“A Message from the high and towering God: I live in the high holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed. And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their way." ISAIAH 57:15

Christian Counselling Ottawa first opened its doors in 1978. Since then we have served the needs of over 16,000 people who have struggled with life’s challenges. CCO’s founders had a vision to build a professional ministry that would stand in the gap between professional psychotherapy services offered in a secular context and the ministry limitations of the local church. Today we  provide professional counselling and educational services to help people effectively manage life’s challenges . We are grounded in the conviction that God desires all people to find healing and wholeness and the hope of finding these is within reach. At Christian Counselling Ottawa we seek to join people in their struggle, as God does, to support them in the reconstructive work He is doing in the lives of those wounded or distressed.

  An important facet of CCO’s ministry is our team approach . Every client benefits from the collective experience of our 12 qualified therapists, each holding a Masters degree in counseling from an accredited institution, ensuring the highest quality of services in a full range of clinical issues for all ages. Working as a team means we’re accountable to one another and can draw on one another’s experience and expertise. It means we can work with an entire family without compromising individual confidentiality. Our gifted and caring therapists collaborate, share knowledge, support one another and also pray for our clients and our ministry.

  We believe in meeting people where they are both figuratively and geographically by providing services at our main headquarters on Holland Avenue, as well as 7 other divisional offices in the national capital region: Gloucester, Ottawa South, Kanata, Nepean/Barrhaven, Cornwall, Williamsburg, and Kemptville. Because we realize peoples’ schedules vary we strive to be flexible by offering evening and Saturday appointments in addition to regular weekday hours, and provide services in English, French, and Spanish.

  Our friendly Intake Department staff will answer all your questions promptly, and will seek to assign you to the most appropriate therapist on our team for your needs. We look forward to hearing from you!

Individual Counseling

There are many different things that prompt a person to seek counseling. Some of the areas we commonly encounter are:

v  Issues around self-esteem and self-worth

v  Healing from abuse whether sexual, emotional, physical or psychological

v  Handling anger and resolving conflict

v  Overcoming depression, anxiety and stress

v  Challenges to faith and growth in one’s understanding and relationship with God

v  Gaining greater skill in parenting

v  Developing an increased range of coping skills

v  Overcoming wounds and obstacles from childhood that still have an impact

Marriage and Family

Marriage can be the most rewarding relationship you will ever enter into yet shaping it into the fulfilling, intimate and secure relationship your heart desires can be challenging and frustrating. Family background, relational beliefs, styles of communication and conflict management, different parenting styles and issues around physical intimacy have an impact. As marriage therapists we seek to help you build a satisfying, close relationship by building on the skills you already possess and developing new ones to get you “unstuck” from the patterns that have developed. We also provide pre-marital counseling to help couples learn the intricacies of their partners, foster empathy and communication and develop skills to resolve differences. Some areas we address with clients are:

v  Discovering how to bless your mate

v  Understanding his or her emotional needs

v  Resolving conflicts without them becoming battles

v  Communicating so both partners feel heard and understood

v  Developing healthy boundaries that allow each to operate with security

v  Overcoming wounds of infidelity and restoring the marriage

v  Promoting a unified parenting approach

At Christian Counseling Ottawa we seek to provide:

v  Help and guidance to those who seek it

v  A safe place to feel heard without fear of judgment or censure

v  Confidential support for those in Christian ministry

Events and Services

Annual free Community Education Day

Consultation services to clergy and lay people

Community and Church workshops