Separation can turn your whole life upside down. Maybe you're still deciding whether to stay. Maybe the decision was made for you, and you're reeling. Or maybe you're months in, trying to help your kids, manage a new routine and get through the holidays. Wherever you are, divorce counselling in Ottawa can give you a steady place to sort through it all, at our downtown office or online.
This post is general information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. Only a qualified professional can assess what you're experiencing.
Divorce counselling in Ottawa, where to start
Divorce counselling is support for the emotional side of separation. It can help at any stage: while you're deciding, during the separation itself and in the months and years afterward.
Most people start with individual sessions, a private space to talk about what's happening and how they're coping. When both partners want it, couples sessions can help with decisions or with separating more respectfully. Family sessions can help when children are involved.
Research suggests that separation and divorce are linked with stress and health risks for some adults, but that most people adjust well over time. Support can make that adjustment a little easier and help you notice if you're getting stuck.
You don't need to have things figured out to start. Many people come in simply saying, "I don't know what to do."
Still deciding whether to separate
If you're unsure, counselling can help you think more clearly. It won't choose for you, and a good therapist won't push you either way. Instead, it gives you room to explore questions like:
What am I hoping will change, and has it been possible so far?
What would I miss, and what would I feel relieved to leave behind?
Am I deciding from a calm place or in the middle of a crisis?
What would I want my children to understand about this decision, someday?
What am I most afraid of?
When couples sessions help. If both partners are open, couples counselling can help you talk honestly about what's working and what isn't. Sometimes that leads to rebuilding. Sometimes it leads to a clearer, kinder decision to separate.
When individual sessions come first. If only one person wants counselling, if there's a lot of conflict or if you need space to think on your own, individual sessions are a good place to start. If you ever feel unsafe in your relationship, individual sessions are the right first step.
When the decision was not yours
If your partner chose to end the relationship, the shock can be overwhelming. Many people describe feeling like the ground disappeared.
It's common to feel:
Grief for the relationship and the future you imagined
Anger, sometimes very intense
Disbelief, or replaying conversations over and over
Trouble sleeping, eating or focusing at work
Worry about money, housing or what others will think
All of these reactions are normal. They don't mean you're handling it badly.
In the first weeks, small daily anchors can help:
Keep a basic routine, even if it's simple
Eat something, drink water and get outside for a few minutes each day
Let one or two trusted people know what's happening
Limit checking your ex's social media
Write down thoughts at night so they aren't spinning in your head
If low mood lingers or feels heavy, CAMH notes that depression is common and that psychotherapy is a recognized treatment. Counselling can help you through the worst of it.
Children, and keeping them out of the middle
If you have children, you may worry about them as much as yourself. Children often do best when they hear plain, age-appropriate words, feel loved by both parents and aren't caught in adult conflict.
Some things that can help:
Tell them together, if possible, using simple words: "We've decided to live in different homes. We both love you, and that won't change."
Reassure them it isn't their fault.
Keep adult details, like blame, money or legal issues, between adults.
Avoid asking children to carry messages or choose sides.
Expect questions, sometimes the same ones many times.
Family therapy can help when children are struggling, when communication has broken down or when you want support with a new family setup. We also see children 6 and up for individual sessions, both online and in person. Our post on co-parenting after separation offers more ideas.
The first year of hard dates
The first year after separation is often full of "firsts": the first holiday apart, the first birthday, the first anniversary that isn't celebrated. These dates can bring waves of grief, even when you're otherwise doing better.
It can help to:
Look ahead at the calendar and notice which dates might be hard
Plan something for those days, even something small
Let friends or family know you might need extra support
Create new traditions, for yourself or with your children
Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up
Some people also find it helps to mark the year in a gentle way. You might write a letter you never send, take a day trip somewhere new or simply notice how far you've come since the first weeks. Small rituals like these can honour what was lost while making room for what comes next.
Healing after separation rarely moves in a straight line. Some weeks feel lighter, and then a song or a date brings it all back. That's normal.
What counselling can and can't help with
Many people are surprised by how much separation touches. It can shake your sense of who you are, your friendships, your confidence and your hopes for the future. Counselling gives you a place to look at all of that, rebuild self-trust and think about what you want your life to look like now. Over time, many people find they come out of separation knowing themselves better than before.
Counselling supports your emotional wellbeing, relationships and decisions. It isn't legal, custody or financial advice. Your therapist can help you cope with stress around those processes, communicate more calmly and stay focused on what matters to you, but legal questions need a legal professional.
Whatever stage you're in, you don't have to carry it alone.
Downtown at 1 Rideau Street or online across Ontario
Our Ottawa office is at 1 Rideau Street, 7th Floor, inside the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in downtown Ottawa. You can reach the office at (613) 691-1006.
If getting downtown is hard, online counselling is available by secure video from anywhere in Ontario. Many people find online sessions easier to fit around work, parenting and a changing schedule.
We also have offices in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, and every location offers every service.
Cost, billing and your first step
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with an RP (Qualifying). Desjardins is the exception: through TELUS eClaims, we can direct bill Desjardins for sessions with an RSW, RP or psychologist, but not for an RP (Qualifying).
Coverage depends on your plan, so check with your insurer before you start.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. Let them know what stage you're in, and they'll suggest a good fit.
If you're in crisis: if you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night.
Separation is one of life's hardest transitions, but it doesn't have to define the rest of your story. Support can help you find your footing again.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
Sbarra DA. Divorce and health: current trends and future directions. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2015
Psychotherapies, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Depression, CAMH