Postpartum & Perinatal Counselling in Ottawa
Evidence-Based Care
Postpartum Counselling at Life Seasons Counselling combines proven therapeutic techniques — including CBT, ACT, and EFT — with personalized care tailored to your unique circumstances and goals.
Collaborative Approach
Our experienced therapists work alongside you to develop practical strategies that promote lasting change. We create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore concerns openly at your own pace.
Flexible & Accessible
Located in Kanata, we offer both in-person and online sessions across Ontario. Book a free consultation to discuss how postpartum counselling can support your journey.
Understanding Postpartum Counselling in Ottawa
Postpartum counselling in Ottawa is often the first place a new mother says out loud what she has been carrying: the racing thoughts at 3 a.m. while the baby finally sleeps, the checking and rechecking, the intrusive images she is afraid to tell anyone about, the grief for her old life sitting right beside a fierce love for her baby. Postpartum anxiety is one of the most common — and most overlooked — complications of childbirth, and it frequently looks nothing like the sadness people are told to watch for. There is also a name for the larger upheaval underneath it: matrescence, the profound identity transition of becoming a mother, as real and disorienting as adolescence and just as deserving of support.
Perinatal counselling at Life Seasons is led by Arden Sabourin, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) whose practice focuses on women's mental health through pregnancy, postpartum, matrescence, and beyond. Sessions draw on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and the relentless inner critic, alongside attachment-based and emotionally focused work for the identity and relationship shifts of new parenthood. Arden's approach is warm, practical, and shaped by her own experience of becoming a parent. Sessions with Arden are $160 for 50 minutes, HST-exempt, with receipts provided for private insurance — and secure video sessions across Ontario mean you can attend from home while the baby naps.
We support women through fertility struggles and pregnancy, birth experiences that did not go as planned, postpartum anxiety and depression, returning to work, and the strain a new baby places on even strong relationships. Partners are part of the picture too — many couples benefit from sessions together during the first year. If what you are feeling has lasted beyond the first couple of weeks, is interfering with sleep or your ability to enjoy your baby, or simply does not match what the brochures promised, book a free 20-minute consultation by phone or video. You do not have to prove it is bad enough before you are allowed to ask for help.
What to Expect in Your Postpartum Counselling Sessions
A supportive, confidential environment where you'll work collaboratively towards your goals using evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Our experienced therapists provide personalized care designed to meet your specific needs and circumstances.
During your postpartum counselling sessions, you'll engage in meaningful conversations, learn practical coping strategies, and develop skills that extend beyond the therapy room. We believe in empowering you with tools and insights that support long-term growth and positive change. Book a free consultation or contact us to learn more about how we can support your journey.
Initial Assessment
In our first session, we'll talk through what's actually happening: the thought that keeps looping at 3 a.m., the dread before your partner gets home, the sense that you've lost a version of yourself. There's no script to follow; we build the plan around what's true for you right now.
Evidence-Based Therapy
If a thought is stuck on repeat, we work with it directly using CBT and ACT, not to argue it away, but to help you carry it without it running the show. If the harder part is relational (a partner who doesn't quite get it, feeling unreachable to yourself), attachment-based work can be used to meet that instead.
Ongoing Support
We check in on what's actually shifting, whether the nights are a little less loud or the guilt a little less constant, and adjust from there. Some weeks that means practising something between sessions; other weeks it just means having somewhere to say the thing out loud.
Key Benefits of Postpartum Counselling
Postpartum anxiety and depression support
Evidence-based help for one of the most common — and most overlooked — complications of childbirth, which often looks nothing like sadness.
Help with intrusive thoughts and hypervigilance
CBT and ACT for the racing thoughts at 3 a.m., the checking and rechecking, and the intrusive images you are afraid to tell anyone about.
Understanding matrescence and identity change
Support for the profound identity transition of becoming a mother — as real and disorienting as adolescence, and just as deserving of help.
Pregnancy and fertility-related support
Counselling through fertility struggles, pregnancy, and birth experiences that did not go as planned.
Relationship support for new parents
Help with the strain a new baby places on even strong relationships — partners are welcome, and many couples attend together in the first year.
Virtual sessions that fit around naps and feeds
Secure video sessions across Ontario mean you can attend from home while the baby naps — no sitter, no commute.
Therapeutic Approaches Used
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to your unique needs and circumstances. Our therapists are trained in multiple approaches. Schedule a consultation to discuss which approach is best for you.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Targets intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and the relentless inner critic that so often accompanies postpartum anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Helps you carry the hard parts of new parenthood while staying connected to what matters, instead of fighting every anxious thought.
Attachment-Based and Emotionally Focused Work
Supports the identity and relationship shifts of matrescence and new parenthood, including sessions with partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about postpartum counselling and what to expect. Have more questions? Contact us or book a free consultation.
What is the difference between the baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety?
The baby blues affect somewhere between 55 and 85% of new parents and typically resolve within about two weeks of birth. Postpartum depression involves persistent sadness, emptiness, or detachment lasting longer than that. Postpartum anxiety centres on fear rather than sadness — constant worry, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, and a mind that will not stop — and affects approximately 13.8% of Canadian parents. They can overlap, and all of them are treatable.
Are intrusive thoughts about my baby normal?
Distressing intrusive thoughts — sudden, unwanted images of harm coming to your baby — are a recognised symptom of postpartum anxiety and are experienced by a large proportion of new parents. Having them is not the same as wanting to act on them, and they do not make you dangerous or a bad mother. They are, however, a strong signal that support would help, and they respond well to therapy.
Who provides postpartum counselling at Life Seasons?
Arden Sabourin, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with CRPO, leads our perinatal and postpartum work. Her practice focuses on women's mental health through pregnancy, postpartum, matrescence, and perimenopause, and her approach draws on CBT, ACT, and attachment-based therapy. Sessions with Arden are $160 for 50 minutes, available in person in Kanata or by secure video across Ontario, and receipts are provided for private insurance.
When should I seek postpartum support?
If what you are feeling has lasted beyond the first two weeks, is interfering with sleep, your relationships, or your ability to enjoy your baby, it deserves real support rather than silent endurance. You do not need to wait for a crisis or prove it is bad enough. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, contact your doctor, call 988, or go to your nearest emergency department right away.
Related Services
Other counselling services that may complement your postpartum counselling journey. View our complete list of services or contact us to discuss your needs.
Professional Postpartum Counselling in Ottawa
Located in Kanata, Ottawa, we provide specialized postpartum counselling services to clients across Ottawa and Kanata, with secure virtual sessions available throughout Ontario. Our evidence-based approach combines proven therapeutic techniques with personalized care to help you achieve lasting positive change.
The work begins with a thorough assessment of your current situation, concerns, and goals, and becomes a personalized plan that builds on your existing strengths and resources.
Why Choose Life Seasons Counselling?
Areas We Serve
We offer postpartum counselling in person at our Kanata office at 99 Kakulu Road, and by secure video across Ontario. Learn more about counselling in the communities we serve:
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Take the first step towards better mental health and stronger relationships. Request your free consultation today and begin your path to positive change.