Attachment-Based Couples Therapy
The patterns underneath how you love can change. Attachment-based couples therapy in Ottawa & online.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationThe patterns underneath how you love can change. Attachment-based couples therapy in Ottawa & online.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationEvery clinician is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) or the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
We want therapy to be financially accessible for everyone. Reduced rates are available case-by-case based on need and availability.
We submit directly to most major insurers, so you don't pay out of pocket upfront.
Our office is in Ottawa. All client records are stored in Canada and handled under PIPEDA and PHIPA.
Therapy is a space to slow down and look at what's underneath. These are some of the patterns people bring into the room.
FOR WHEN SOMETHING FEELS OFF
One of you wants more closeness, the other more space. When you reach, they back away; when they finally reach, you've shut down. The cycle repeats.
Something small happens and the emotional response is enormous. You know it shouldn't matter this much — but it does, and the feeling is very real.
You're not fighting. You're putting in effort. But something isn't landing, and the connection you both want keeps slipping just out of reach.
Attachment theory proposes that from early in life we develop internal working models of how closeness and safety work — whether others can be trusted to be there, whether we're worthy of connection. These models don't stay in the past; they shape how we respond in our closest adult relationships, often without us realizing it.
At Auren Wellness, we use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which is grounded in attachment science, to help couples identify the cycle they're caught in — the pursuer-withdrawer dynamic, the protest-shutdown loop — and understand what's underneath it. EFT has a strong research base and is one of the most validated approaches for couples work.
In sessions, we slow down the moments where things go sideways and look at what each partner is feeling, fearing, and actually needing — then help them communicate it in a way that can be received. Over time, this builds a more secure attachment: less reactive, more connected. This approach works particularly well for couples preparing for marriage — see our page on premarital counselling in Ottawa if you're at that stage.
Email, phone, or fill out our booking form. There's no script and no pressure. You can share as much or as little as you want.
A real person, not a bot, will reply as soon as we can with a few options for a free 15-minute consultation.
We listen. You ask questions. No paperwork, no obligation. If we're not the right match, we'll point you toward someone who might be.
Direct billing where possible. Evening and weekend availability. Virtual or in-person in Ottawa.
Sessions are 50 minutes in length. Rates vary by therapist and are confirmed during your free consultation. We accept e-transfer and credit cards, and direct-bill most insurers.
Sliding-scale spots are available based on need. Ask during your free consultation.
Same 50-minute format, structured for two participants and shared concerns.
Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker services are covered by most extended health plans in Canada. We recommend confirming your specific coverage before your first paid session. Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, Green Shield, and most major insurers include coverage.
We direct-bill where your insurer allows it. Otherwise, you pay at the time of session and submit the receipt for reimbursement.
Every session generates a receipt listing the provider's license number, suitable for insurance reimbursement.
In-person sessions are held at our Ottawa office. Virtual sessions use a secure, PIPEDA-compliant video platform. You can switch between the two.
We ask for 24 hours notice on cancellations. Late cancellations and no-shows are charged the full session fee.
After the free 15-minute consultation, your first paid session is intake-focused. Bring questions, anything you have already tried, and any goals you have in mind.
QUESTIONS
Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and expanded by researchers including Sue Johnson (who developed EFT), proposes that humans are wired to seek connection with important others. Early experiences with caregivers shape how we respond to closeness as adults. Secure attachment tends to handle intimacy and conflict with more flexibility; anxious or avoidant patterns often find close relationships more activating or harder to navigate.
Labels can be useful for understanding, but they can also become fixed in unhelpful ways. In sessions we focus on the dynamic between you — the patterns that show up together — rather than categorizing each person. Both partners typically have roles in the cycle, even if those roles look very different.
It can be both. Sometimes attachment work in couples therapy surfaces things that are usefully explored in individual therapy too. Some people do both in parallel; others find the couple context is enough. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for your situation.
EFT-based couples therapy typically runs twelve to twenty sessions, though this varies widely. Some couples move more quickly, others go deeper. We'll give you a realistic picture at the start.
Therapy is a longer-term relationship. If you're in acute distress, please reach the services below first. They are free, confidential, and available right now.
