Psychodynamic Therapists in Ottawa, ON
Brock Vaughan
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Brains are messy. Therapy doesn't have to be.
Yasmin Rombola-Bacchus
Registered Psychotherapist
Picture a road map through counselling therapy to find more meaningful connections with yourself & others, gaining more confidence & peace. Picture finding yourself again, a greater love for yourself & your life. Imagine a transformed you and a better future. In my practice, you will be provided with a safe & caring environment. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!
Jillian Ivany
Registered Psychotherapist
Life can feel overwhelming, leaving you anxious, disconnected, or stuck in painful patterns. I offer Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in a warm, non-judgmental space where all parts of you are welcome. Together we explore your inner world with curiosity to support healing, clarity, and connection to yourself and others. I offer virtual/in person session. Free 15min consultations available.
Allison Mundle
Registered Psychotherapist, Sandalwood Psychotherapy
Online therapy for women in Ontario navigating anxiety, relationships, and emotional overwhelm. You may look like you are holding everything together, while inside you feel anxious, emotionally drained, or disconnected from yourself. Maybe you are used to keeping the peace, carrying too much, or saying yes when something inside you is saying no.
Varshini Skantharajah
Registered Psychotherapist
Laura Clarke
Registered Psychotherapist
I’m a registered psychotherapist supporting individuals who feel stuck in patterns of self-doubt, emotional overwhelm, or disconnection in their relationships. My approach is warm, grounded, and conversational - integrating Narrative Therapy, EFT, Somatic, and Trauma-Informed practices to nurture safety, awareness, and sustainable change. Complimentary consultations available.
Kaitlyn Hillier B.A., M.C., Ph.D.
Registered Psychotherapist and Canadian Certified Counsellor
In private practice since 2016, I have been providing counselling and psychotherapy virtually and in person. Presently, I operate virtually in providing mental health support for many individuals who seek support while navigating life.
Ashley Toogood
Registered Psychotherapist, RP, MA, BA (she, her)
I enjoy holding space for my clients and engaging in individual therapy sessions with people aged 14+ of all genders and sexualities. I offer a place for individuals to discuss their emotions and grow from surviving to thriving. I take pride in walking with you down whatever path you are on. I have particular experience in working with stress, anxiety, and burnout, offering a listening ear.
Maya Awad
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, ADHD-SP, HBSc (she, her)
Accepting NEW clients - Are you feeling overwhelmed or like you’re carrying a lot on your own? Feel like you're doing everything you’re “supposed to do,” but something still doesn’t feel right? Have a desire to better understand your thoughts, emotions, or patterns, work on building confidence or self-esteem, or find support for your relationship?
Mackenzie Fournier
Registered Psychotherapist
Hi, I’m Mackenzie! I’m a Psychotherapist who loves keeping therapy real, down-to-earth, and practical. I help people untangle patterns around anxiety, food, and self-trust using tools grounded in science. In sessions, I bring my authentic self—you can expect a mix of support, guidance, and maybe a little humour when it feels right—so we can tackle challenges together without the extra pressure.
Joey Mercer
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
I support adults and young adults healing from addiction, social anxiety, and depression, and guide trauma recovery through an EMDR-informed lens. As a non-Indigenous person working with Indigenous clients, I strive to honour a Two-Eyed Seeing perspective and practice with cultural humility. Recovery doesn't happen to you, it happens because of you. I'll be there beside you.
Sophie Cohen
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Trauma-informed therapy available virtually
Johanna Benoit
Registered Psychotherapist
NIHB provider, specializing in CPTSD and trauma, perinatal grief and loss, PTSD, anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder.
Zarifa Andani
MPCC-P, RTC-C
This work isn’t about fixing your parts—it’s about helping you feel more like your whole self again. We can work together to slow down, get curious, and listen deeply. Our internal body wisdom is an integral source of information that speaks more significantly than words. Real change is possible when ALL of you feels safe enough to be seen and supported, just as you are.
