Ontario Psychotherapy Initiative Calls for Expanded OHIP Mental Health Coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GUELPH, Ontario — August 13, 2026 — A new mental health advocacy initiative launched in Guelph is calling for Ontario to expand publicly funded access to psychotherapy delivered by qualified Registered Psychotherapists, bringing renewed attention to the financial barriers many Ontarians face when seeking ongoing mental health care.

The initiative is being led by Marinela Trickett, Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Director and founder of Trickett Psychotherapy in Guelph, who has submitted a proposal for government consideration aimed at expanding access to psychotherapy through Ontario's public health insurance system. A public signature campaign supporting the initiative is expected to follow.

At the centre of the initiative is a straightforward question: if psychotherapy is an important component of mental health care, should access to qualified psychotherapy depend primarily on a person's ability to pay privately or obtain workplace insurance?

"Ontario has made significant progress in talking openly about mental health, but talking about mental health and being able to access ongoing treatment are two very different things," said Trickett. "For many people, the obstacle isn't recognizing that they need support. The obstacle is being able to afford consistent psychotherapy for as long as that care is clinically needed."

A Call to Expand Access to Psychotherapy in Ontario

The initiative advocates for greater public funding of psychotherapy delivered by qualified Registered Psychotherapists, with the objective of reducing the financial barrier between recognizing a mental health concern and receiving appropriate ongoing care.

The issue can become particularly important when treatment is not expected to be resolved in only a few appointments.

Conditions and concerns involving Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), significant anxiety, trauma, emotional dysregulation, addiction and complex relationship difficulties can require structured and sustained therapeutic work. For individuals without sufficient private insurance benefits, the cumulative cost of ongoing psychotherapy can become a barrier to continuing treatment.

Trickett argues that mental health policy should increasingly examine not only whether services technically exist, but whether people can realistically access and remain in appropriate treatment.

"Mental health care should not become something people begin and then have to abandon because their benefits have run out," Trickett said. "The conversation we want to start is about how Ontario can make qualified psychotherapy more accessible while maintaining professional standards, accountability and quality of care."

The initiative is expected to move into a public engagement phase, including the collection of signatures supporting expanded public access to psychotherapy.

BPD Awareness and the Need for Specialized Care

The advocacy campaign also intersects with one of Trickett Psychotherapy's principal areas of clinical focus: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

BPD can involve significant difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, self-image and impulsivity. Yet stigma and misunderstanding can make seeking appropriate treatment particularly difficult.

Evidence-based psychotherapy, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), can provide individuals with practical skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness.

Trickett Psychotherapy has made BPD awareness and reducing stigma surrounding emotional dysregulation an important part of its public education efforts.

"The diagnosis should never become the identity of the person," Trickett said. "People living with BPD deserve the same combination of compassion, clinical seriousness and access to treatment that we expect for other health conditions."

Expanding Mental Health Services in Guelph

The advocacy initiative comes as Trickett Psychotherapy is also expanding its clinical team and capacity in Guelph.

Melissa Landsdell, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), has joined the practice while completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She also holds a Master's degree in Psychology from Carleton University and brings more than 15 years of previous experience supporting individuals through leadership, career development, change and uncertainty.

Landsdell has a particular interest in working with adults experiencing anxiety, burnout, grief, relationship concerns and major life transitions, including career changes, caregiving, health concerns, chronic pain and recovery from injury.

The clinic has also welcomed Caitlyn Jackson, Addiction Counsellor and Therapeutic Community Counsellor, who is completing Master's-level psychotherapy practicum training under clinical supervision in Guelph.

Jackson's experience includes supporting individuals affected by substance use, complex trauma and co-occurring mental health concerns. Her work incorporates trauma-informed and client-centred approaches, with experience in CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, solution-focused approaches, crisis intervention and group-based therapeutic support.

The additions broaden the clinic's capacity across several areas of growing demand, including anxiety therapy in Guelph, couples and relationship therapy, addiction counselling, trauma therapy, emotional regulation and BPD treatment.

From Mental Health Awareness to Mental Health Access

For Trickett, the broader issue extends beyond one clinic.

Canada's mental health conversation has increasingly emphasized reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek help. The next challenge, she argues, is ensuring that people who respond to that message can actually obtain appropriate care.

The Guelph initiative is intended to contribute to that discussion by asking policymakers, mental health professionals and Ontario residents to consider whether access to qualified psychotherapy should play a greater role within the publicly funded health system.

Details regarding the upcoming public signature campaign and opportunities for Ontario residents to support the initiative will be announced shortly.

"We have spent years encouraging people to speak up and ask for help," Trickett said. "We now have to make sure that when they do, meaningful treatment is financially within reach."

About Trickett Psychotherapy

Trickett Psychotherapy is a psychotherapy practice based in Guelph, Ontario, providing in-person mental health services in Guelph and virtual psychotherapy to clients across Ontario.

Led by Registered Psychotherapist and Clinical Director Marinela Trickett, the practice provides individual and couples psychotherapy and has particular clinical interests in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), anxiety, trauma and PTSD, emotional dysregulation, relationships and couples therapy, addiction and complex mental health concerns.

The clinic combines evidence-informed psychotherapy with a commitment to mental health education, stigma reduction and improved access to psychological care.

Contact Information:

Trickett Psychotherapy

34 Harvard Road, Unit 2
Guelph, Ontario N1G 4V8
Canada

Marinela Trickett
+1 416-732-3277
https://trickettpsychotherapy.com