By Karine Langley, PhD in TheologyPublished: 2026-11-04Reading Time: 7 min readChildren, Family & SeparationBilingual Practice
Family counselling with me in Ottawa costs $250 an hour, the same rate as an individual or couples session, and that one fee covers everyone in the room. Psychotherapy is not covered by OHIP, but many extended health plans and employee assistance programs cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist, and you can meet in person at 854 Wingate Dr or by secure video.
If your household has reached the point where every conversation turns into the same argument, you are probably comparing counsellors and wondering who actually needs to come, what it will cost and how the first sessions work. This post answers those questions plainly, so you can decide whether family counselling makes sense for you and what to ask before you book.
Who Comes to Family Counselling
Family counselling does not mean everyone has to be in the room every week. Who comes depends on the problem you are trying to solve, and that often changes as the work goes on.
Some common arrangements:
Parents and a teenager, when arguments about school, screens, curfew or respect have become a daily fight.
Both parents on their own first, when you disagree about how to handle a child's behaviour and the child is caught in the middle.
A parent and an adult child, when an old hurt keeps coming back at every holiday.
Blended families, when a new partner, step-siblings or two sets of house rules have made home feel tense.
Siblings caring for an ageing parent, when decisions about care have opened up old resentments.
A household after a loss, when everyone is grieving differently and no one knows how to talk about it.
When the main concern is a younger child, I often meet with the parents first. Children are not expected to explain their distress the way adults do, so it helps to understand home, school, sleep and what you have already tried before the child comes in. You can read more about that side of the work on the children's therapy in Ottawa page.
If you are not sure whether your situation is "family therapy" at all, my earlier post, What Is Family Therapy?, explains what it is and who counts as family. This post is about the practical side: cost, format and choosing someone.
What Family Counselling Costs
One shared fee per session, however many family members attend.
My fee is $250 an hour for family sessions. It is a shared rate: the same price whether two people attend or five. Individual sessions and couples sessions are the same $250.
Payment is due at the end of each session, by Interac e-Transfer, Visa or Mastercard.
I need 24 hours' notice to cancel. Late cancellations and missed appointments are charged the full session rate.
I keep a limited number of sliding-scale spots for financial hardship. Call to ask what is available.
A question parents often ask is whether they will pay for a family session and a child's individual session in the same week. Sometimes a plan includes both, and sometimes the family sessions are enough on their own. We decide that together, and I will tell you what I am suggesting and why before anything is booked.
I cannot tell you in advance how many sessions your family will need. Some families come for a short stretch around one decision or one rough patch. Others work on a longer pattern. We review how it is going as we go, and you can change the pace or stop at any point.
Insurance, Receipts and OHIP
Psychotherapy from a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice is not covered by OHIP. Many extended health plans and employee assistance programs (EAPs) in Ontario do cover it. I do not bill insurers directly. You pay at the session and receive an official receipt with my registration details, which you submit to your plan.
Before the first session, it is worth calling your plan and asking:
Does my plan cover a Registered Psychotherapist (RP)? Some plans list the title by name.
What is the yearly maximum, and is it per person or per family?
If two parents both have coverage, can we split claims across both plans?
Whose name should go on the receipt for a family session?
Does my EAP offer a set number of sessions first, and with whom?
The answer to question 4 matters more than people expect. Plans differ on whether a family session can be claimed under a parent or under the child, so ask before you book rather than after.
What the First Sessions Look Like
The first session is mostly listening, to each person's view of the same problem.
The first session is mostly listening. I ask what brought you in now, what a typical bad day at home looks like, what each person thinks the problem is, and what you have already tried. Different people in a family usually describe the same problem in very different ways, and that difference is useful information, not a contest.
No one is put on trial. The focus is the pattern between people: who pursues, who withdraws, what topics set things off, and how arguments end. From there, the work may include:
slowing down the argument you keep having, so each person can say what they actually mean
agreeing on house rules both parents can stand behind
repair after a hurtful fight, including how to apologise without reopening it
grief or a major change, such as a move, an illness or a separation
making room for faith, culture and language where they matter to your family
Sessions are held in English or French, and some families use both. If your family is going through a separation or a family law matter, I also offer therapy during family law and separation, which keeps the counselling separate from the legal process.
In Person or by Video
You can meet in person at 854 Wingate Dr in Ottawa, or by secure video on Doxy.me where clinically appropriate.
Video helps when family members live in different places, for example a parent in Orleans, an adult child in Barrhaven and a sibling in Almonte or Renfrew. It also helps teenagers who find an office visit too formal at first. In-person sessions tend to suit younger children and families who find it easier to talk once they are physically out of the house.
You can mix the two, and the teletherapy page explains how video sessions work.
How to Choose a Family Counsellor in Ottawa
Choose a format and location everyone who needs to come can manage.
Whoever you call, these questions will tell you a lot in the first five minutes:
Are they registered? In Ontario, look for a regulated title such as RP (Registered Psychotherapist). The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario puts it simply: "Verify the status of a Registered Psychotherapist by visiting the public register." The register is on crpo.ca.
Do they work with families regularly, or mostly with individuals?
How do they decide who attends? A good answer depends on your situation, not a fixed rule.
How do they handle a child's privacy with the parents in the picture?
Can sessions happen in your language, and can your faith or culture be part of the conversation if you want it to be?
What do they charge, and what is the cancellation policy? You should get a straight answer.
Is the location or format realistic for everyone who needs to come, every week?
Pay attention to how the first call feels. If one family member already feels blamed before anyone has met, that is worth noticing.
If You Need Help Right Now
If someone in your family is having thoughts of suicide or is not safe, call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, at any hour. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. Counselling is not a substitute for emergency care.
