Find a Therapist in Ottawa

The average per-session cost for therapy in Ottawa is $160. Sessions typically last 50 minutes.

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The cost of seeing a therapist in a public health setting like a hospital or family clinic is typically covered by OHIP. You may also be able to find free therapy in Ottawa via community health centres and other publicly-funded institutions.

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You do not need a referral to see a therapist in private practice in Ottawa. However, in order to see a psychiatrist in a public health setting like a hospital or medical clinic, you need a referral from a doctor.

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The cost of seeing a therapist working in private practice in Ottawa is not covered by OHIP. However, if you see a therapist in a public healthcare setting, such as a hospital or a family clinic, the cost is typically covered by OHIP. This options can be hard to come by, and may be associated with long wait times and limited choice in your therapist.

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In Ottawa, the terms “therapist” or “counsellor” often are short for Psychotherapist, which refer either to a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) or a Registered Social Worker (RSW) practicing Psychotherapy. Professionals in both categories have advanced degrees related to clinical psychotherapy, and must meet the requirements for supervision, training, and continuing education set by their respective colleges. 

Psychologists in Ottawa hold advanced degrees in psychology and belong to the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. In order to become certified, a psychologist must have four years of clinical work experience and complete at least one year of supervised practice.

In Toronto, psychologists are able to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, whereas RPs and RSWs are limited to treatment and may not diagnose patients. Refer to this guide for more about the difference between Psychologists and Psychotherapists in Canada.

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The cost of a psychological assessment in Ottawa can range from $750 to $6,000. 

The cost varies according to the hourly fee of the psychologist performing the assessment and the amount of time the assessment takes. Assessments for more complex cases take longer.

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A professional certified as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)—sometimes RP (Qualifying) or RP(Q)—holds a license issued by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).

A Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) is in the process of completing an intensive psychotherapy training program. They are registered with the CRPO and accountable to its professional standards and Code of Ethics, and must pass a licensing exam. Finally, they must practice under clinical supervision while completing at least 450 hours of direct client contact and 100 hours of clinical supervision.

For more on Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying), see What does "Qualifying" mean for a Registered Psychotherapist?

In Ottawa, MSW designates a level of education, whereas RSW designates registration with a regulating body.

MSW stands for a Master’s of Social Work, a graduate-level degree earned after completing a Bachelor’s. A professional holding an MSW may not necessarily practice clinical therapy, but many do.

On the other hand, RSW stands for Registered Social Worker. An RSW in Toronto is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). They have met the OCSWSSW’s education and training requirements, follow its code of ethics and professional standards, and participate in continuing education. They are accountable to the OCSWSSW as a regulating body.

Your health insurance plan may specify that you are covered for treatment by an MSW, but typically this professional must also be registered as an RSW.

For more on MSW vs. RSW, see What does MSW RSW mean in Canada? 

Start by considering what you want to work on, then look for a Ottawa therapist who specializes in that area (for example, anxiety, couples counselling, trauma). The video profiles on First Session are very helpful to allow you to assess whether or not a therapist you are considering is a good fit for you.

You may also want to consider their approach to therapy, which modalities they are trained to use, their availability, and whether you feel comfortable after an initial consultation. Most therapists on First Session offer free initial consultations so you can see if they seem like a good fit before investing any money.

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Therapists and counsellors will use core techniques for treatment known as modalities. Some of the most commonly searched modalities include cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and somatic therapy.

With CBT therapy, a therapist will help guide you through understanding distorted thought patterns, how those patterns create a certain view of the world around you, and how that impacts your behaviours and emotions. CBT is usually limited to a certain number of sessions, and will often involve homework to do between sessions. 

“Dialectical” means opposing forces; two opposing truths may exist at once. DBT therapy is a form of CBT that is shown to be more effective for people with heightened emotional responses, impulsive or self-destructive behaviours. DBT aims to guide people out of the kind of binary, all-or-nothing thinking that leads to intense responses to life’s complexities. DBT often involves group therapy.

While CBT is a form of “talk therapy”, somatic therapy puts a focus on the body. If you pursue somatic therapy, you’ll look at how your body is physically reacting to stress and trauma or perceived danger, known as fight, flight, or freeze. Somatic therapy involves recognizing bodily sensations and learning how to discharge them to calm the body and address the mind.

Finally, EMDR therapy was originally developed to treat PTSD and can be applied to trauma therapy and other mental health concerns. As you recall memories, your therapist will guide you through eye movements that help your brain make new neurological connections with these memories. The intended outcome is to start to observe and process them productively. This is a specialized area of psychotherapy and you should ensure you are working with a therapist who is trauma-informed or trauma-trained before beginning.

You can search for therapists by-modality on First Session, and read about which modalities they use on their profile pages.