Adult (18+)
Individual Psychotherapy for Adults (18+)
In-person and virtual sessions available.
Individual therapy is a space to slow down, reflect, and be deeply heard. At Cultivate Mental Health, we offer a relational, trauma-informed approach that honours your lived experience and supports healing, growth, and self-understanding.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, grief, relationship issues, trauma, or simply feeling stuck, therapy can help you reconnect with yourself and move forward with greater clarity and intention.
Direct Billing & Insurance Coverage
We aim to make mental health care as accessible as possible. We offer direct billing for select providers and a variety of insurance plans.
We can direct bill for the following:
- Medavie Blue Cross
- NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits)
- VQRP+ (Victim Quick Response Program)
- TELUS eClaims (Including: Canada Life, Manulife, Sun Life, Desjardins, ClaimSecure, GroupHEALTH, Johnston Group, GMS Health Insurance, and Cowan)
Important Billing Note: Direct billing through TELUS eClaims is available with select therapists. Please note that Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying) are currently unable to offer direct billing through the TELUS portal. We recommend checking with your specific provider or contacting us to confirm your coverage.
Common Reasons for Seeking Therapy
- Anxiety & Chronic Stress: Managing overwhelm and finding emotional balance.
- Trauma & Childhood Experiences: Processing past events in a safe, supportive space.
- Burnout & Perfectionism: Addressing low self-worth and high-pressure lifestyles.
- Grief & Life Transitions: Navigating loss, career changes, or identity shifts.
- Relationship & Attachment: Improving connections and understanding relational patterns.
- Identity Exploration: Supportive space for gender, sexuality, and cultural identity.
Our Therapeutic Approach
We tailor therapy to your unique needs, drawing from evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Somatic and Mindfulness-based practices, Psychodynamic reflection, and Attachment theory. Our work is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and choice.
Specialized Service: Adult Drama Therapy
Drama Therapy is a sophisticated, active modality for adults who want to move beyond traditional “talk therapy.” Using storytelling, metaphor, and creative expression, Drama Therapy allows you to:
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Break Through Patterns: Visualize and “re-script” recurring life challenges.
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Process Trauma: Use creative distancing to explore difficult memories safely.
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Build Embodied Insight: Reconnect with your body’s wisdom through somatic movement.
Looking for Integrated Family Support?
If you are a parent seeking therapy for yourself, you may also benefit from our Parent Support & Coaching services. Processing your own lived experience alongside specialized parent coaching creates a powerful ripple effect of stability within your entire household.
Book an Adult Consultation Today
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Low-Cost Counselling (13+)
Low-cost counselling spots are currently full. Please email hello@cultivatemh.ca to join the waitlist for May 2026.
Low-Cost Counselling (Ages 13+)
Accessible, Empathetic, and Supervised Care
At Cultivate Mental Health, we believe that financial barriers should not prevent you from accessing high-quality therapeutic support. Our Low-Cost Counselling is provided by a Master’s-level Student Therapist who offers empathetic, non-judgmental, and collaborative care.
This is a supportive space to explore:
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Anxiety & Stress: Managing daily overwhelm and building resilience.
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Life Transitions: Navigating the “big shifts” in identity, career, or school.
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Relationship Concerns: Understanding your connections and communication.
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Identity & Self-Worth: A safe space for self-discovery and growth.
The Quality of Supervised Care
All sessions are closely supervised by Crystal Tierney, Registered Psychotherapist. This ensures that while you are working with a student, your care is grounded in the same evidence-based, trauma-informed practices and clinical professionalism found across all services at Cultivate.
Financial Accessibility & Sliding Scale
We are committed to making therapy sustainable. In addition to our standard low-cost student rates, we have a limited number of further reduced-fee spots available for those who cannot otherwise afford therapy.
Need a Sliding Scale?
We are committed to making therapy sustainable. In addition to our standard low-cost student rates, we have a limited number of further reduced-fee spots available for those who cannot otherwise afford therapy.
If you require further financial consideration, please email us at hello@cultivatemh.ca for more information about our sliding scale availability.
Book a Low-Cost Consultation Today
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Heather Bungay
Book NowOffice Rentals
Furnished office rentals for mental health professionals for individual, couples, family, and group therapies. Evening and weekend office rentals are available for mental health & wellness-related group programing.
