Family counselling in Ottawa: co-parenting and separation
don't have to break your family.

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps family members improve communication, resolve conflicts, and understand each other better. At Bridge for Families, we use a circle of care approach where sessions may include parents, children, or the whole family together. We draw from Attachment Theory, Family Systems Therapy, and Solution-Focused approaches to address each family's unique needs.

The duration of family counselling depends on the complexity of the issues and the family's goals. Some families see meaningful improvement in 6-8 sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. You can start with a free 20-minute consultation with Katherine to see if we're the right fit, or book a first session with Lee-Anne directly — either way, we'll give you a realistic sense of timeline once we understand your situation.

Family counselling gives families navigating conflict, separation, and divorce a structured, neutral space to work on communication, lower day-to-day conflict, and support children through the transition. Our therapists work with parents on co-parenting and with children on adjusting to change. Every family is different, and sessions are shaped around yours.

We work with children of all ages, as well as teens and adults. For younger children, therapy often involves play-based and creative approaches. For teenagers, we use age-appropriate methods that respect their developing independence. We also offer sessions where parents attend alone to develop parenting strategies.

Absolutely. Many separated and divorced parents attend family therapy to improve co-parenting communication, resolve ongoing conflicts, and support their children's adjustment. Sessions can be structured flexibly: sometimes with both parents, sometimes individually, and sometimes including the children.

Yes, our family therapy services are covered by most extended healthcare plans in Ontario, including Veterans Affairs (VAC), Blue Cross, Canada Life, and Manulife. Check your plan for coverage of psychotherapy or social work. We provide detailed receipts for insurance claims.

Family therapy is not a substitute for legal advice, and we do not provide court reports or custody assessments. What therapy can do is lower the conflict that makes custody arrangements harder to live with: building clearer communication, reducing reactivity between parents, and keeping the focus on the children's wellbeing rather than the dispute. Many Ottawa parents use sessions to make a parenting plan workable in day-to-day life, even when the legal details are still being settled.

Blending two households brings real growing pains: new step-siblings, different rules in each home, loyalty conflicts, and kids who feel their place has shifted. We work with parents and children to set realistic expectations, pace the changes so no one feels rushed, and give each child room to express what they're feeling without being made the problem. The goal isn't an instant 'one happy family,' but a home where everyone feels heard and secure as relationships build over time.

Start with a free 20-minute consultation with Katherine, or book directly with Lee-Anne, so we can hear what's working and what's straining. From there, co-parenting sessions focus on the practical handoffs: consistent routines across two homes, how you talk to the kids about the separation, and how you talk to each other without it escalating. Many parents come in before things have boiled over — that head start gives you more room to shape the transition for your children.

The two terms are used interchangeably in Ontario, and at Bridge for Families they refer to the same service. Some people use "family counselling" for shorter-term, practical support around a specific situation — a separation, a blended-family adjustment, a teen who's struggling — and "family therapy" for longer-term work on patterns that keep repeating. Our therapists draw on the same approaches either way (Attachment, Family Systems, and Solution-Focused), and sessions are shaped around your family's goals rather than the label. Whichever term you searched for, you're in the right place.

Yes. Co-parenting counselling is a core part of our family counselling practice at Bridge for Families. Lee-Anne Boucher works with separated and divorced parents on the practical side of raising children across two homes: communication that stays child-focused, consistent routines and handoffs, introducing new partners, and answering kids' hard questions with one voice. Sessions are available at our Kanata office or by secure video across Ontario, and parents can attend together or separately depending on what the relationship can handle right now.

Our office is in Kanata, in Ottawa's west end, within easy reach of Stittsville, Barrhaven, and Nepean. If getting everyone to one location is a barrier, we also offer secure video sessions anywhere in Ontario, and many families mix in-person and online from week to week. There's currently no wait list.