Therapy for Life Transitions in Teens
Adolescence is already a transition. Add a major change on top of it, and the ground can shift completely.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationAdolescence is already a transition. Add a major change on top of it, and the ground can shift completely.
✓ 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
New school, new city, no friends, no history. Starting over is exhausting and isolating in a way that's hard to explain to parents who are busy managing the logistics of the move themselves.
A parental separation, a remarriage, a new sibling, a parent's serious illness. These aren't just logistical changes. They change the emotional landscape in ways that teenagers are expected to simply adjust to, often without anyone checking in on how they're actually doing.
A death, a breakup, the end of a friendship, leaving a place they loved. Grief in teenagers is often minimized, by adults who think they're resilient, and sometimes by the teenagers themselves. The loss is real and it deserves space.
Therapy for life transitions at Auren Wellness gives teenagers a space that belongs to them during a time when a lot of things are changing around them. That consistency matters. It's also where the work happens, understanding what the transition is activating, what they're grieving or afraid of, what they actually need, and how to move through it rather than just waiting for it to be over. We draw on narrative therapy and CBT-based approaches. Narrative work helps teenagers make sense of what's happening, developing a story about the change that gives them agency and meaning rather than just something being done to them. CBT helps with the anxiety and overwhelm that transitions typically produce. We also draw on identity work when the transition involves questions about who the teenager is becoming. Transitions are also moments of real growth. We hold both things, the difficulty of the change and the possibility it contains. For teenagers whose transition is involving significant pressure or difficulty at school, see our page on therapy for school stress.
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
Teenagers often say they're fine because they don't want to add to your stress, because they don't have language for what they're feeling, or because minimizing it feels safer than acknowledging it. If you're seeing behavioural or mood changes, it's worth taking seriously even if they're telling you they're okay.
If the impact of a transition persists for more than a few weeks and starts affecting daily functioning, school attendance, friendships, sleep, appetite, mood, it's worth getting support. Transitions that aren't processed well can develop into anxiety or depression. Earlier support prevents that.
Both work. Older teenagers often prefer to be the primary client with parents informed at a general level. We'll structure the involvement in a way that respects both the teen's need for autonomy and your need to understand how they're doing.
Transition-focused work is often shorter than longer-term therapy, many teenagers do meaningful work in six to twelve sessions. It depends on the nature of the transition and what else the work surfaces.
They can be. Adolescence is already a period of big change, and a major transition on top of it, a move, a loss, a family shift, a breakup, can make everything feel uncertain at once. Support during that time can make a real difference, even when nothing is 'wrong.'
Moves and new schools, parental separation or a blended family, grief and loss, breakups, and the uncertainty of decisions about what comes after high school. Anything that's shifted the ground under your teen and left them navigating it without much support.
It can include grief. Loss, of a person, a place, a friendship, or a familiar life, is one of the transitions teens bring in, and grief in teenagers is often minimized. Therapy gives that loss space rather than expecting them to simply adjust.
Sessions are 50 minutes. Rates vary by therapist and are confirmed during your free 15-minute consultation. We accept e-transfer and credit, direct-bill where your insurer allows, and hold a limited number of sliding-scale spots. Full details are on our fair-fee page.
Psychotherapy isn't covered by OHIP, but most extended health plans cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker. Check whether your plan lists those services under mental health, and we'll direct-bill where your insurer allows.
It depends on what you're working through. Some families come for a handful of sessions focused on a specific issue; others stay longer. We review how things are going regularly, and you're never locked into a fixed number of sessions.
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.