Crystal Tierney
Book NowParent Services
Parent Support and Coaching
Parent coaching provides a dedicated, supportive space for you to navigate caregiving challenges, build new skills, and deepen your connection with your child or teen. Whether you are managing daily power struggles or navigating complex developmental milestones, coaching helps you clarify your values and lead your family with confidence.
Common areas of focus include:
- Establishing predictable routines and healthy limits.
- Implementing positive discipline and behavioural strategies.
- Supporting children and teens through anxiety and big emotions.
- Navigating co-parenting, communication, and family transitions.
Our goal is to help you set healthy boundaries and consequences that lead to more positive, fulfilling, and peaceful family connections.
- Available for: Parents of children and teens of all ages.
In-Person Parent–Child Relational Therapy (PCRT)
Parent–Child Relational Therapy is an evidence-based approach designed specifically to strengthen the bond between you and your young child. In these in-person sessions, you will learn to understand the “language of play” while being guided to create a nurturing, strengths-based home environment.
Our therapists collaborate closely with you, providing real-time coaching and practical tools for setting appropriate limits and applying play therapy principles. This structured approach is highly effective for building secure attachment and addressing specific behavioural concerns.
- Recommended for: Parents of children ages 3–8.
A Complementary Approach to Therapy
Is your child or teen currently in therapy? We strongly recommend parent coaching as a complementary service to individual child therapy.
Why it works: Clinical research shows that when parents have their own dedicated support, the entire family experiences faster and more sustainable growth. By aligning your parenting strategies with your child’s clinical goals, you create a consistent environment at home that reinforces their progress, improves emotional regulation, and ensures long-term success for the whole family.
THE VALUE OF PARENT-FOCUSED CARE
Investing in your parenting skills is one of the most effective ways to support your child’s wellbeing. Whether as a stand-alone service or alongside your child’s treatment, parent-focused care provides the specialized tools needed to improve household stability and foster deeper family harmony.
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Couples Counselling
Couples & Relationships Counselling in Ottawa
In-Person and Virtual Sessions Available
Relationships are our greatest source of connection, but they can also be a source of significant strain. At Cultivate Mental Health, our couples counselling offers a supportive, non-judgmental space to explore challenges, strengthen communication, and move from disconnection to deep resonance.
Whether you are navigating chronic conflict, major life transitions, or the unique stressors of parenting, we work collaboratively to help you understand your patterns, repair emotional ruptures, and build a more intentional, resilient partnership.
Our Inclusive Approach
We believe that every relationship is unique. Our practice is trauma-informed, neuro-inclusive, and LGBTQ2S+ affirming. We welcome and celebrate all relationship structures and identities, including:
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Monogamous and polyamorous partnerships.
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Diverse family and co-parenting dynamics.
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Partners navigating neurodivergence (ADHD/Autism) within the relationship.
Evidence-Based Tools for Connection
We don’t just talk about problems; we provide tools for change. Our work is grounded in the “gold standard” of relationship science, drawing from:
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Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): To de-escalate conflict and rebuild secure attachment.
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The Gottman Method: To provide practical skills for communication and conflict management.
Common Themes in Relationship Therapy:
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Communication Breakdowns: Moving past recurring arguments and being “stuck.”
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Rebuilding Trust: Healing after betrayal, infidelity, or emotional disconnection.
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Intimacy & Connection: Enhancing both emotional and physical closeness.
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Life & Parenting Stress: Navigating the transition to parenthood or external life pressures.
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Relational Patterns: Exploring how past trauma or family history shapes your current bond.
Parent Support & Coaching: A Vital Tool for Couples
For many couples, the primary source of relationship strain is the challenge of parenting. We often recommend that partners utilize our Parent Support & Coaching alongside couples therapy.
By having a dedicated space to align on parenting strategies and household boundaries, you reduce the “friction points” in your daily life, allowing your couples therapy sessions to focus more deeply on your emotional connection and intimacy.
Book a Couples Consultation Today
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EMDR
EMDR Therapy in Ottawa (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Evidence-Based Trauma Recovery & emotional Healing
EMDR is a highly effective, structured therapy designed to help individuals heal from trauma, distressing life events, and deeply held negative beliefs. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on how the brain stores memories. By using bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones), EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to process and integrate unresolved experiences.
How EMDR Can Help EMDR is recognized globally as a “gold standard” for trauma treatment, but its benefits extend far beyond a single diagnosis. It is effective for a wide range of concerns, including:
- PTSD & C-PTSD: Processing single-event or complex, long-term trauma.
