Teen and Child Therapy in Ottawa and Gatineau
Psychotherapy for children and teenagers in Ottawa and Gatineau
Children and teenagers go through periods when emotions, behaviour, relationships or how they are managing at school become harder to handle.
Psychotherapy can offer a space to understand those difficulties better and to work on ways of responding to them. What that looks like varies with the young person’s age, their development, the reason for consulting and the professional’s approach.
A child or teenager does not need a diagnosis to begin psychotherapy. The work can start from what the young person, their parents or other people around them are noticing day to day.
Reviewed by the Belleisle Clinics clinical team. Last updated: 29 September 2026.
When to consider consulting
There is no single list of signs that tells you a child or teenager should see someone. Consulting can be worth considering when difficulties persist, intensify, or start to have a significant effect on daily life. Some examples:
- anxiety or worries that take up a lot of space;
- a sad or irritable mood that does not lift;
- social withdrawal, or a marked drop in interest in usual activities;
- difficulties in relationships with friends or family;
- difficulties at school, or significant academic pressure;
- changes in sleep, appetite or motivation;
- difficulty managing certain emotions or reactions;
- self-harm behaviours or suicidal statements;
- a transition, a bereavement, a separation or another significant change.
If there is a crisis or immediate risk, see the “In a crisis” section below.
These signs can have several explanations. A drop in grades, trouble concentrating or physical symptoms are not on their own enough to conclude that there is a psychological problem, and some physical symptoms can have a medical cause worth raising with a physician.
What therapy can work on
The goals depend on the young person’s situation and on what brings them in. The work may involve:
- anxiety, fears or worries;
- mood and motivation;
- relationships with friends or with family;
- academic pressure and certain school-related difficulties;
- self-esteem and identity;
- managing certain emotions or reactions;
- adjusting to a significant change;
- difficulties with organization, attention or self-regulation, without assuming a cause.
For more specific difficulties, see our pages on anxiety therapy, ADHD and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Psychotherapy is not an assessment: where the question is whether a learning or attention difficulty is present, see psychoeducational assessment.
The work looks different depending on age and development
Psychotherapy with a child does not necessarily take the same form as psychotherapy with a teenager or an adult. Depending on their development and on the approach being used, a child may communicate through talking, play, drawing, stories or other adapted activities. With a teenager the work is often more verbal, though here too the way of working varies with their needs and development.
The format and the goals are discussed with the young person and, where relevant, with the people involved in consenting to the work and in supporting it as it goes on.
Where parents fit in
Parents often play an important role with younger children, but their participation is not the same in every case. It can vary with the young person’s age, their capacity to consent, their needs, the province, the mandate agreed for the service and the professional’s approach. A parent may take part in some meetings, be consulted at different points, or receive general suggestions for supporting the young person.
With some teenagers, a significant part of the work happens directly with the young person. The aim is a way of working that respects the clinical needs, the consent arrangements and the confidentiality rules that apply.
Consent and confidentiality with minors
Consent and confidentiality for children and teenagers cannot be summed up in a single rule.
The arrangements depend on the young person’s age, their capacity to consent, the province, who consented to the service, the mandate agreed for the service, legal obligations and the level of risk.
At the start of the work, the professional explains what stays confidential, what may be shared with a parent or another authorized person, and the legal limits of confidentiality.
The young person’s own wishes and their capacity to consent have to be taken into account. When a safety question arises, what is done depends on the situation and on the applicable professional and legal obligations. The person contacted is not necessarily a parent.
What a first meeting looks like
A first meeting is mainly there to understand the young person’s needs and what brings the family in. It is not necessarily a formal diagnostic assessment. Depending on age, the situation and the consent arrangements, the professional may meet the young person, a parent, or different people over those first meetings.
A first meeting can also begin the therapeutic work and open a discussion about a first direction. After a few initial assessment sessions, the professional is often able to offer a first estimate of how long the work may take, which can be adjusted later.
Online sessions for children and teenagers
Online psychotherapy is available in Ontario and in Quebec, including with children and teenagers when the format suits the situation. Authorization requirements can vary depending on the jurisdictions involved and on where the client and the professional are each located during the session; the professional is responsible for complying with the rules that apply to their situation.
Meeting by video can reduce travel and ease some scheduling constraints. It also asks something of the young person: a private enough place to speak freely, and a way of taking part that fits their age and needs.
