IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OTTAWA, ON

Our Psychotherapy service was born out of the need to create more accessible therapy to individuals, namely women and marginalized communities, who were feeling especially isolated during the pandemic. As we emerged into a level of normalcy for most when the pandemic was over, many struggled to find their way in day to day routine.

At the core of our team, our social workers and psychotherapists all share a common passion for and experience with the inherent challenges that come with being a woman. Whether you are on a fertility journey, dealing with medical gaslighting, in need of coping strategies with day to day activities or relationships, or even finding love and respect for yourself or others, we want to create that safe space for you.

We understand how important it is for you to find the right therapist - virtual or in person - so we have a ton of options for you below. If you’re still not sure, scroll down to find out questionnaire and we can help you find the right match.

Meet our team

Click on an image to learn more about each practitioner. Pricing is listed on practitioner bios as they vary from practitioner to practitioner.

Melanie Parent-Dance, Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW)

In-person / Virtual

Keara Dean, Registered Social Worker (BSW, RSW)

In-person / Virtual

Marie-Christine Bois, Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW)

In-person / Virtual

Melanie Fuller, Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

In-person / Virtual

Jennifer Accursi, Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW)

Virtual Only

Jay Rao, Registered Psychotherapist

Virtual Only

shopping for the right person

While our therapists are all trained in psychotherapy there are a lot of factors in choosing the right person for you. You are about to open up to someone, so you need to be able to trust them, honor them, and respect them. Even when they may tell you something you dont want to here. And it’s ok, you can shop around. All of our therapists offer 15 min complimentary discovery sessions so that you have a bite size opportunity to see who they are. Not the right fit? Try the next person. We won’t be offended; promise!

Not sure where to start?

Fill out our questionnaire below and we will send you our recommendations for which practitioners would be the best fit for you.

Some topics explored through psychotherapy

There are countless reasons why someone may explore psychotherapy, but here is a list of some of the more common reasons we see people at Femade.

Fertility

The emotional and physical barriers of conceiving. Strain on relationships - both with your partner and with yourself. Infertility and/or choosing not to have a child. Talking to friends and family about this topic.

Relationships

The ups and downs of a relationship with a partner. Family dynamics (siblings, parents). Working through power struggles. Revelations of separation and divorce. Building strategies for co-parenting. Painful sex. Polyamorous relationships.


Post traumatic stress disorder / trauma

PTSD and all that comes with it. Trauma in all its forms such as from gaslighting, childhood trauma, relationship trauma, gender abuse and relationship dynamics, health trauma, immigration trauma.

Chronic pain / Chronic Illness

Visible and invisible illnesses, new diagnosis, how to change behaviors, love yourself, and deal with others around you. Mental health challenges. Behavioral and developmental challenges. Chronic pain, endometriosis, pelvic health, fibromyalgia. Misdiagnosis. ADHD and neurodivergence. Painful sex.

gender discovery and gender identity

Youth and young adults in gender discovery. Fluid exploration of gender. Gender reveal, sex love, self awareness and managing others. Adults and Seniors of the 2SLGBTQQIA community. Parents of youth in discovery.

If you’re not sure which type of treatment would be best for you, each of our practitioners offer discovery calls to help walk you through the options.

To book, call us at 613-722-1674 or use the booking button below.

Ready to book?

Simply click on the link below to get started.

Disclaimer: Below is a list of topics for which one might seek mental health support. This list will be submitted to us securely and will not be shared with any individual. Please be aware that even seeing some of the words on a screen can be triggering, so you may skip the step of filling out this form by simply emailing us at bookings@femade.ca or calling us at 613-722-1674.

If you wish to fill out the form we advise you to be as open and honest about ALL the topics you wish to work on and we will be in touch within 24 hours with our perfect practitioner matches for you.

Guardians of youth: we ask that you fill out the form in accordance to the issues the child needs to address. Most of our practitioners are able to work with youth.