The General Counselling Program at Family Services à la famille Ottawa offers counselling services for individuals, couples, and families. We also offer group services for specific areas of individual and family life.
Individual, Couple and Family Counselling
Our counselling services can help with a variety of issues, such as:
- Relationship difficulties
- Parenting challenges
- Experiences of trauma and abuse
- Anxiety and depression
- Family stressors
- Adjustments to separation, divorce, and blended families
- Grief and loss
A counsellor can work together with you to find ways to address the challenges you are facing. Counselling offers you an opportunity to discuss your concerns, clarify what would be helpful, and strengthen your ability to make the desired changes in your life. Depending on your situation and needs, our counselling services can support you in:
- Finding different ways to cope with your stressors
- Developing different options in solving the problems you are experiencing
- Learning how to improve your relationships and connections to others
- Obtaining information and accessing resources that can help you
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Group Counselling Services
Group programs offer the benefits of experienced, trained counsellors acting as facilitators in combination with the experience and ideas that each of the participants brings to the group interaction. The General Counselling Program currently offers groups for:
- Postpartum depression and anxiety
- Parenting/family transitions in separation, divorce, and blended families
- Older adulthood
A complete description of groups currently offered by the General Counselling Program is available on our Schedule of Current Events.
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General Program Information
Our Counselling Staff
The counselling staff at Family Services à la famille Ottawa are trained and experienced professionals who have obtained a Masters degree in Social Work, Counselling, or Psychology.
Languages
General Counselling Services at Family Services à la famille Ottawa are offered in English.
Locations
Counselling services are provided at Family Services à la famille Ottawa situated at 312 Parkdale Avenue (click here for map). Counselling appointments are also available on Wednesdays at the Pinecrest-Queensway Health and Community Centre situated at 1365 Richmond Road (west end of Ottawa) and on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre situated at 2 Macneil Court (Kanata).
Hours of Counselling Services
Counselling is offered Monday to Friday. Evening appointments are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please note that there is more demand for evening appointments than we can accommodate and the wait time for counselling services in the evening will be longer.
Program Policies
Accessibility and Fee Payment Policy
The General Counselling Program at Family Services à la famille Ottawa (FSFO) is funded by United Way/Centraide Ottawa (67%), the City of Ottawa (22%) and by client fees (11%). To ensure that our counselling services are accessible to people of all income brackets in the Ottawa community, we utilize a sliding fee scale. Our sliding fee scale is geared to family income and the number of dependents living in the home.
Many insurance plans cover the cost of counselling; if you have insurance, you will need to verify with your insurance provider that the cost of counselling provided by registered social workers is covered. Insurance coverage is billed at the full fee rate of $90 per session. Official receipts are issued for insurance purposes, which you must submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. When and if your insurance coverage runs out, the sliding fee scale can than be utilized. Please note that Quebec residents and Ontario residents outside of the Ottawa region are not eligible for the sliding fee scale.
Cancellation Policy
If it is necessary to cancel an appointment, we required you provide 24 hours notice. If 24 hours is not provided, Family Services à la famille Ottawa reserves the right to bill you for the full assessed fee of the session.
Confidentiality
All notes, records and communications created by Family Services à la famille Ottawa (FSFO) during your involvement as a client are kept secure and confidential and can be shared only with your written consent. The agency keeps a record of all appointments/visits. Information my be shared within FSFO for case management, quality assurance and eligibility purposes. Any information about a client is kept within the agency in strictest confidence.
There are a few exceptions to confidentiality when the law requires that our records be disclosed under strict conditions. In the following situations the law requires that reports be made and/or information released:
- Suspected child abuse
- Any life threatening danger to a client or to a third party (threat of suicide, threat towards others)
- Court orders and subpoenas
Privacy Policy
Family Services à la famille Ottawa (FSFO)adheres strictly to the current legislation governing personal privacy (Personal Health Information Protection Act).
The information the we collect is used to:
- Ensure we can contact you
- Maintain accountability as a services provider
- Ensure safety, legal and ethical standards are met
- Assess the quality of services provided and the effectiveness of outcomes
All clinical files and data are the sole property of FSFO and are stored in a secure location or on a secure server. Any questions or concerns can be addressed directly to the Privacy Officer, who is the Executive Director.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is counselling?
What types of problems to people seek counselling for?
Do I need a referral to obtain counselling?
How can I get the most out of counselling?