Online work suits some young people and not others. Whether it fits depends on the young person, the difficulty that brings them in, how comfortable they are with video, and the professional’s clinical judgment. For some children, another service format is preferable. If the young person is closer to the end of adolescence or already a young adult, see online therapy for teens and young adults.
Approaches that may be used
Professionals draw on different approaches depending on their training, the young person’s age, the difficulties presented and the goals of the work.
For anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, cognitive behavioural therapy is a well-documented psychotherapeutic approach. Depending on the child’s development, some interventions may also use play, drawing or other adapted means to support communication and the therapeutic work.
One approach is not necessarily preferable to another. The professional can explain how they work and how it relates to the young person’s needs.
Who you will work with
Families searching for a “child psychologist in Ottawa” or a “teen psychologist in Gatineau” are mostly looking for someone qualified to work with what their child is going through. A professional title and the authorization to practise psychotherapy are not the same thing.
The professionals in the Belleisle network who work with children and teenagers are independent and regulated: each belongs to a professional order or college in the province where they practise and works within their own areas of competence. In Ontario, several regulated professions may provide psychotherapy within their scope of practice; at Belleisle you are most likely to work with a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) or a Psychologist (CPBAO).
In Quebec, the practice of psychotherapy is reserved. Psychologists, physicians and couple and family therapists practise it without a separate psychotherapist permit; members of certain other professional orders may practise it while holding the psychotherapist’s permit issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec.
A title on its own is not enough to tell you who will suit your child: training and experience with the difficulties involved also matter. Certain assessment and diagnostic activities are restricted by law. What a professional may assess or diagnose depends on their profession, scope of practice and jurisdiction. Psychologists and physicians are among the professionals authorized to diagnose within their scope. On the titles and what is worth checking, see our psychotherapy page and Psychologist vs. Psychotherapist in Ontario.
Services in Ottawa and Gatineau
For more on what is available where you are, see online therapy in Ottawa and, in French, Psychothérapie à Gatineau.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need a diagnosis before consulting?
No. The work can start from the difficulties you are seeing day to day.
Do parents take part in sessions?
Often, yes, though not in the same way in every case. With a young child, parents are usually closely involved: they may take part in some meetings, receive suggestions for supporting the work at home, or meet the professional separately as the work goes on. With a teenager, much of the work is usually done with the young person alone; what is shared with parents depends on the young person’s capacity to consent, on who consented to the service, on the applicable rules and on the confidentiality arrangements agreed at the outset. How this is set up depends on the young person’s age, their needs, consent, the mandate agreed for the service and the professional’s approach, and it is discussed at the very start.
Will what my teenager says in session stay confidential?
Confidentiality is both a priority and a professional obligation for everyone who practises psychotherapy. It is what allows a young person to feel safe enough to speak freely. How it works in a given case depends on a number of things, including age, capacity to consent, the province, the mandate agreed for the service, and legal obligations. From the start, the young person and, where appropriate, their family are told what stays confidential, what may be shared, and the limits that apply.
My teenager does not want to go. What can I do?
Their wishes and their capacity to consent have to be taken into account. It can help to understand what they are reluctant about and to explain what is being proposed. Where direct therapy with the young person is not appropriate, a consultation with the parents can sometimes be considered instead.
Is online therapy suitable for children?
It can suit some children, depending on their age, their development and the reason for consulting. The professional assesses that with the family.
Do falling grades mean a child needs psychotherapy?
Not necessarily. School difficulties can have several causes. When they persist or come with other concerns, consulting can help make better sense of the situation and decide on next steps.
Do we need a referral from a doctor?
No. Neither Ontario nor Quebec requires one for psychotherapy in private practice. Some insurance plans ask for a doctor’s note for reimbursement, so check your plan’s wording.
How to start
Send a request to Belleisle with the young person’s age, what brings you in, the province they are in, your language preference and your availability. Depending on needs and availability, the network aims to direct you to a professional whose area of practice matches the request.
In a crisis
The services described on this page are not a substitute for crisis or emergency services.
If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, you can call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
In Quebec, you can also call 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553) or dial 811, option 2, for Info-Social.
Kids Help Phone offers support to young people across Canada, 24 hours a day. You can call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
Reference
Canadian Paediatric Society. Anxiety in children and youth: Part 2, The management of anxiety disorders. Position statement, Paediatrics & Child Health 2023;28(1):60-66.
The content on this page is provided for information only. It is not individualized professional advice, does not create a therapeutic relationship, and does not replace a consultation with a qualified health professional.