The Space Between Us: Group Therapy in Ottawa
A small psychotherapy group in downtown Ottawa for adults who want to understand themselves through their relationships with other people.
Most of what we know about ourselves, we learned in relationship with other people. So when the same thing keeps happening - you go distant when someone gets close, you can't find the line where a boundary should be, you'd rather avoid the conflict than have it, you end up carrying everyone else's feelings, trust doesn't quite arrive, or you feel alone in a room full of people - it makes sense that relationship is also where it shifts.
You may know your patterns perfectly well in your head. Knowing them from the inside, while they're happening, is a different thing - and that's what a group can offer.
What group psychotherapy actually is
It isn't a room of people taking turns describing their problems. A psychotherapy group is a small, consistent set of people meeting regularly with a therapist, in confidence, over a fixed period. What makes it work is that the relationships forming inside the group become the material - not a warm-up for the real work, but the work itself.
What people tend to start noticing, once the group has some time behind it:
- What they do when someone disagrees with them
- What happens inside when they feel misunderstood
- Whether they speak up or wait it out
- How they handle closeness, and how they handle distance
- What lets them trust someone - and what shuts it down
- Whether they ask for what they need, or hope someone notices
- Patterns that have been running for years without being seen
The difference from individual therapy is immediacy. You're not recounting a relationship from memory a week later; it's happening in the room, with a therapist there to slow it down so you can see what you just did, and why.
Who this kind of group helps
There's no particular problem you need to arrive with. People come because something about how they relate to others isn't working, or because they're simply curious about themselves. It may be worth considering if you:
- Feel alone even when you're surrounded by people
- Find relationships confusing, heavy, or exhausting
- Keep ending up in the same dynamic with different people
- Struggle to trust, or to let anyone see the unpolished version
- Can't say no without guilt, or can't find the boundary at all
- Avoid conflict entirely - or get flooded by it
- Put everyone else first by default
- Have trouble saying you're angry, hurt, or disappointed
- Want relationships that go deeper than the ones you have
- Feel stuck with a partner, friends, family, or people at work
- Want more than an explanation for why you are the way you are
- Are curious about your effect on other people, and theirs on you
You don't need a diagnosis or a stated problem. Willingness to look at yourself honestly, in the company of others, is enough.
What a session is like
There's no topic for the week. The group finds its own rhythm. Someone brings something from their week. Someone responds. Someone goes quiet. Two people disagree. Someone notices they feel unexpectedly close to another member, or unexpectedly irritated by them.
That's the material. If you go quiet after being challenged, we can stay with it: what happened just then? What did you think they meant? Is this familiar? What's going on between the two of you right now?
Over fourteen sessions, those small moments start to connect to the rest of your life - because whatever you do here, you almost certainly do elsewhere. The point isn't to perform, to give advice, or to arrive at the right answer. It's to see yourself more clearly, and to have more choice about what you do next.
This is a therapy group, not a support group
One important difference: this is psychotherapy, not peer support. It's not AA, NA, SMART Recovery, or anything modeled on those programs, and it's not a drop-in space you can come to whenever.
The same group of people commits to the whole process together, with a therapist facilitating throughout. Keeping the group small and closed is intentional - it's what gives people enough safety and continuity to actually go somewhere with this work.
The approach behind it
This group is grounded in Gestalt therapy and the work of Irvin Yalom - both rooted in the idea that our relationships with others can teach us more about ourselves than almost anything else. You don't need to know either of those names to get something out of this.
The focus stays on the present moment: what's happening between us right now, what we do to protect ourselves, how we move toward people or pull away from them.
Who this is for
Adults 21 and up who want to understand themselves better through their relationships with others. No group therapy experience required. You don't need to be someone who talks easily about themselves - most people aren't, at first.
What you do need: a willingness to show up, listen, keep things confidential, and let yourself gradually become part of the group.
The details
- Format
- Closed psychotherapy group, in person
- Group size
- 8 participants
- Age
- 21+
- Location
- Downtown Ottawa (exact address to be confirmed)
- Schedule
- October through April, with a break over the holidays
- Sessions
- 14 total, 2 hours each
- Fee
- $80 per session
Because the group is closed, no one joins partway through - that continuity is part of what makes the work possible.
Before you join
This isn't the right fit for everyone, and that's fine. Before joining, we'll have a free 15-minute conversation about what you're looking for and whether this particular group makes sense for you. If it does, you'll fill out an intake form - partly for your clinical record, partly so I can make sure this is a safe space for you specifically.
There are situations where this group isn't the right level of care - an acute crisis, serious instability, or active substance use that needs specialized support, for example. If that's where you're at, I'll say so, and we'll figure out what might actually help instead.
Common questions about the group
Do I need previous therapy experience to join a group?
No. Plenty of people come to group therapy without ever having had individual therapy. What matters more is willingness to show up and be honest, including on the weeks when that feels hard.
Do I have to talk in every session?
No. Silence is allowed, and for some people it's where the work starts. Over 14 sessions most people find their way in at their own pace, and no one is put on the spot.
Is what I say in the group confidential?
Everything you say is protected on my side under Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act and CRPO standards. Members also agree not to repeat anything said in the room. I go over how that works, and its limits, before you join and again in the first session.
Can I do individual therapy and this group at the same time?
Yes, and many people do. If you already see another therapist, it usually helps to tell them you're joining a group, so the two pieces of work support each other.
What if I don't like someone in the group?
That's useful rather than a problem. Irritation, distance, wanting to withdraw - those reactions usually follow a familiar pattern, and the group is one of the few places you can look at it with the other person present and with support.
What if I miss a session?
Life happens, and occasional absences are expected. Because it's a closed group of 8 meeting 14 times, the fee holds for missed sessions - the seat stays yours, and the group's continuity depends on people committing to the whole series.
Is the group covered by insurance?
Most private plans that cover a Registered Psychotherapist cover group psychotherapy too, though some cap it separately. You'll get a receipt with my CRPO number after each session. It's worth asking your insurer specifically about group therapy before you start.
How is group therapy different from individual therapy?
In individual therapy you describe your relationships to the therapist, a week after they happen. In a group they happen in the room, and you get to see what other people actually experience of you - which is information individual therapy can't give you.
Where and when does the group meet?
Downtown Ottawa, in person, October through April with a break over the holidays. Sessions are 2 hours. The exact address and weekly time are confirmed before the group starts.
What language is the group in?
This group runs in English.
If this is speaking to you
You don't need to walk in with a clear goal. If you're curious about your own patterns, or you sense that something in how you relate to people keeps getting in your way - this might be worth exploring.
Book a free 15-minute consultation to see if the group is a good fit.
Book a free consultationAsk about the group
Write a couple of lines about what you're looking for, and we'll book a free 15-minute call to see whether this group fits.