Who Is Counselling For?

Arrow provides therapy for adults, offering individual and couples' sessions. Whatever your presenting concerns, a psychotherapist can help. We work with you to untangle symptoms from root issues, uncovering the basic fears and beliefs at work in your life, and assisting you as you work towards overall health and wellness. Counselling can aid clients who are dealing with a variety of experiences, including, but not limited to, the following:

anger
anxiety (including people-pleasing, overthinking, & perfectionistic tendencies)
breakups & separation & divorce
career changes
codependency
controlling tendencies
depression
emotion regulation
faith/spirituality
grief
physical health/illness
identity
infidelity
insecurities
parenting
people-pleasing
pregnancy and postpartum
self-worth
stress
student life
transitions
trauma
relationships (personal and professional)

Counselling can also benefit those who are not directly affected by poor mental health. Therapy can be just as impactful for those who are actively supporting someone else experiencing challenges. It can also be great for those who wish to maintain good mental health, as a preventive measure, or to work on something deeper when you're not in crisis and you have the mental strength and stamina to do so. A session can also be likened to a physical check-up; come and check-in with yourself to see how your mental health is doing. Therapy has something to offer everyone who comes willingly!

Online Services: Modalities

Individual Sessions:

Video (offered through OWL Practice, which is a confidential, encrypted and PHIPA-approved website)
Phone (on a case-by-case basis)

Couples' Sessions:

Video (offered through OWL Practice, which is a confidential, encrypted and PHIPA-approved website)

In order to optimize your counselling sessions, it is encouraged to create a calm, private, distraction-free environment where interruptions are unlikely to occur, just as if you were attending an appointment in-person with a psychotherapist.

Online Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy

Online services are more convenient to schedule and attend for many individuals. There is no commute time, and there is an inhibition that comes with receiving therapy in a setting of your choice. It can make it more difficult to include non-verbal communication skills, yet there are a number of ways to compensate, such as moving the camera further away from you to show your body language during a video session. There is also the possibility of technical difficulties and errors, for which contingency plans are put in place. Still, online therapy has been shown to be effective with a variety of diagnoses and issues, including depression and anxiety and building resilience. We encourage all clients to do their own research to determine what they believe will be a good fit for them. If you'd like to discuss your concerns and possibilities with a therapist, head over to the "Contact Us" page to get in touch!

Are Online Services Appropriate for You?

The benefits of online counselling must be greater than the risks. With that said, the following issues are not ethically suitable to be addressed via virtual therapy:

severe cognitive symptoms (eg. psychosis),
an adverse reaction to treatment (eg. panic attacks),
a risk of harm to you or others (eg. severe suicidal risk), or
if the impacts of trauma are overwhelming at times.

Other factors that will be regularly assessed to ensure online therapy is appropriate, include:

the nature of the therapeutic relationship,
the nature of the client's concerns,
anticipated shifts in the depth and focus of therapy,
the client's ability to access the necessary technology in a safe and private setting,
the client's overall capabilities, comfort, and familiarity of the technology,
the client's capacity to access, and participate in, local supports.

If you're unsure if virtual therapy is appropriate for you, let's chat and we can review your options together!

Setting Expectations

Clients who benefit most from counselling are present and engaged in-session, and are willing to put in additional effort out-of-session. Nonetheless, if you aren't even sure what exactly you'd like to work on, much less where to start, that's ok! Together, we can figure it out. You are the expert on your life. Your psychotherapist is merely there to come alongside you and assist you as you navigate the highs and lows of your unique circumstances through therapy.

Crisis vs. Emergency

Therapy can benefit individuals who are in crisis, yet is not appropriate for individuals who are in an emergency. A crisis is a distressing or overwhelming experience whether it's ongoing (eg. transitions) or an event (eg. single-event trauma). An emergency is more of a life or death situation that requires immediate action (eg. suicidality). If you are in an emergency, or even need care in-between sessions, consider the following options:

Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988 (text or call)

Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 833-456-4566

Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region: 613-238-3311

Calling 9-1-1

Visiting your local hospital's emergency room