Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Ottawa
If anxiety, low mood, or stress has been affecting your day-to-day life, CBT can help.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps you notice unhelpful patterns and build tools to respond differently, so things feel more manageable over time.
Transform Your Mental Health with CBT Therapy in Ottawa
If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, you’ve likely heard of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — an evidence-based approach proven to help with anxiety, depression, anger management, eating disorders, autism, ADHD, and chronic stress.
Our online CBT (online cognitive behavioural therapy) offers the same high-quality care and confidentiality as in-person sessions, letting you access expert Ottawa-based CBT therapists from the comfort of your home.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that helps people understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. The way we interpret situations can affect how we feel, how we respond, and the patterns we repeat over time.
Rather than focusing only on why you feel a certain way, CBT helps you identify unhelpful thinking patterns and the behaviours they may be creating. This can be especially helpful for concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, and emotional overwhelm.
Through CBT, you learn to recognize negative or distorted thoughts, challenge them more realistically, and develop healthier responses. In some cases, this means replacing an unhelpful belief with a more balanced perspective. In others, it means learning to notice the thought without letting it control your behaviour.
CBT is practical, goal-oriented, and collaborative. Many people find it helpful because it provides clear tools they can use in everyday life to manage distress, interrupt unhealthy patterns, and create meaningful change over time.
The Premise of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Works
CBT helps you understand how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours influence one another. By identifying unhelpful patterns and developing healthier responses, you can create meaningful changes in how you feel and respond to life's challenges.
An event or experience occurs.
You interpret the situation.
Your thoughts affect how you feel.
Your emotions influence how you respond.
Our CBT therapists help you recognize and change unhelpful patterns within this cycle so you can develop healthier coping strategies and improve your emotional wellbeing.
Benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
One of the reasons Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is so widely used is because it focuses on practical, real-world change. Rather than simply talking about challenges, CBT helps you develop skills and strategies that can improve the way you think, feel, and respond to difficult situations. The goal is to help you build tools that support both your current wellbeing and your long-term mental health.
- Build healthier thought patterns by recognizing and challenging unhelpful thinking habits.
- Develop practical coping skills for managing stress, anxiety, and everyday challenges.
- Improve emotional regulation and respond to difficult emotions more effectively.
- Increase self-awareness and confidence in your ability to navigate life's obstacles.
- Create lasting behavioural change through healthier habits and responses.
- Apply skills beyond therapy with tools that can continue supporting your wellbeing long after sessions end.
What Can CBT Therapist in Ottawa Help With
- Anxiety
Accessing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Online
Online cognitive behavioural therapy (online CBT) delivers the same evidence-based tools, strategies, and support as traditional sessions, but from the comfort and privacy of your own home. This secure approach makes it easy to attend therapy, even with busy schedules, mobility challenges, or living outside central Ottawa.
Book an online CBT session today and start improving your mental health.
How You Can Get The
Most Out Of Your CBT Therapy Session
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Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy right for me?
- I am looking for an approach that is skill and homework-based
- I often find myself in unhelpful thought patterns that impact my day-to-day life
- I want to find healthy coping strategies for dealing with my stress, depression, anxiety, etc.
- I want to actively participate in my own healing and recovery
- I believe that right now it is my negative thought patterns that are underlying my difficulties
- I want to learn how to recognize negative patterns before they happen
- I would like an approach that is goal-oriented and structured
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Frequently Asked
Questions about CBT
What should I prepare for with CBT?
What should I prepare for with CBT?
Some people who previously have been in traditional counselling or therapy find it surprising at first that they won’t need to be in therapy ‘forever’ or that they will make progress ‘quickly.’ Each person will need a slightly different number of CBT sessions, some more, some less. A typical CBT therapy session at Capital Choice Counselling in Ottawa moves pretty quickly. Our Ottawa therapists who are trained and experienced in CBT tend to be pretty sharp, focusing in with efficiency on what is holding you back and then working with you to develop & implement tools and strategies to work through and get past those issues – be it anxiety, depression and/or other mental & emotional health issues.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a specific approach to psychotherapy in which a patients negative patterns of thought are challenged. Through CBT, a patient gets equipped with the skills and tools to understand their thoughts and behaviours in order to change their existing patterns into healthier habits.
Is CBT a shortcut?
Is CBT a shortcut?
In a manner of speaking, yes. If it helps one think of CBT in a positive way as a means of reducing the number of therapy sessions needed, that’s great. We would caution, however, that CBT is not a guaranteed, fast-track means of getting ‘better’ overnight. CBT requires the same level of effort and commitment as other forms of therapy. CBT has been proven to be helpful, however, in taking a fixed or finite number of therapy sessions to use proactive and practical ways of getting past what is holding you back. In CBT you’ll spend much less time talking about your past, and more time discussing and implementing tools and strategies to move past your issues and live your best life.
Can I do CBT by Zoom, Facetime, Skype or Phone?
Can I do CBT by Zoom, Facetime, Skype or Phone?
Yes. While we used to encourage CBT and other forms of therapy and counselling in Ottawa to take place in person, technology and the COVID-19 era have changed things a lot. Most of our CBT therapists in Ottawa can work with you via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone.
How Effective Is CBT Therapy?
How Effective Is CBT Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the most researched and widely used forms of psychotherapy. Studies have shown CBT to be effective for a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, panic disorders, OCD, PTSD, and phobias. Because CBT focuses on practical skills and strategies, many people continue using what they learn long after therapy ends. While every person’s experience is different, we help you develop tools and coping strategies that can support meaningful improvements in emotional wellbeing, resilience, and overall quality of life.
Will CBT be covered by my insurance?
Will CBT be covered by my insurance?
Many insurance plans cover various types of therapy and counselling, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The amount and duration covered can vary and is most often capped. That’s another good reason to choose CBT, since the number of sessions needed for effective CBT is typically much less than other forms of therapy. Here’s how it works: – Contact your insurance company to see what they cover – Pay your therapist directly – Submit invoiced to insurance provider for reimbursement Should you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
How Long Does CBT Therapy Last?
How Long Does CBT Therapy Last?
The length of CBT varies depending on your goals, the challenges you’re facing, and how often you attend sessions. Many people begin noticing improvements within a few sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. CBT is generally considered a short- to medium-term approach, with many treatment plans ranging from 8 to 20 sessions. Our therapists work with you to develop a plan that fits your needs and adjust it as you make progress.
How Can We Help You?
Not sure where to start?
Simply fill out the short form below and tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll follow up as soon as possible to help you find a counsellor that feels right, based on your needs, schedule, and preferred location.
