Quality therapy at a more accessible rate.
Finding a therapist who feels like the right fit is important. Being able to afford ongoing therapy matters too.
Risework offers affordable therapy with supervised intern therapists, with sessions available for $100 or less, making ongoing mental health support more accessible.
Our interns are graduate-level therapists completing the clinical portion of their training. They work directly with clients while receiving close supervision and guidance from experienced master's-level therapists.
Affordable Therapy
at Risework
What is an intern therapist?
An intern therapist is a graduate-level counselling or psychotherapy student completing the supervised clinical portion of their education.
By the time our interns begin seeing clients, they've completed significant academic training and are developing their clinical skills through direct client work, ongoing education, and close supervision.
At Risework, they are also part of our larger clinical team, giving them opportunities to learn, consult, and collaborate alongside experienced therapists.
For clients, this means you work directly with your therapist while they have an additional layer of professional guidance supporting their clinical development and practice.
How does supervision work?
Your regular therapy sessions are between you and your intern therapist. Intern therapists meet separately with an experienced master's-level therapist who provides ongoing clinical supervision, guidance and support throughout their internship.
As part of their training, there may occasionally be opportunities for a session to be observed or recorded to support learning and skill development. This would only happen with your knowledge and consent. Your therapist will explain what is being requested and why, and you can choose whether or not you'd like to participate.
Your privacy and confidentiality remain an important part of your care throughout the process.
What does therapy with an intern look like?
Your therapy session is still your therapy session.
You'll have dedicated time with your therapist to talk about what's happening in your life, explore patterns and experiences, build new skills and work toward the goals that matter to you.
Our intern therapists may support clients navigating concerns such as:
Anxiety • Stress • Relationships • Self-esteem • Life transitions • Grief • Depression • Boundaries • Emotional regulation • Personal growth
Each intern brings their own areas of interest, training and therapeutic approaches. Our intake team can help determine who may be the right fit for what you're looking for.
Your sessions still look and feel like therapy.
You'll have dedicated time with your therapist to talk about what's happening in your life, understand patterns, build skills, work toward your goals, and explore what feels important to you.
Depending on the therapist and your needs, therapy may draw from approaches such as CBT, DBT, ACT, mindfulness, narrative therapy, emotion-focused approaches, and other evidence-informed practices.
The biggest difference is that your therapist is completing their clinical training under supervision, which allows us to offer sessions at a reduced rate.
Why work with an intern therapist?
Working with an intern therapist can offer more than a reduced session rate.
Intern therapists are actively immersed in current therapeutic education while receiving regular supervision, feedback and opportunities to develop their clinical skills.
They bring their own strengths and therapeutic style to their work while having the additional support of an experienced clinician throughout their internship.
Most importantly, more affordable therapy doesn't mean less thoughtful or connected care.
Our interns are supported within the larger Risework clinical team with the same goal we have across our practice: creating therapy that feels human, collaborative and genuinely connected.
Affordable therapy for $100 or less
Therapy with our intern therapists is available for $100 or less per session.
This option is designed to make ongoing therapy more accessible for people who may find standard private therapy rates difficult to sustain, including students, young professionals and anyone looking for a more affordable option for mental health support.
Not sure if an intern therapist is right for you?
You don't have to figure it out on your own.
Our free 15-minute matching consultation gives you an opportunity to tell us a little about what you're looking for, what's bringing you to therapy and what matters to you in a therapist.
We'll help you explore whether one of our intern therapists could be a good fit or whether another therapist at Risework may better meet your needs.
And if your first match doesn't feel right, we'll help you explore another option.
FAQs
Are intern therapists qualified to provide therapy?
Our intern therapists are graduate-level counselling or psychotherapy students completing the supervised clinical portion of their education. They work directly with clients while receiving ongoing clinical supervision from experienced master's-level therapists.
1
Will a supervisor be in my therapy sessions?
Your regular sessions are between you and your intern therapist. Intern therapists meet separately with their clinical supervisor for ongoing guidance and support.
Occasionally, an intern may have an opportunity to have a session observed or recorded as part of their learning and skill development. This would only take place with your knowledge and consent.
2
Can I see an intern therapist virtually?
Yes. Our intern therapists offer virtual therapy across Canada, where approved by their school and training program. Availability may vary depending on the individual therapist and your province or territory.
Our intake team can help confirm which therapists are available to work with you based on where you live.
3
How much does affordable therapy cost?
The standard rate for therapy with a Risework intern therapist is $100 per session, with sliding-scale rates available for clients who need additional financial accessibility.
If cost is a barrier, let our intake team know during your free consultation and we can discuss available options.
4
Can I see an intern therapist in person?
Depending on the intern and current availability, in-person affordable therapy may also be available at our Halifax office. Our intake team can let you know which virtual and in-person options are currently available.
5
You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.