- Anxiety & Panic: Reducing the “charge” of future-oriented fears and triggers.
- Childhood Trauma: Addressing the lingering impacts of early life experiences.
- Grief & Loss: Navigating the “stuck” feelings that can follow a significant loss.
- Self-Worth & Negative Beliefs: Shifting from “I am not enough” to “I am resilient.”
A Flexible Approach to Healing At Cultivate Mental Health, EMDR is tailored to your specific goals. It can be utilized in two primary ways:
- Stand-Alone Therapy: A focused, intensive approach specifically for reprocessing a particular set of memories or chronic triggers.
- Integrated Care: Combined with other modalities (such as CBT, Somatic, or Psychodynamic therapy) as part of a holistic, long-term healing process.
Why Choose EMDR? Many clients choose EMDR because it does not require “talking through” every detail of a traumatic event to achieve results. Instead, it works directly with your nervous system to desensitize the emotional pain associated with the memory, allowing you to gain new insights and a sense of safety in the present.
Ready to start your healing journey? You don’t have to carry the weight of the past forever.
Book a FREE EMDR Consultation Today
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Teens & Adolescence (13+)
Low-Cost Counselling (Ages 13+)
Accessible, Empathetic, and Supervised Care
At Cultivate Mental Health, we believe that financial barriers should not prevent you from accessing high-quality therapeutic support. Our Low-Cost Counselling is provided by a Master’s-level Student Therapist who offers empathetic, non-judgmental, and collaborative care.
This is a supportive space to explore:
-
Anxiety & Stress: Managing daily overwhelm and building resilience.
-
Life Transitions: Navigating the “big shifts” in identity, career, or school.
-
Relationship Concerns: Understanding your connections and communication.
-
Identity & Self-Worth: A safe space for self-discovery and growth.
The Quality of Supervised Care
All sessions are closely supervised by Crystal Tierney, Registered Psychotherapist. This ensures that while you are working with a student, your care is grounded in the same evidence-based, trauma-informed practices and clinical professionalism found across all services at Cultivate.
Need a Sliding Scale?
We are committed to making therapy sustainable. In addition to our standard low-cost student rates, we have a limited number of further reduced-fee spots available for those who cannot otherwise afford therapy.
If you require further financial consideration, please email us at hello@cultivatemh.ca for more information about our sliding scale availability.
Book a Low-Cost Consultation Today
Book by Treatment
Family Counselling
Family Counselling & Therapy in Ottawa
Strengthening Connections Across Generations
Families are complex, dynamic systems. Sometimes, communication breaks down or conflict takes root in ways that feel impossible to untangle alone. At Cultivate Mental Health, family therapy provides a supportive, neutral space to strengthen emotional bonds, navigate high-conflict dynamics, and build mutual understanding.
We take a trauma-informed, relational approach that honours each family member’s unique perspective while working toward shared goals of harmony and stability.
An Inclusive Approach to “Family”
We recognize that family comes in many forms. We welcome all configurations, including:
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Parents and children or teens.
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Sibling groups seeking to repair their bond.
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Adult children and their aging caregivers.
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Blended families and chosen families.
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Families navigating separation, divorce, or co-parenting.
Common Reasons Families Seek Support:
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Communication Breakdowns: Moving past recurring arguments and “silence.”
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Life Transitions: Navigating separation, loss, relocation, or new family members.
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Supporting a Child or Teen: Helping the whole family adapt to a youth’s mental health challenges.
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Parenting Alignment: Resolving differences in parenting styles to create a consistent home environment.
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Intergenerational Healing: Breaking cycles of trauma or healing long-standing family ruptures.
The “Bridge” to Wellness: Parent Coaching
In many cases, family therapy is most effective when paired with Parent Support & Coaching.
While family sessions focus on the group dynamic and communication, Parent Coaching gives caregivers a private space to refine their leadership skills, set healthy boundaries, and develop the specific tools needed to implement the changes discussed in family therapy. This dual approach ensures that the “engine” of the family—the parents—is fully supported.
Moving Toward Empathy & Clarity Family therapy isn’t about finding out who is “wrong.” It’s about discovering new ways to be “right” for one another. Whether you’re hoping to reconnect, heal a wound, or simply grow together, we are here to facilitate that journey.
Book a Family Consultation Today
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Child Therapy
Play Therapy
Play therapy uses play as a child’s natural language to help them express emotions and work through challenges. Through creative and guided play, children can explore their feelings, build problem-solving skills, and strengthen communication in a safe, supportive environment.
