Counseling/Therapists in Ottawa, Canada

First off: I am sorry that this was done to you — that someone chose to assault you. That. Is. Wrong. Second: have you been in touch with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa? If not, please reach out to them. You are exactly why they are there — because people in your situation need support. https://sascottawa.com/ If you are feeling in need of IMMEDIATE assistance, the Distress Centre is there for you: https://www.dcottawa.on.ca/i-need-help/ I hope you find the help you deserve and are able to work your way through the aftermath of this criminal act.

I've heard good things about resources through [http://www.orcc.net/](http://www.orcc.net/)

I would highly recommend [Joan Traversy](http://advancinginsights.org/services/) She's very kind and really helped me though some seriously bad times. Sorry to hear you're going through this, been there

Dr. Tom Newman. He’s a psychologist who does cognitive behavioural therapy he’s very good. His office is on Woodroffe in between Medhurst and Hunt club on the east side. Should be easy to find him, there’s a medical building there. My son went through this a decade ago and Tom probably saved his life. Otherwise The centre for cognitive behavioural therapy, in of all places, Westgate shopping Center. It’s a really good bunch of people.

> First off: I am sorry that this was done to you — that someone chose to assault you. That. Is. Wrong. And that you are really struggling, though in some ways struggling can make sense in terms of it being a positive response to a harmful situation. Hopefully any therapist you find will think like that; there is a history of struggling (in terms of mental illness) being seen in the medical professions as a personal deformity, sometimes even genetic and biological rather than socially-rooted. Somatic-informed therapy might be worth looking into, though I'm not sure who might be good. Lauren Scarscella helps run a training program, and maybe could offer recommendations: [seottawatraining@gmail.com](mailto:seottawatraining@gmail.com) or a list from Psychology Today: [https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/somatic/on/ottawa](https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/somatic/on/ottawa) The [www.ocfr.ca](https://www.ocfr.ca) might also be somewhere to ask. There is also lower-priced counselling from students-in-training via Saint Paul's University and I think also University of Ottawa. And also Ottawa Family Services, at a few locations. But the SASC or ORCC are also good resources in specific for sexual assault, and there are campus-based resources too especially at Carleton. Hope you can find something that works for you. Any questions about the above, please ask.

If you can get it covered or afford it I have had an amazing experience with apps. I use Snapclarty because that's what i got covered through work, and love it! Although I have heard BetterHelp is better if you can get that covered. I like SnapClarity because they did an assessment before placing me with a therapist, so i was matched with someone who had experience with my specific trauma. You can also switch therapists very easily if you wanted to.

For help while you wait there's also lots of walk in counselling clinics in Ottawa. Check out walkincounselling.com

This sounds like something I can add to, and help out on. If you're actively seeking out therapy, and you are, within 3 months, please give yourself lots of credit, you're well ahead of the curve. I'm sorry this happened, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but on the same hand you are taking the steps to make it much easier on yourself, and it absolutely will be because of these steps. Generally, you'll want anyone that carries a clinical therapy license (psychologist or psychiatrist) who also deals with recoveries of this nature. That means they have 30 sessions of apprenticeship under the supervision of someone else who is licensed, they hold a relative masters degree and are they are legally required to report continuing education, and follow prescribed protocols. Psychologists are quicker to get to, here in Ottawa, and from personal experience they can deal with your situation with complete competence. I've had good luck finding help for friends on psychology today's list. You can sort by the issues you deal with, here's the list for the issue you've said: [https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/sexual-abuse/on/ottawa?sid=5e21c1868b8e1](https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/sexual-abuse/on/ottawa?sid=5e21c1868b8e1) From top to bottom, they are in order of most recently posted, which also more or less puts them in order of availability to accept new patients. All you need to do reach out and ask if they are accepting new patients. Send out 5 to 10 emails, they may be great therapists, but they aren't all good at business admin. "Are you accepting new patients? I'm dealing with something of a serious nature." is all you need. They will usually reply with an intake form, request for a phone call, or preliminary confidential interview to see if they're the right fit for you. You may not want to email an intake form, or specific details back until you and your therapist have discussed confidentiality, so long as you can wait a few days to a week to get there. If you are in immediate need, I'd recommend identifying it. S.A. is pretty much the top of their priority list. There are also good resources already posted here before my comment. You are taking good steps right now. Relief will definitely come if you stay on this path. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time.

Serenity renewal is a great counseling centre. They are highly recommended in this area and I know people who used there services and where very satisfied. I do think its covered under ohip

I just wanted to second SASC. It’s a great organization that has the resources to guide in terms of next steps. They also offer phone support if you ever need to call in and speak to someone. I hope your research leads you to the right resources.

PS it's also good for you to know what questions to ask them in order to determine if you think they meet your needs - though meeting in person to get a sense of them can also be important in that.

Can't help on counselors but I'd also recommend looking into online CBT resources or workbooks. CBT can be very helpful for anxiety and there are a few work at you own pace resources available.

Do you have a family doc? Some offer counselling, or may be able to recommend you to one covered by OHIP. If that’s not a neccessity or possibility - check out Jewish family services on Carling. They offer a sliding scale for their prices for those in need, just ask. I believe they also have a walk-in counsellor available Atleast once a week.