Laura Lockhart
Registered Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist
Laura is a trauma-focused psychotherapist using an integrative approach blending psychodynamic, somatic, experiential, hypnosis and parts work. She supports anxiety, depression, and attachment trauma, offering direct, compassionate therapy. Neurodivergent-affirming and 2SLGBTQIA+ allied, she also offers psychedelic-informed care and equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Emma Hartley
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, BA (she, her)
Are you looking for a therapist that knows what it's like to feel lost or overwhelmed and how to find your footing again? Noticing yourself feeling more anxious, "just tired", and craving a space to slow down and reconnect with a sense of meaning or purpose? Trying to make sense of shifts in mood, questioning careers, exploring relationships, parenting and identity, or a major life transition?
Lester Vega
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
I offer gentle, Jungian-oriented and psychodynamic psychotherapy for clients navigating anxiety, emotional disconnection, complex trauma, attachment wounds, burnout, and repeating relational patterns. Together, we explore emotions, relationships, dreams, spirituality, and meaning at a pace that supports insight, healing, and a more grounded relationship with yourself.
Jessica DeMille
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, B.Sc (Hons)
I work with individuals, couples, families, and children (10+), providing a safe, supportive space for exploration and growth. Using an integrative, client-centered approach, I help clients navigate anxiety, depression, relationships, and life transitions, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and meaningful change. Together, we explore tools and strategies to support emotional well-being.
Nikki Ward
Registered Psychotherapist
Therapist & Clinic Owner at Electric City Wellness Accepting new clients both In-Person in Peterborough & Virtually throughout Ontario! Offering FREE 20-minute consultations!
Sophie Marie McPherson
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) B.A., M.A.
I offer psychotherapy services to teens and adults struggling with a wide range of presenting concerns. I have experience working with ADHD, anxiety, life transitions, stress, self-esteem and body image issues, chronic illness/pain, gender dysphoria, sexuality exploration, and non-monogamous relationships.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Psychodynamic
What is psychodynamic therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy is an approach rooted in psychoanalytic theory that explores how unconscious processes, past experiences (particularly early relationships), and recurring emotional and relational patterns shape current psychological difficulties. Unlike classical psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy is typically conducted in weekly sessions face-to-face, is more flexible in its format, and may be shorter or longer depending on goals. It focuses on insight into patterns, the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle of change, and the emotional processing of past experiences.
How does psychodynamic therapy differ from CBT?
CBT focuses on identifying and modifying current thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours, with structured homework and techniques. Psychodynamic therapy explores the historical origins of current difficulties, works with unconscious patterns and defences, uses the therapeutic relationship itself as a primary source of data and change, and is typically less structured and less symptom-focused. CBT tends to be shorter and more focused; psychodynamic work tends to be longer and more exploratory. Both have strong evidence, and many therapists integrate elements of both.
What does psychodynamic therapy address?
Psychodynamic therapy addresses depression, anxiety, personality difficulties, relationship patterns, identity and self-esteem issues, trauma, grief, somatic symptoms with psychological roots, and difficulties with intimacy and attachment. It is particularly valuable for people with complex, long-standing patterns that have not responded to briefer approaches — those who feel they understand their problems but keep repeating them, or who sense there are deeper layers not addressed by symptom-focused work.
What is the transference and why is it important in psychodynamic therapy?
Transference refers to the emotional reactions and relational patterns that the client brings to the therapeutic relationship — ways of experiencing the therapist that are rooted in past relationships rather than the therapist's actual qualities. In psychodynamic therapy, these transference reactions are not seen as problems to be avoided but as valuable data — windows into the client's internalized relational world. Exploring transference in the therapeutic relationship allows patterns to be observed, understood, and changed in a live, immediate context.
How long does psychodynamic therapy last?
Psychodynamic therapy ranges from brief (Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, 16–40 sessions) to open-ended long-term work over several years. Brief psychodynamic therapy uses a specific focus agreed upon at the start to concentrate the work. Long-term therapy allows more thorough exploration of deeply rooted patterns. The duration depends on the person's goals, the complexity of their concerns, and practical factors. Short-term psychodynamic therapy has strong evidence for depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms.
