Clinical Service Details

The Centre offers supervised psychotherapy and psychoeducational assessments to members of the Montreal community. Clients may be referred by a community agency or healthcare professional (including psychologists, social workers, counsellors, and physicians). Individuals may also contact the clinic directly without a referral if they wish to request psychotherapy services.

All psychotherapy services in the Centre are offered by doctoral students in our CPA accredited Clinical Psychology program, as part of their clinical training. All services are provided under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists who are affiliated with the McGill Department of Psychology. Services provided at the Centre may also support the research of our students and faculty.

The Centre offers in-person and remote psychotherapy between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Psychoeducational assessment sessions are typically scheduled in the morning, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Appointments are arranged at times that fit within the schedule of the student therapist and client. The administrative office operates from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Psychotherapy is offered to members of the Montreal community on a first-come, first-served basis (see below). Due to high demand, only a limited number of clients can be seen each year.

Therapist availability in the Centre is limited over the summer months (July and August). If you are seeking assistance during the summer and wish to consider other Montreal-area services, please refer to our list of alternate resources. You may also contact the Centre by email (clinic.psychology [at] mcgill.ca) to enquire whether we are able to provide a referral or recommendation.

Policy Statement: Duration of Therapy at the Professor Virginia I. Douglas Centre for Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, McGill University

At the Professor Virginia I. Douglas Centre for Clinical Psychology, we are committed to providing quality therapeutic services to our clients. In alignment with our mission and to ensure that we can serve as many individuals as possible, the following policies have been established:

1. Duration of Therapy: Our services are designed for short-term engagement with a goal of providing accessible therapy services to a maximum number of clients. We understand that individual therapeutic needs can vary. For clients who continue to experience symptoms or have additional therapeutic goals that remain unaddressed, the length of treatment can be re-assessed. However, any extensions granted are strictly limited to the end of the current school year (end of June), as determined by the discretion of the supervisor or clinic director.
2. Waiting List: Due to the high demand for our services, we maintain a waiting list for new and returning clients. We understand that waiting can be challenging, and we appreciate your patience as we work to accommodate as many individuals as possible.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Our team is dedicated to providing the best possible care within the constraints of our resources and capacity.