Seasonal Depression Therapy in Ottawa
Therapy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Ottawa — in person and online.
✓ Same-week ✓ Direct billing ✓ Sliding scale ✓ Licensed therapists
Book a free consultationTherapy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in Ottawa — in person and online.
✓ 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.
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
Every autumn, as daylight shrinks, the heaviness returns — lower energy, a pull toward isolation, and a sense of just getting through until spring.
Seasonal depression often brings oversleeping, daytime fatigue, and carbohydrate cravings — a slowed-down, weighed-down feeling that ordinary rest doesn't fix.
Anticipating the drop can be demoralizing on its own. Having a plan in place before winter can change how the season lands.
Because seasonal depression is predictable, it often responds well to a plan you put in place before the hardest months arrive. Therapy for SAD at Auren Wellness combines evidence-based talk therapy with practical, seasonal strategy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) adapted for seasonal depression can help with the low mood, the withdrawal, and the thoughts that get heavier as the light fades, and behavioural activation is designed to keep you connected to activity and people through the months your instinct is to hibernate. We'll also talk through the practical supports that matter for SAD specifically — light exposure and light-therapy options, routine, movement, and sleep — and how to build them into your winter. Where it's useful, we can coordinate with your physician about other treatments. The goal is to get ahead of the pattern rather than wait out each winter.
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
Many people feel a little flatter in winter. Seasonal affective disorder is more than that — a recurring pattern of clinically significant depression that arrives in fall or winter and lifts in spring, affecting sleep, energy, appetite, and functioning. If winter reliably brings low mood that interferes with your life, it's worth addressing.
Earlier is better. Because SAD is predictable, starting in early autumn — before symptoms peak — lets us put supports in place ahead of the darkest months rather than trying to climb out mid-winter.
Light therapy has good evidence for seasonal depression for many people. We don't dispense light boxes, but we'll talk through how to use one effectively and safely alongside therapy, and can coordinate with your physician where appropriate.
The core therapy is similar — CBT and behavioural activation are effective — but for SAD we add seasonal timing and light, routine, and activity planning specific to the winter pattern. If you have depression year-round that worsens in winter, we address both.
Yes, and many people prefer it in winter — secure virtual sessions mean you can keep the work going from home on the coldest, darkest days, exactly when getting out is hardest.
Yes, though it's less common. Some people notice a summer pattern instead, with low mood, agitation, or disrupted sleep arriving in the warmer months. The seasonal timing matters less than the pattern itself: if your mood reliably drops at a certain time of year, therapy can help you understand and prepare for it.
Sessions are 50 minutes and typically range from $150 to $225 depending on the therapist, confirmed during your free consultation. OHIP generally doesn't cover psychotherapy with Registered Psychotherapists or Social Workers, but most extended health plans do. Auren offers direct billing to many insurers and provides receipts for reimbursement, and sliding-scale spots are available case-by-case based on need.
Sessions are a mix of understanding your seasonal pattern and building practical supports around it: routines that protect sleep and light exposure, ways to stay connected when you want to withdraw, and skills for the thoughts that come with the low months. Your therapist tailors the pace and focus to you.
That's worth bringing to your consultation. For some people a seasonal dip sits on top of year-round low mood or anxiety, and it works best to look at the whole picture rather than treating the winter alone. The same therapist can work with both, and sessions adjust as your needs change through the year.
No. You don't need a formal diagnosis or a referral to start therapy at Auren Wellness. If the darker months are affecting your mood, energy, or daily life, that's reason enough to reach out. A free consultation is a low-pressure way to see whether it feels like a fit.
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.
