Two New Clinicians Join Trickett Psychotherapy Amid Ontario Psychotherapy Access Campaign
Guelph, Canada - August 15, 2026 / Trickett Psychotherapy /
GUELPH, Ontario - August 13, 2026 - A mental health advocacy initiative launched in Guelph is calling on Ontario to expand publicly funded access to psychotherapy delivered by qualified Registered Psychotherapists, drawing attention to the financial barriers that prevent many Ontarians from sustaining ongoing mental health treatment.
The initiative is led by Marinela Trickett, Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Director and founder of Trickett Psychotherapy in Guelph, who has submitted a formal proposal for government consideration aimed at broadening access to psychotherapy within Ontario's public health insurance system. A public signature campaign in support of the initiative is expected to follow.
At the core of the initiative is a direct question: if psychotherapy is a recognized component of mental health care, should access to qualified psychotherapy depend primarily on a person's ability to pay privately or secure workplace insurance coverage?
"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 provided by qualified Registered Psychotherapists, with the goal of reducing the financial gap between identifying a mental health concern and receiving appropriate, sustained care.
The issue carries particular weight when treatment is not expected to conclude within a small number of 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 engagement. For individuals without sufficient private insurance coverage, the cumulative cost of ongoing psychotherapy can become a barrier to continuing treatment.
Trickett contends that mental health policy should examine not only whether services technically exist, but whether individuals can realistically access and remain in appropriate treatment over time.
"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 in support of expanded public access to psychotherapy.
BPD Awareness and the Need for Specialized Care
The advocacy campaign also intersects with one of Trickett Psychotherapy's primary areas of clinical focus: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
BPD can involve significant difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, self-image and impulsivity. Stigma and misunderstanding surrounding the condition can make seeking appropriate treatment particularly challenging.
Evidence-based psychotherapy, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), can equip individuals with practical skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness.
Trickett Psychotherapy has incorporated BPD awareness and stigma reduction surrounding emotional dysregulation into 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 coincides with a period of clinical expansion at Trickett Psychotherapy 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 prior experience supporting individuals through leadership, career development, change and uncertainty.
Landsdell focuses on 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 background includes supporting individuals affected by substance use, complex trauma and co-occurring mental health concerns. Her approach incorporates trauma-informed and client-centred methods, with experience in CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, solution-focused approaches, crisis intervention and group-based therapeutic support.
These additions extend 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 the scope of a single clinic.
Canada's mental health conversation has increasingly focused on reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek help. The next challenge, she argues, is ensuring that individuals who respond to that message can actually obtain appropriate care.
The Guelph initiative is intended to contribute to that discussion by inviting policymakers, mental health professionals and Ontario residents to consider whether access to qualified psychotherapy should hold a more substantial place 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 in the coming weeks.
"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, offering 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 with particular clinical focus on 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 delivers evidence-informed psychotherapy alongside a commitment to mental health education, stigma reduction and improved access to psychological care. Learn more.
Contact Information:
Trickett Psychotherapy
34 Harvard Road, Unit 2
Guelph, Ontario N1G 4V8
Canada
Marinela Trickett
+1 416-732-3277
https://trickettpsychotherapy.com
