Psychodynamic Therapists in Ottawa, ON
Mandeep Lalli
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed or stuck? Maybe something feels wrong? I help people navigate anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and relationship struggles, with culturally sensitive care that honours your full background, including pressures others may miss. As a South Asian therapist who spent 15 years in the corporate world, I bring lived experience and real-world context to therapy.
Salima Jadavji
Registered Social Worker, MSW, RSW, CHyp™
I support high-functioning professionals and caregivers who feel exhausted, anxious, or disconnected beneath the surface. Using a trauma-informed, collaborative approach, I help you move beyond coping toward steadiness and self-trust. Email [email protected] to book a free consultation and see if we’re a fit.
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.
Gulrukh Khan
Registered Psychotherapist, Qualifying
Helping South Asians, immigrants, and BIPOC individuals break free from cultural pressures, heal from trauma, people-pleasing, anxiety, guilt, and perfectionism as they embrace their true identity, and build a life that honours both heritage and personal well-being. At Empowering Roots in Brampton, Ontario, we offer culturally sensitive therapy tailored to your unique experiences.
Kumasi Jay Gwynne
Registered Psychotherapist
Relationships of any kind can be challenging. I never underestimate how complicated things can get once we tease out the relational pieces in our lives and try to understand how they are affecting us.
Siobhan McCarthy, MSW, RSW
Registered Individual and Family Therapist , Clinical Consultant
If you feel that you are not living your best life, your relationships are not what you hoped they would be, or the conflict in your life is not going away, perhaps it is time to talk to someone about it. Starting counselling is a brave first step and I will be there to support you through this process. Additionally, I provide supervision to Social Workers in Private Practice.
Loreana La Civita
Registered Psychotherapist
I’m a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario offering trauma-informed, attachment-based therapy for teens and adults. I support clients navigating anxiety, OCD, disordered eating, emotional dysregulation, and neurodivergence (ADHD/autism). My style is warm, collaborative, and insight-oriented, blending depth work with practical tools.
Johanna Benoit
Registered Psychotherapist
NIHB provider, specializing in CPTSD and trauma, perinatal grief and loss, PTSD, anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder.
Sophie Cohen
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Trauma-informed therapy available virtually
Geneviève Fontaine
Registered Psychotherapist
Hi, I'm Geneviève! I offer individual counselling and psychotherapy for adults. My approach to therapy is guided by the belief that every individual deserves meaningful human connection: to be seen, to be heard, and to be acknowledged. As a queer therapist, my role is to provide guidance, support, and practical tools that empower individuals to make choices that enhance their well-being.
Meredith Bailey
Registered Psychotherapist
I believe that as a therapist, it is a privilege to be invited into another person’s life & one I never take lightly. Reaching out for support may feel overwhelming, & the task of finding the right person for you can be daunting. I want to assure you this is a safe space, & my primary objective is YOU finding the right person for YOU. Your confidence in that decision is extremely important to me.
Martha Li
Registered Psychotherapist
I am a Registered Psychotherapist based in Oakville, Ontario. I help you feel understood and supported as we explore what's weighing on you. Together, we uncover patterns, build coping strategies, and nurture the skills you need to thrive. My goal is to create a safe space where you can grow, heal, and feel more connected.
Aida Retta
Registered Psychotherapist
You’ve always been the one others count on—the thoughtful one, the steady one. But under the surface, you might feel anxious, resentful, or quietly overwhelmed. You say yes when you want to say no. You shrink your needs to keep the peace. You care deeply, but sometimes feel like you’re disappearing in the process. These patterns often begin in relationships where love felt conditional, conflict w…
Maya Awad
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), 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?
Casper Watras
Registered Psychotherapist
I work with motivated individuals who are looking to work towards better understanding, dealing with, and changing their lives. Clients of mine often have behaviours, thoughts, feelings, or emotions that are dysfunctional or cause them discomfort, such as feeling anxious, depressed, frustrated, reactive, or scattered. Many of my clients have difficulty with behaviours they feel they have no contr…
Erin Ibrahim
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), BA
Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, relationship stress, self-esteem struggles, or just feeling stuck, we can work through it together. Pulling from a variety of frameworks to instead suit your unique needs instead of making it feel one-size-fits-all, I have interest in anxiety, depression, relationships, attachment, neurodiversity, and self-esteem. I look forward to connecting!
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.
Rebecca Steele
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Hello, I'm Rebecca. I help adults heal attachment wounds and rebuild a sense of inner safety through Insight-Driven Depth Therapy. If you're struggling with anxiety, intrusive thoughts, self-worth, people-pleasing, relationship patterns, or feeling disconnected from yourself, I offer a warm, collaborative space to explore lasting change beyond symptom management.
Matthew Pitts
Registered Psychotherapist
I work with individuals and couples, focusing on areas like anxiety, relationship conflict, career stress, and recurring interpersonal patterns. My approach is collaborative, reflective, compassionate, and direct when helpful. Drawing from experience in family law, finance, marriage, and parenthood, I help clients navigate conflict, stress, and personal growth.
Lylla Goheen
Registered Psychotherapist RP (Qualifying), Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC)
Do you and your partner speak different languages? Whether it’s the silence of a "roommate phase," sexual dysfunction, or the weight of chronic illness, you don't have to navigate it alone. I provide inclusive Sex Therapy, Gottman Couples Counselling, and Chronic Pain support in Etobicoke & Toronto. My practice is judgment-free and not "one-size-fits-all." Let's start your new era.
How do therapists in Ottawa, ON compare?
Number of therapists listed
Average years in practice
Currently accepting new clients
Therapists in Ottawa, ON who prioritize treating:
How therapists see their clients
Top therapy approaches used in Ottawa, ON:
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.