- Recommended for children 12 and under.
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy provides a safe, supportive space where children can explore emotional, behavioural, and mental health challenges. Using age-appropriate approaches, therapists help children express their feelings, build resilience, develop coping skills, and improve relationships.
- Recommended for children ages 7 and up.
Drama Therapy
Drama therapy is an expressive arts approach that uses storytelling, role-play, and imagination to support meaningful growth and change. It helps children explore emotions, connect with others, and practice healthy behaviours in an engaging and creative way.
- Suitable for children of all ages, including preteens and teens (and adults).
Parent–Child Relational Therapy (PCRT)
Parent–Child Relational Therapy supports and strengthens the relationship between parents and their children. Parents learn to understand the language of play while being guided to create a nurturing, strengths-based environment. Therapists collaborate closely with parents, offering tools for setting appropriate limits and applying play therapy principles. This structured, evidence-based approach helps build secure attachment and address behavioural concerns.
- Recommended for children ages 3–8.
Parent Support and Coaching
Parents can get support with challenges, build new skills, and strengthen their relationship with their child. Topics may include routines, limits, positive discipline, anxiety, behaviour, development, co-parenting, and communication. Coaching helps parents clarify values, improve relationships, and set healthy boundaries and consequences, leading to more positive and fulfilling family connections.
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATED CARE
We strongly recommend pairing parent coaching with child therapy as an evidence-based approach to family wellness. Clinical research shows that when parents are actively involved in the therapeutic process, children demonstrate more significant and sustainable gains in emotional regulation and behavioural stability. By aligning home strategies with clinical goals, we create a consistent environment that reinforces the child’s progress and strengthens secure attachment.
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Programs
Specialized Clinical & Directed Programs
Structure. Insight. Intentional Growth.
At Cultivate Mental Health, we recognize that different seasons of life require different therapeutic containers. Our Directed Programs are curated experiences designed for those seeking a high-focus, framework-driven approach to their personal growth.
Whether you are looking for concrete tools and accountability or a guided exploration into a specific life theme, these programs provide a clear roadmap for your therapeutic journey.
The Individualized Program Model
Our programs are delivered in an Individualized Format, allowing you to move through a curated clinical or exploratory framework at your own pace with the dedicated 1-on-1 support of a specialized therapist. This model ensures that while the program provides the map, the journey is entirely tailored to your unique lived experience.
This format is ideal for those who:
- Value a Structured Roadmap: You prefer a focused, modular approach with a clear set of objectives and a defined arc.
- Seek Integration & Accountability: You want a consistent framework to bridge the gap between “knowing” your patterns and actively shifting them in your daily life.
- Want Targeted Exploration: You have a specific area of focus you wish to examine deeply, such as specific coping skills, trauma processing, relationships & boundaries, or identity transitions.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga & Recovery: A 10-Week Therapeutic Program
This individualized 10-week program is designed for women and marginalized genders who have been impacted by developmental, interpersonal, or sexual trauma. The curriculum focuses on the “Safety and Stabilization” phase of recovery, helping participants build the necessary coping skills to manage the long-term impacts of trauma on the brain and body.
Custom Private Groups
Do you have a small group who would like to move through a program together?
While our standard registration is for individuals, we offer the option to facilitate our specialized curriculums for small private groups. If you would like to engage in a structured therapeutic process with a trusted circle, we can provide a private, supportive environment tailored to your group’s collective goals.
Interested in a Private Group? Please contact us at hello@cultivatemh.ca to discuss custom topics, scheduling, and group rates.
THE BENEFIT OF A DIRECTED APPROACH
A Directed Program is a great way to focus your energy on a specific area of growth or curiosity. By combining clinical expertise with a curated curriculum, these programs offer a specialized “deep-dive” into the topics that matter most to you. Whether you are seeking to master new skills or explore life’s big questions, you will move forward with greater clarity, insight, and intention.
Inquire About Our Current Directed Programs
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Supervision
Clinical consultation and supervision compliant with CRPO standards.
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Crystal Tierney
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Welcome to Cultivate Mental Health!
If you’re new here, start by booking a free virtual consultation. It’s a chance to connect, share your goals, and learn how we can best support you. If you’d like support you can always email us at hello@cultivatemh.ca.
Note: If you don’t see a therapist listed, they may not be accepting new clients or are only offering consultations for specific services.
