Counsellor's Advice Blog


From Falling in Love to Couple Therapy

Written By: Martin Rovers, Ph.D., with Capital Choice  Counselling Group Falling in love is easy but relationships require work, and sometimes that means coming in for couple therapy. It can be hard to decide as a couple when to see a couple therapist. After the “falling in love” stage of a relationship, there usually is a “honeymoon…

How do I love Myself More? The Fundamentals of Self-Love

Written By: Cassandra Petrella, M.A., CCC, Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group Most people don’t realize that we need to learn how to love ourselves. Self-love is something we must teach ourselves in order to grow. One of the main reasons why we must teach ourselves is that as little girls and boys our caregivers…

Workplace Stress & Counselling

Written by: Arthur Karp, M.Ed., Psychotherapist,  Capital Choice Counselling Group The struggle with workplace stress is a costly one. Workplace stress, difficult employees, constant deadlines, and burnout are all very real experiences that many people struggle with. They report a feeling of spiralling out of control, overwhelmed with completing what normally was a minor task, and fears of…

Becoming Less Anxious About Anxiety

Written By Dr. Martin Rovers, Psychologist with Capital Choice Counselling Group Anxiety is a normal response to events that elicit fear or worry. We all will feel anxious from time to time, whenever we are about to give speech, play in a sporting event, or have a difficult conversation. In fact, research has demonstrated that…

Naming and Claiming Family of Origin Wounds

Written by: Luc Dumouchel, a Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group We all have childhood wounds stemming from our family of origin, or the family you grew up in. Family of origin therapy or schema therapy can help us name, claim and tame our family of origin wounds. As humans, we are social and relational…

Someone You Love Gambles Too Much…

Written by: Clara Panarella, M.Ed., Psychotherapist, Capital Choice Counselling Group A Gambling Addiction is not just about losing money, it can affect a person’s whole life. It affects the person’s physical and mental health, work,  school, and other activities. But perhaps most importantly it affects the relationship with a spouse and other family members. People…

Addiction Therapy: The Courage to Ask for Help

Written By: Jane Langmaid, Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group Addictions – to drugs, alcohol, food, work, sex, gambling – we can use almost any substance or process addictively- to numb shame, to feel better, control mood, cope, and survive. The problem is that it never fills us up – one can never get enough.…

Depression Therapy for Teenagers

Written By: Emily Kiar, Psychotherapist with Capital Choice Counselling Group The teenage years are a time of many changes and where teenagers are expected to make many decisions about their future. At times, this can leave teenagers feeling confused, isolated or even depressed. Teenage depression therapy can help. Depression therapy for Ottawa teenagers can lift…

The Four Stages of Marriage and Marriage Counselling

Written By: Dr. Martin Rovers, Psychologist with Capital Choice Counselling Group In the book, Healing the Wounds in Couple Relationships, Ottawa couple’s therapist Dr. Martin Rovers describes the four stages of marriage: (1) Falling In Love (2) The Honeymoon Is Over (3) The Dance Of Wounds (4) Loving As illustrated by the relatively high divorce…

Fostering Connection within Couples

Written by: Rhonda Fields, MA, CCC, Capital Choice Counselling Group Couples often lose the original emotional connection (to participate in research which is interested in helping couples find emotional connection, click here) which attracted them to one another in the first place. Falling out of the feeling of love is common for most couples.  Couple therapy can…