Find a Therapist in Ottawa, Ontario.

My approach to psychotherapy is built around the deep belief that your body already knows how to heal when it is finally given the right space and safety to do so. In our sessions, we look at you as a whole person, exploring how your cultural background, life transitions, and daily pressures show up in how you feel physically and emotionally. By blending traditional, compassionate talking therapy with advanced tools like EMDR, IFS, and mindfulness, we can get to the root of what is keeping you stuck. I commit to being a deeply grounded, zero-judgment presence by your side, helping you safely shed your old armor, reclaim your authentic self, and find a true, internal sense of ease.

Many people have ideas about how therapy should look or feel based on what they have seen in movies or tv, and some of those ideas can be scary or intimidating. Therapy should be a safe space where you feel comfortable sharing and exploring your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with someone who offers you empathy, authenticity, and acceptance. I believe that clients are the experts in their lives and will work collaboratively with you to explore the stories you hold about yourself and the world around you to find meaning, facilitate change, and highlight your strengths and successes. Book a free consultation to learn more about my approach and explore if we are a good fit.

The gift of pain, is that it is designed to move us out of negative patterns, toxic relationships and draining situations. I believe that people have the wisdom and the answers inside of them, but need support to identify and remove whatever is in the way of accessing and acting upon that wisdom. I assist in this with a combination of approaches that include looking at beliefs, patterns and narratives that you are operating from, and exploring ways to shift those patterns and beliefs. Sometimes we may need to engage in ways to access information that is non-verbal, using art therapy, journal prompts, and dreamwork to help you align with the life that you feel good about and want to be in.

Life is a journey and we are presented with various challenges along the way. Sometimes we find a path forward and sometimes we get stuck and need guidance and support. Psychotherapy can be an opportunity for you to connect with a trained professional to explore the challenges you are experiencing and to discover new tools and perspectives. As a psychotherapist, I support you on your journey by creating a relationship with you that’s built on safety, openness, and trust. I also help you to discover the resilience that you hold and I support you in strengthening or re-defining the relationships within your life. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

I provide a safe, confidential, and compassionate space for individual psychotherapy where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and life challenges without judgment. Using an integrative approach that includes CBT, ACT, mindfulness, IFS, and relational therapy, I help clients gain deeper self-understanding, develop healthier coping strategies, reduce emotional distress, and move toward greater clarity, resilience, and overall well-being.

Psychotherapy using ISTDP and CBT involves addressing core feelings and negative thought patterns that have often been pushed away by a host of automatic defensive methods either consciously or unconsciously to lower anxiety. Helping people identify, experience and express these emotions and confront negative automatic thoughts to learn more adaptive strategies can yield enormous benefits on mood and our level of social role functioning. In this model, therapist and client work as a team by having meaningful discussions and addressing anxiety and therapeutic relationship issues that may arise in session- to practice these key skills for everyday living.

Psychotherapy is primarily a talk-based therapy and is intended to help you improve and maintain positive mental health and well-being. I work with individuals, couples and families in individual and group settings. Psychotherapy occurs when the Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and client enter into a psychotherapeutic relationship where both work together to bring about positive change in the client’s thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning. Individuals usually seek psychotherapy when they have thoughts, feelings, moods and behaviours that are adversely affecting their day-to-day lives, relationships and the ability to enjoy life.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of how to move forward? I’m Simona Ilieva, a Registered Psychotherapist, and I’m here to help. Whether you're facing anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, or life transitions, I offer individualized therapy to help you navigate these challenges. Together, we’ll explore your concerns, identify strengths, and develop strategies to create meaningful change. You deserve a life that feels fulfilling and balanced. Therapy is a powerful tool for self-discovery and healing. Let’s take the first step toward a more empowered, peaceful future together. Book a free consultation today.

You're complex. You have many parts and they don't always get along. Everything that you are takes time, space, and skill to explore and grow. Psychotherapy is about you and your growth. Together we can tease apart what makes you you. From there, we can start to draw links from who you were, what happened to you, to who you are and want to be. Let's dive in there and figure these things out to build the better you.

As a Registered Psychotherapist part of what I offer is psychotherapy which is a further in-depth exploration of issues that are bothering you. Together, we will explore the origins and roots of these issues to better understand how your past has impacted you and how it is perhaps continuing to impact you today. From there, we will collaboratively work on a plan to determine how to use that information in order to allow you to work through your current challenges.

My approach to psychotherapy is calm, steady, and collaborative. I offer a space where you can slow down, understand what you’re carrying, and reconnect with your own capacity for clarity and resilience. I pay close attention to the nervous system and the patterns that shape how you move through the world, supporting you in building the internal steadiness needed for meaningful change. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of your next steps, therapy with me provides a grounded, compassionate place to explore your experiences and strengthen what helps you feel more anchored and connected in your daily life.

Life’s challenges can leave you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. Psychotherapy provides a confidential, supportive environment where you can explore your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Through collaboration, you’ll gain insight and practical tools to overcome difficulties and foster personal growth. Therapy helps you build resilience, improve emotional wellbeing, and create meaningful change that supports a more balanced, fulfilling life.

