Childhood Trauma Therapy in Ottawa
Therapy for adults working through childhood trauma in Ottawa. In person and online.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationTherapy for adults working through childhood trauma in Ottawa. In person and 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
In relationships, at work, in how you feel about yourself. The patterns are familiar and frustrating and you can trace them — vaguely — back to something earlier. You've done a lot of reading. You understand the concepts. But understanding it hasn't changed it.
You tell people you had a difficult childhood, but you always follow it with "it wasn't that bad" or "other people had it worse." The minimizing is a way of managing. But underneath it, something still hurts.
You're good at reading what other people need and becoming it. But at the end of the day, you're not sure who you actually are — what you actually want, what you actually feel. You learned to disappear into what was expected of you, and that habit never fully stopped.
Childhood trauma therapy at Auren Wellness works with the full impact of early experience — not just the memory of what happened, but the ways it shaped how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how your nervous system learned to function.We may use attachment-based approaches to address the relational dimension of childhood trauma. Early experiences with caregivers shape internal models of how relationships work — whether people can be trusted, whether you're worthy of care, whether closeness is safe. Therapy offers a corrective relational experience: a consistent, honest relationship with someone who shows up reliably and treats you with care, which over time begins to update those early models.We also draw on somatic approaches, EMDR, and parts-based work depending on what fits you. Many people with childhood trauma carry different internal "parts" — ways of being that developed in response to what they experienced — and learning to relate to those parts with compassion rather than shame is a meaningful piece of the healing.For clients whose childhood trauma particularly affected their capacity to attach and connect in relationships, see our page on attachment trauma therapy.
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
It's psychotherapy that addresses how difficult or unsafe early experiences still shape your present, including your relationships, self-worth, and emotional patterns. It works by processing those experiences at a safe pace so they hold less power now, often using attachment-based, somatic, and EMDR approaches.
Childhood trauma isn't only about dramatic events; neglect, instability, and chronic emotional pain count too. If early experiences still echo in how you relate, regulate emotions, or see yourself, that's worth exploring with a therapist.
Common signs include difficulty trusting others, harsh self-criticism, anxiety or emotional overwhelm, people-pleasing, and relationship patterns that feel hard to break. These often trace back to early experiences even when the events feel distant.
Yes. Much of the trauma work we do is with adults processing childhood experiences. The brain stays capable of change throughout life, and therapy can ease patterns that have felt fixed for years.
Approaches that centre safety and the therapeutic relationship tend to work well, including attachment-based, somatic, and EMDR therapies. We tailor the mix to you and build stability before processing harder material.
Because childhood trauma is developmental, it usually unfolds over a longer period than single-incident trauma, in phases. Some patterns ease early; deeper work takes more time. We'll be honest about what to expect for your situation.
No. Healing doesn't require a complete or detailed memory of what happened. Somatic and EMDR approaches can work with present-day patterns and body responses even when memories are vague or missing.
It can show up in relationships, self-worth, emotional regulation, and even physical health. Early experiences shape the nervous system, so their effects often surface as present-day patterns rather than obvious memories.
Sessions are 50 minutes with rates that vary by therapist, confirmed at your free consultation. Sliding-scale options are available case-by-case based on need. We'll be clear about fees up front.
OHIP generally doesn't cover psychotherapy with RPs or RSWs, but many extended health plans do. Check your plan for RP or RSW coverage. Auren direct-bills many insurers and provides receipts.
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.