How long do I need counselling for?
What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker?
Is this service covered by OHIP?
Is this service confidential?
How do I access service?
Is there parking available?
What is counselling?
Counselling is a process that allows you to explore and discuss your feelings and various aspects of your life in an open and free manner that is not always possible with friends and family. Counselling is not the same as friendship as it is a focused, goal oriented process that is guided by a professional counsellor. Counselling sessions are scheduled appointments, they occur in a private and confidential setting, and what you discuss in your sessions with your counsellor is protected by the professional standards of the counsellor and the agency. Counselling is a process in which you have the opportunity to explore the difficulties that you experiencing, gain a better understanding of yourself, your relationships and your life, and work towards making the changes that are most important to you.
What types of problems do people seek counselling for?
There are a wide range of issues that lead individuals to seek counselling, such as:
- Stress
- Problems in relationships with friends, family or partners
- Anxiety
- Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- Grief and loss
- Self-esteem
- Concerning thoughts, feelings or behaviours
- Depression
- Difficulty making a decision
- Difficulty coping with a situation
These are just examples. If you feel that counselling may be helpful to you, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss whether our services may be helpful to you.
Do I need a referral to obtain counselling?
You do not need a referral to obtain counselling at Family Services à la famille Ottawa (FSFO). We ask that the person requesting the counselling services contact our Intake Worker.
How can I get the most out of counselling?
There are steps you can take that will help make counselling more beneficial to you, such as:
- Clearly identify the concerns that have led you to seek counselling
- Be prepared to establish specific goals
- Be willing to explore new behaviours and view points
- Think about what you would like to discuss at your next session
- Attend and arrive on time for you sessions
- Complete recommended tasks and readings
- Discuss your concerns with your counsellor when the process is not helpful to you
How long do I need counselling for before my issues are resolved?
Everyone’s needs and resources are different and so everyone resolves their problems at their own pace. There is no specific timeline at which issues should be resolved. Once you have met with your counsellor, they will be able to work together with you to identify what might be reasonable goals and the amount of time that you agree to work together towards those goals. What is most important is that steps are being taken to make positive changes and choices in your life and that you are moving towards your goals.
What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a social worker?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that has specialized in psychiatry. Therefore, their focus, training and treatment approaches are generally medically based. They specialize in diagnosing and treating mental illness; they may also provide counselling. Because they are medical doctors, they are able to prescribe psychotropic medications. In order to access a psychiatrist, you need a referral from your family doctor. If you are referred to a psychiatrist, it will be covered by OHIP.
In Ontario, a psychologist has obtained a doctorate in psychology. Psychologists cannot prescribe psychotropic medication as their training is not in medicine. They are able to administer diagnostic testing and provide assessments for identifying learning disorders, etc. They also provide counselling services. Many psychologists work in private practice and you can access them through your local directory. However, note that psychologists are not covered by OHIP. Psychologist’s fees may be covered through insurance.
Social workers have a Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree in social work. They provide the majority of counselling services in Ontario. Many social work positions are funded by the government and by voluntary donations. Social workers also work in private practice and can be accessed through your local directory. Social workers do not prescribe psychotropic medication and are not covered by OHIP. Social worker’s services may be covered through insurance, depending on the specific policy.
Is this service covered by OHIP?
Our counsellors are trained professionals in social work, counselling, and psychology; therefore, they are not covered by OHIP. However, we are subsidized and we utilize a sliding fee scale to adjust your fee according to your income and family size so that counselling becomes affordable and accessible to all.
Is this service confidential?
Privacy and confidentiality are fundamental aspects of counselling and Family Services à la famille Ottawa is committed to protecting your personal information. For more information, review our confidentiality policy.
How do I access service?
To initiate counselling, contact our Intake by one of the following:
Someone will contact with you within 5 business days to discuss your options and book an appointment if appropriate. Note that no counselling will be provided over the phone and that counselling will begin at your first face-to-face session with a counsellor. If you are in crisis and require immediate attention, please contact the Distress Centre at 613-722-6914 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
Is there parking available?
There is free visitor’s parking available in our parking lot and there are street parking meters available on nearby streets. For more detailed information, review our map of available parking.
Contact Information
If you would like to access counselling services or would like more information, please contact our intake worker by telephone at
613-725-3601 (ext. 117), by TTY at 613-725-6175 or by email at intake@familyservicesottawa.org
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