The ebbs and flows of life are part of the human experience. Cultivating a meaningful life through them can sometimes be a challenge for all of us. No matter your goal, I strive to empower you to develop the meaningful, rich life that you desire. I use integrative, evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), somatic, narrative and strength-based interventions, individualized to your needs. I have over eight years of experience working with children, youth and adults in an array of professional mental health settings. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, procrastination and more.

In all of the work that I do with clients, there are some primary goals: Promote understanding and eliminate ambiguity. It is only through understanding that we can create comprehensive and meaningful change. I also focus quite heavily on exploring tools and treatment methods with my clients so that they can find their desired change. I incorporate elements of cognitive and behavioural interventions along with a myriad of psychological principles into my psychotherapeutic work.

We can all agree that sometimes it simply feels good to talk to someone. All the better when we know with absolute confidence that the person we are talking to is not going to judge us. Psychotherapy is, in its purest form, talk therapy. At Uniquely You, therapy does not require an agenda. Instead, the process of therapy is constructed to suit you. It is compassionate, non-judgmental, and realistic; the goal is to help you get on the path of living YOUR best life, whatever that may look like. Individual Therapy is offered for: grief stress anger anxiety depression self-esteem life changes troubled sleep thoughts of suicide relationship difficulties​​ ​post-traumatic stress

Psychotherapy can help you cope with difficult life circumstances, recover from mental health concerns and it encourages healing and personal growth. Drawing on a variety of psychotherapy modalities, our clinicians create a compassionate, non-judgmental and healing space for you to discover and develop your version of a happy and healthy life. Our psychotherapists work with a variety of issues, and help guide individuals, families & couples along their wellness journey using various therapeutic modalities and supportive interventions. Book a free consultation today!

With over 30 years of experience—and a life shaped by nonlinear exploration, motherhood, music, and complexity—I humbly believe that I offer my clients psychotherapy that’s both skilled and deeply human. I do my best to meet you where you are, not where someone or society says you “should” be. I profoundly believe these words of wisdom from Jon Kabat-Zinn: "As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than wrong with you, no matter what is wrong." My clients would say that therapy with me is a blend of evidence-based tools with compassion and curiosity, a blend that helps you shift patterns, understand yourself more fully, and reconnect with what gives life meaning - for YOU.

My approach to psychotherapy is collaborative, compassionate, and anti-oppressive, creating a safe space where clients feel seen, heard, and respected for their unique identities and experiences. I use emotionally focused and attachment-informed methods while actively acknowledging and addressing systemic barriers, power dynamics, and social inequities that may impact well-being. Clients benefit by gaining clarity, self-understanding, and practical tools to navigate challenges, build healthier relationships, and make empowered choices, all within a framework that values equity, inclusion, and personal agency.

Psychotherapy is a space where you don’t have to carry everything alone. Working with me means having a compassionate and collaborative environment where we focus on understanding—not judging—your thoughts, emotions, and patterns. Clients often share that therapy with me feels grounding, transparent, and deeply human. I combine evidence-based approaches with genuine empathy and curiosity, tailoring each session to your needs and pace. You can expect a mix of exploration, practical strategies, and emotional support designed to help you move toward balance, connection, and self-trust.

As a gestalt psychotherapist, who pairs gestalt training with somatic experiencing I can help support you in healing from your trauma. No one in the Niagara Region utilizes the combination of these therapies and applies them to working with couples in crisis. I am sorry to say but popular approaches to healing trauma like CBT will provide only temporary relief at best. If you want to get to the root of your trauma and heal somatic experiencing (SE) is what you need and when supported with the power of relational gestalt therapy you will shift your shit! SE focuses on regulating your nervous system. Gestalt focuses on awareness, contact and authenticity, it will help being relational.

Psychotherapy is a great way to connect with yourself, understand maladaptive patterns, develop healthy coping skills, and foster self-compassion. Whether you're going through a challenging period, wanting to explore past experiences, or just looking to strengthen your weak spots, I'm happy you're here and I'd love to connect. The version of yourself you want to be is waiting for you!

The approaches I use when it comes to individual psychotherapy are those of cognitive behavioural therapy and narrative therapy. These approaches, allow for a better understanding of the influence that our emotions, thoughts and behaviours have on our day-to-day life. As for couples therapy, I use the Gottman Method and systemic therapy. The focus is on the relationship of the couple and how family can influence the dynamics of the relationship.

For over 25 years I have been working with individuals and couples to help them with their particular issues and problems so that they may achieve emotional health as well as relationship and career goals. Each client has a unique situation and set of issues, be it anxiety, stress, depression, substance abuse, grief, personal growth, relationship issues, aging, illness, etc ; each problem has a unique set of tools and strategies to select for its solution. Together we will meet and identify the problem(s); I will propose a treatment plan and together we will discuss the plan as well as determine whether the match between therapist and client is a solid one in order to move forward.