the platform, the link may open in a browser or may ask you to install a short app first — your booking confirmation will say which. Every online appointment follows the same confidentiality and consent process as a visit to the Mississauga office.

If a technical issue interrupts a session, ask your therapist how the lost time is handled. Booking, intake forms and payments are handled through our secure booking system.

Who Online Therapy Can Help

Online sessions tend to suit people with a full schedule, a difficult commute, or a location that makes a regular trip to Mississauga hard to sustain — a new parent, a shift worker, or someone who simply prefers talking from a familiar, private space at home. They can also help someone who started therapy in person and later moved, changed jobs, or found travel harder for a season, without having to start over with a new therapist.

Online therapy is not right for every situation. Some clients do better meeting in person, particularly early on, and a crisis or safety concern needs an in-person or emergency response rather than a scheduled video session. If you are not sure which format fits, ask during the free consultation.

Services Available Online

  • Individual therapy — one-to-one sessions for personal challenges, stress and life transitions, held by secure video instead of in the office.
  • Couples therapy — a structured space for couples to work on communication and connection; couples sessions currently take place in person at the Mississauga office.
  • Family therapy — support for families navigating change or conflict, with every participant joining online from wherever they are.

Privacy and Safety in Online Sessions

Treat an online session the way you would an in-person appointment: find a private room where you will not be overheard, and use headphones if other people share your space. A stable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone are all that is required on your end. When choosing any platform for virtual health care, it generally helps to look for one designed for confidential clinical use and aligned with privacy laws such as PHIPA, rather than a general consumer video-calling app.

As the clinic’s privacy policy states, sessions are not recorded without your explicit written consent, whether the appointment is online or in person. If you are ever in crisis during or between sessions, use the emergency contacts below rather than waiting for your next appointment. The same policy explains how your information is collected, used and protected in more detail.

Areas We Serve

In person in Mississauga. Virtual sessions are available to clients located anywhere in Ontario, including:

  • Toronto — If you are looking for an online therapist in Toronto, video sessions offer the same care as an in-office visit without the drive to Mississauga. Individual and family sessions are both available online for Toronto residents.
  • Brampton — Booking a session from Brampton works the same as booking from Mississauga, through the same online scheduler. The video link opens at your appointment time, with no office visit required.
  • Etobicoke — Online sessions are a practical option for Etobicoke residents who would rather not add a cross-city trip to a busy week. Individual sessions are available by video.
  • Vaughan — For clients in Vaughan, online therapy means the same therapist and the same session length as an in-person visit, without extra travel time. Appointments are booked the same way through our online scheduler.
  • Milton — Individual and family sessions are both open to clients joining from Milton. For many, a video appointment takes less time than driving to and from Mississauga.
  • Burlington — Online sessions extend the same care offered in the Mississauga office to clients living in Burlington. Booking, intake and the consultation call all work identically online and in person.
  • Kitchener — Clients further from the Greater Toronto Area, including Kitchener, can still work with the same therapist through secure video sessions. There is no need to travel to Mississauga to begin or continue therapy.
  • Waterloo — A Waterloo appointment starts the same way as any other: book through Jane and join the video call at your scheduled time. Confidentiality standards are identical to an in-person visit.
  • Barrie — Booking from Barrie follows the same process as the Mississauga office, through the same online scheduler, with no travel required for the appointment itself. Both the consultation call and ongoing sessions are available this way.
  • Ottawa — Distance is not a barrier for clients connecting from Ottawa or elsewhere in Eastern Ontario — the same individual and family therapy is available by secure video. Sessions are booked the same way as any other appointment, through Jane.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be in Ontario for online sessions?

Yes. Online sessions are available to clients who are physically located in Ontario at the time of their appointment, which is a requirement for psychotherapy delivered in the province. Wherever in Ontario you are connecting from — Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa or anywhere in between — you can book directly through Jane.

What do I need for a video session?

A private space, a stable internet connection, and a device with a camera and microphone — a laptop, tablet or smartphone will all work. Depending on the platform, the session link may open in a browser or need a short app — your confirmation email says which.

Is online therapy as helpful as in-person therapy?

Research on this question has grown substantially as video-based therapy has become more common. A peer-reviewed meta-analysis comparing video-delivered and in-person psychotherapy found that outcomes were broadly comparable between the two formats across the conditions studied (Fernandez et al., 2021). That does not mean online sessions are the right fit for everyone — some people do better meeting in person, and a safety concern or crisis is better handled in person or through emergency services — but for many clients, online therapy can be just as helpful as sitting in the same room.

Can families join online sessions together?

Yes. Family sessions can be held online, with everyone joining the same video call from their own devices, or together from one device in the same room. The structure of the session is the same as an in-person family appointment. Couples sessions currently take place in person at the Mississauga office.

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