PTSD Therapy in Ottawa
Evidence-based PTSD therapy in Ottawa, including EMDR. In person and online.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationEvidence-based PTSD therapy in Ottawa, including EMDR. 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
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares. The event isn't just a memory — it arrives as an experience, with the same intensity as when it first happened. It doesn't matter how much time has passed.
Certain places, people, conversations, news stories, even smells or sounds. The avoidance offers some relief, but it takes up more and more of your life as the list of things to avoid grows.
Constantly scanning for danger. Startling easily. Trouble sleeping. Irritability that seems out of proportion. Your nervous system is still treating the world as though the threat is ongoing, because it hasn't fully registered that it's over.
PTSD therapy at Auren Wellness is structured, evidence-based, and paced carefully to your nervous system. We don't move toward the hardest material until you have the tools to manage what comes up.EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is one of the most extensively researched treatments for PTSD and is recommended by major clinical guidelines including the WHO and APA. It works by helping the brain reprocess traumatic memories that have become "stuck" — stored in a way that keeps triggering the original threat response. Over the course of EMDR processing, memories lose their emotional charge without losing their factual content. You still remember what happened. It just stops arriving the way it does now.We also draw on somatic approaches, which work with the physical dimension of PTSD — the body sensations, the startle response, the chronic tension — alongside cognitive and narrative work. For many people with PTSD, the body is where the work most needs to happen.For clients whose PTSD is rooted in ongoing relational or developmental experiences rather than a single event, see our page on complex trauma therapy in Ottawa.
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
Trauma-focused approaches like EMDR and trauma-focused cognitive and somatic therapies are among the most researched treatments for PTSD and are recommended by major clinical guidelines. The right fit depends on your history and nervous system, which we figure out together.
PTSD can show up as intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, feeling constantly on guard, and shifts in mood after a frightening or overwhelming event. Only an assessment can confirm it, but if these patterns are disrupting your life, it's worth talking to someone.
PTSD symptoms generally cluster into four groups: intrusion (flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories), avoidance of reminders, negative changes in mood and thinking, and heightened arousal like hypervigilance or being easily startled.
Single-incident PTSD often responds faster than PTSD rooted in prolonged or repeated experiences. Some people notice significant change within twelve to twenty sessions; others need longer. We'll give you a realistic sense once we understand what you're carrying.
Many people experience substantial, lasting relief from PTSD with effective treatment, to the point that symptoms no longer interfere with daily life. We avoid promising a cure, but processing trauma can genuinely change how those memories affect you.
Sessions are 50 minutes with rates that vary by therapist, confirmed at your free consultation. Sliding-scale spots are available case-by-case. We'll be clear about fees before you commit.
OHIP generally doesn't cover psychotherapy with Registered Psychotherapists or Social Workers, though many extended health plans do. Check your plan for RP or RSW coverage. Auren direct-bills many insurers and provides receipts.
For most people, yes. Online trauma therapy, including EMDR, can be delivered effectively over a secure video platform. We offer both in-person sessions in Ottawa and virtual sessions across Ontario, and we'll talk through what suits you.
PTSD often follows a specific event or series of events, while complex PTSD develops from prolonged or repeated trauma, frequently in childhood or close relationships. Complex PTSD usually adds difficulties with emotional regulation, self-worth, and relationships.
Yes. Trauma responses can persist even when memories are fragmented, absent, or from very early life. Several approaches, including somatic and EMDR work, don't require a complete, detailed recollection to help.
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.
