Grief Counselling After the Loss of a Sibling
For the person who shared your childhood, and the family that now has to reorganize around the gap.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationFor the person who shared your childhood, and the family that now has to reorganize around the gap.
✓ 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.
Some of what surviving siblings describe.
WHAT PEOPLE BRING
Cards and casseroles go to the parents or the spouse. Siblings are often assumed to be coping. Many describe grieving in the gaps between looking after everyone else.
Nobody else remembers the same kitchen, the same holidays, the same arguments. Stories that used to have two tellers now have one.
Birth order, roles, who calls whom on a Sunday: all of it shifts. Some siblings find themselves closer to the remaining family, others find old friction resurfaces.
Counselling after a sibling's death gives you a place where you're not the organizer. Sessions focus on your loss: the specific person, what you shared, and what the family looks like now that one member is missing.
Much of the work is about the family that has shifted. Parents who are grieving a child, a surviving sibling who has become an only child, nieces and nephews who now look to you. Sessions can also cover the practical strain, such as the estate, and the guilt or relief that can follow a death after a long illness or a difficult relationship.
If your parents are also looking for support, our page on the loss of a child is written for them. Where a family wants to work on this together, family counselling is an option. The wider picture is on our grief counselling page.
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
Supporting your parents and getting support yourself are not in competition. Many siblings find that having one hour a week that is only about their own loss makes it easier to be there for everyone else.
Distance does not cancel a relationship. A sibling you rarely spoke to still held a place in your history and your sense of family, and the loss can also carry grief for the closeness that never came. That is a common reason people book.
Yes, if that is what you want. Individual sessions are the usual starting point after a sibling's death, and family sessions can be arranged alongside them or instead. Your therapist will talk this through with you at the consultation.
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.
