Grief Counselling After the Loss of a Child
There is no right way to survive this. Support for parents, at whatever pace you can manage.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationThere is no right way to survive this. Support for parents, at whatever pace you can manage.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationEvery clinician is registered with a regulatory college — the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), or the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
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.
These patterns come up again and again with bereaved parents.
WHAT PEOPLE BRING
The school year started, the neighbours planted tulips, and it all felt obscene. Bereaved parents often describe fury at the ordinary world. It's a normal part of a loss this size.
One of you needs to talk about your child daily; the other can barely say their name. Neither of you is grieving wrong, but the mismatch can leave you lonely inside your own marriage.
You still make lunches, attend meetings, keep other children's lives running. People take the functioning as recovery. You know how much it costs.
We won't pretend therapy fixes this, and we don't work toward "closure" or letting go. The aim is different: a place where your child can be spoken about freely, where the full weight of the loss is taken seriously, and where you can figure out how to carry it and keep living, in whatever order those come.
Sessions follow what you need. Sometimes it's the events themselves, which for some parents carry trauma that needs careful handling. Sometimes it's the guilt that bereaved parents so often carry regardless of the facts. Sometimes it's the practical, painful questions: the room, the belongings, the birthdays, how to answer "how many kids do you have." A continuing bond with your child has a place here; you won't be steered away from it.
Partners are welcome to come together or separately. Grief this heavy can also sit alongside thoughts that frighten you. If that's true, please tell us, or call or text 9-8-8 at any hour — and know that it's more common among bereaved parents than most people ever say out loud.
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
No. Parents seek help months, years, and sometimes decades after losing a child, often when a milestone or a quiet stretch brings everything forward again. Support is just as relevant years later as it was at the start.
No. Many bereaved parents maintain a lasting bond with their child, and that's respected here. The work is about carrying the loss in a way you can live with, not about leaving your child behind.
Either can work, and many couples do some of both. Grieving differently from each other is one of the most common strains bereaved parents describe, and it can be worked on directly, together or in parallel.
No. You can book directly with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker without a doctor's referral. Some insurance plans ask for one before reimbursing, so it is worth checking your policy.
Psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker is not covered by OHIP. Many extended health and workplace benefit plans cover it, though plans differ on which credentials they reimburse. Check whether yours covers RP, RSW, or both.
Yes. Our therapists offer secure video sessions to clients anywhere in Ontario, and many people mix virtual and in-person visits depending on the week. Everything discussed stays confidential either way.
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.
