Where in Canada are you?

So we can show what is actually live in your province. Live therapy is in Ontario today; other provinces are on the waitlist.

CANADAHEALS: one year of the premium Saalvio app, a free first therapy session, and free pre-booking messaging. Every Canadian. See all three

Messaging

Message a Saalvio therapist before you book.

Last updated: 2026-05-23

What messaging is

Messaging is a written conversation with one of Saalvio's clinical team of registered psychotherapists and registered social workers. It happens through the Saalvio mobile app or the web client portal, on your time, in your own words.

Pre-booking: a real conversation before you commit

Open any therapist's profile in our directory and use the Message button. Ask whatever you need to ask. There is no cost, no obligation, and you do not need to book a session first. This is part of the standing CANADAHEALS public health commitment: every Canadian can write to any Saalvio therapist with no commitment, get a real reply, and decide afterward.

People often write to two or three therapists before deciding who fits. That is fine, and that is the point. The right therapist for you is the one whose reply sounds like a person you can sit with.

Between sessions: brief clarifications

Once you have started therapy, messaging stays open with the therapist you have booked. Use it for short clarifications between scheduled sessions: a question about a between-session exercise, a quick check-in about a scheduling change, a short note about something that came up that you want to bring to the next session. Anything longer or more involved belongs in a booked session.

What messaging is not

  • Not therapy by text

    Therapy is the work you do in a booked session, in conversation with a clinician who can see you, listen, and respond in real time. Messaging is the short channel around that work; it is not a substitute for it.

  • Not crisis support

    Messages are asynchronous and are not monitored in real time. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you are in mental health crisis, please call 988 (the Suicide Crisis Helpline of Canada) or visit your nearest emergency department.

  • Not a clinical assessment

    A few exchanged messages cannot tell a clinician what a session can. A therapist will not diagnose you, formally assess you, or write a clinical opinion based on messages. Those conversations belong in a booked session.

  • Not a way around scheduling

    If you find yourself writing long messages every day, that is a sign your therapist would rather see you in session. Messaging is a small channel by design.

Privacy: your messages are between you and the therapist

Messages stay between you and the therapist you write to. Saalvio staff do not read your messages. Your therapist is bound by the same professional confidentiality that applies in a booked session, with the same narrow legal exceptions a registered psychotherapist or registered social worker is required to act on (imminent harm, child protection, court order).

Data sits under Canadian privacy law: PHIPA in Ontario, PIPEDA across Canada. Messages are encrypted in transit and at rest. We do not sell or share message content, and we do not use it to train AI. Saalvio's full privacy posture is documented on the Privacy Policy.

How to message a therapist

  1. Open a therapist profile.

    Browse the Saalvio therapists page. Each profile lists training, languages, modalities, and what the therapist works with. Pick the one whose profile reads closest to what you are looking for.

  2. Use the Message button.

    Every profile has a Message button alongside the booking button. You will be asked to set up a free Saalvio account (about a minute) so the conversation stays private to you.

  3. Ask what you need to ask.

    Write in plain words. Most therapists reply within one to two business days. If the conversation tells you the fit is right, you can book a session directly from the same screen. The first session is free.

Common questions about messaging

How long until I get a reply?

Most therapists reply within one to two business days. Messaging is asynchronous, so it is not a live chat. If you need a faster reply, book a first session through the therapist's profile; the first session is free.

Is messaging private?

Yes. Messages stay between you and the therapist you write to. Saalvio staff do not read your messages. Data sits under Canadian privacy law (PHIPA in Ontario, PIPEDA across Canada), encrypted in transit and at rest.

Can I message during a crisis?

No. Messaging is not crisis support and is not monitored in real time. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. If you are in mental health crisis, please call 988 (the Suicide Crisis Helpline of Canada) or visit your nearest emergency department.

Is this therapy by text?

No. Therapy happens in booked sessions over secure video. Messaging is for the short questions a person reasonably wants to ask a therapist before they commit, and for brief clarifications between sessions once you have started.

What can I ask?

Anything that would help you decide whether this therapist is a fit. Common questions: training and approach, languages, experience with what you are going through, what a first session feels like, scheduling, fees, insurance receipts. There are no wrong questions.

How do I message a specific therapist?

Open the therapist's profile from our directory and use the Message button. You will need a free Saalvio account to send the first message; setting one up takes about a minute on the mobile app or the web client portal.

Ready when you are

Message a therapist Book a free first session

Last clinically reviewed on 2026-05-23 by Saalvio's clinical team of registered psychotherapists and registered social workers. See our medical review policy for how we review messaging guidance.