Grief can arrive all at once or creep in slowly. Maybe you lost someone recently, or maybe it's been years and the loss still sits heavy. Maybe you're far from the people who knew them, or you're not sure your loss "counts." If you're wondering whether grief counselling in Ottawa could help, this guide answers the questions people most often bring to a first call, gently and plainly.
This post is general information, not a diagnosis.
Grief counselling in Ottawa, who it is for
Our therapists in Ottawa offer grief counselling, in person downtown and online. Our Ottawa clinic offers individual therapy for children (6+), teens and adults, with online and in-person options.
Grief counselling is for anyone living with a loss, at any point after it happened. That might be the death of a parent, partner, child, friend or pet. It might also be the end of a relationship, a pregnancy loss or a change in your health or abilities.
You don't need to be falling apart to reach out. Some people come in the first weeks. Others come years later, when something brings the loss back. There's no wrong time to start.
Is what I am feeling normal?
This is often the first question people ask. Grief can bring a wide mix of reactions, sometimes all in the same day:
Deep sadness and waves of crying
Anger, at others, at yourself or at the unfairness of it
Guilt or "what ifs"
Numbness, or feeling like it isn't real
Trouble sleeping, eating or concentrating
Relief, especially after a long illness, followed by guilt about feeling relieved
All of these are common. Grief doesn't follow a neat set of stages or a timeline. Good days and hard days can sit side by side for a long time, and a song or a smell can bring it all back.
When grief feels stuck
For most people, the sharpest pain of grief softens over time, even though the loss is never forgotten. Sometimes, though, grief stays intense and makes it hard to get through the day.
The American Psychiatric Association describes grief as a natural response to the loss of someone close, and notes that for a small proportion of people, intense and distressing grief persists and causes problems in daily functioning. In 2022, it added prolonged grief disorder to its diagnostic manual to describe this kind of persistent, disabling grief.
You don't need a label to get support. If your grief feels stuck, or if you're not sure whether it's grief or depression, our post on grief vs depression explains the difference, and a therapist can help you make sense of what you're feeling.
Grieving far from home
Many people in Ottawa moved here for work, school or a new start. That can mean grieving far from the people who knew the person you lost, or from the place where the loss happened.
You might have missed the funeral, joined it over video at an odd hour or returned to work before you had time to take it in. Friends here may not have known the person, which can make it feel lonely to talk about them. Cultural and family traditions around death may look different from those around you.
Counselling gives you a place to talk about the person and your loss, in your own way, with someone who is fully listening.
Going back to work while grieving
Going back to a desk, an office or a full inbox while grieving can feel strange. You may find it hard to concentrate, feel tearful in meetings or feel numb while everyone else carries on.
It can help to:
Tell one trusted person at work what's going on, if you feel comfortable.
Ask what flexibility might be possible in the first weeks, such as a lighter workload or adjusted hours.
Plan small breaks for hard moments.
Expect concentration to come and go.
Grief counselling can also help you plan for hard days at work, like anniversaries or the first time you have to talk about your loss with colleagues.
Pet loss is real loss
If you're grieving a pet, you may feel embarrassed by how much it hurts. You shouldn't. A pet can be a daily companion, a source of comfort and part of the family for many years.
Losing a pet can leave a gap in your routines, your home and your heart. We work with pet loss, and you're welcome to talk about it as fully as you would any other loss.
Children and teens who are grieving
Children and teens grieve too, but it can look different. A child may seem fine one moment and very upset the next. Teens may pull away, act angry or keep their feelings to themselves.
Our Ottawa clinic sees children ages 6 and up and teens. Counselling can give a young person a safe space to talk, draw, play or simply be heard, and parents can be involved in a way that fits the child's age.
Will talking about it actually help?
It's a fair question, especially if you're someone who usually copes on your own. Many people find that saying things out loud, to someone outside their family and friends, takes some of the weight off. You don't have to protect a counsellor from your sadness, or worry about saying the wrong thing.
Counselling won't take the loss away. What it can offer is a steady place to feel what you feel, make sense of it and find ways to carry it. Some people come for a few sessions around a hard time. Others prefer longer support. You can decide what fits.
People also ask whether grief counselling and grief therapy are different. The terms are often used to mean the same thing: support from a trained therapist to help you live with a loss.
What happens in grief counselling
Many people worry that counselling will mean being pushed to "move on." It won't. Grief counselling goes at your pace.
In sessions, you might:
Talk about the person or pet you lost, and the relationship you had.
Work through guilt, anger or regret.
Find ways to cope with hard dates like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
Make sense of how life looks now, and what you want to carry forward.
Your therapist may draw on different approaches, depending on what fits you. The focus is always on supporting you, not on fixing your grief or putting it on a timeline.
In person downtown or online
You can choose the format that feels right.
In person. Our Ottawa office is at 1 Rideau Street, 7th Floor, Ottawa, ON K1N 8S7, inside the Fairmont Château Laurier. You can reach our Ottawa team at (613) 691-1006. Some people find it helps to have a quiet space away from home where they can let their feelings out.
Online. If winter weather, a long commute or low energy makes the trip hard, online sessions let you join from home. You can talk with a therapist from anywhere private, at a time that works for you.
Cost and billing
Here's what to know about cost:
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
Depending on your plan, insurance may cover some or all of the cost. Coverage varies, so it's worth checking your plan.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a registered psychotherapist (qualifying). One exception: Desjardins direct billing through TELUS eClaims covers sessions with registered social workers, registered psychotherapists and psychologists, but not registered psychotherapists (qualifying). Our team can help you check what applies to your plan.
Your first step
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. They can answer your questions about grief counselling in Ottawa, explain in-person and online options and help you find a therapist who's a good fit.
If you're in crisis: if grief comes with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or anyone is in danger, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night, or call 911. You can find more options on our crisis lines page.
There's no right way to grieve, and you don't have to carry it alone.