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Mental Health Counselling

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Perinatal and Mental Health Counselling in Ottawa and Kanata

Mental health challenges can arise at any stage of life, and pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood can be particularly vulnerable times. At Rooted Family Wellness Centre, our Registered Social Workers (RSWs) and Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health counselling to support emotional well-being, healing, and resilience. Learn more about RSWs and RPs here.

We offer mental health counselling services in our Kanata clinic, in-home, and virtually across Ontario. Care is provided in a safe, non-judgmental, and inclusive environment.

Mental Health Support During Pregnancy and Postpartum

The perinatal period includes pregnancy and the first year after birth. During this time, many people experience emotional changes that can feel overwhelming or isolating.

Our therapists support individuals and families navigating:

Perinatal and postpartum anxiety
Postpartum depression and mood changes
Baby blues and adjustment challenges
Birth trauma or traumatic medical experiences
Relationship and identity changes after becoming a parent
Stress, overwhelm, and emotional burnout

Mental health challenges during this period are common and treatable. Support can make a meaningful difference.

Personalized, Evidence-Based Counselling

Our therapists use a range of evidence-based approaches to meet your individual needs, including:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Mindfulness-based approaches
Trauma-informed care
EMDR therapy, when appropriate

Counselling is collaborative and paced according to your comfort. Our goal is to support you in building coping tools, processing experiences, and reconnecting with your strengths.

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Flexible Counselling Options

We recognize that access to care matters, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. We offer several counselling options to fit your life:

In-Clinic Counselling
Private, supportive sessions at our wellness centre in Kanata.

Virtual Counselling
Secure online sessions available to individuals across Ontario.

Walk-and-Talk Therapy
Therapy sessions that combine movement, nature, and conversation with Leigh Berry. Offered at South March Highlands, Trillium Woods (Blue Heron Trail), Walter Baker Park in Kanata, and Old Quarry Trail in Kanata South.

In-Home Therapy
Available in Kanata, Stittsville, and West Carleton with Leigh Berry. This option is particularly supportive for new parents with infants aged 0 to 3 who prefer in-person care at home.

Couples Counselling
Offered by Krista Fraser-King.

EMDR Therapy
Offered by Krista Fraser-King.

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Insurance Coverage and Consultations

Mental health counselling services are covered by many extended health insurance plans under Registered Social Work or Registered Psychotherapy. We recommend checking your individual coverage.

We also offer free virtual consultations to help you find the therapist and approach that best fits your needs.

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Mental Health Counselling FAQs

What kinds of mental health challenges can happen during pregnancy or postpartum?

During pregnancy and the first year after birth, some people experience baby blues, anxiety, depression, or mood changes. Less commonly, conditions such as postpartum psychosis can occur. These experiences vary in severity and are treatable with appropriate support.

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Who can be affected by postpartum mental health challenges?

Postpartum mental health challenges can affect anyone. This includes birthing parents, non-birthing parents, adoptive parents, and caregivers. Support is available regardless of how you became a parent.

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What can partners or family do to support someone experiencing perinatal mental health challenges?

Support can make a significant difference. Helpful ways to support include:

Listening without judgment and taking concerns seriously
Offering practical help such as meals, childcare, or household tasks
Encouraging rest and self-care without pressure
Supporting access to professional care
Learning about perinatal mental health to better understand the experience

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Is therapy helpful even if my symptoms feel mild?

Yes. Many people seek counselling for support, reassurance, and coping strategies even when symptoms feel manageable. Early support can help prevent challenges from becoming more overwhelming.

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Where are mental health counselling appointments offered?

We offer in-clinic counselling in Kanata, in-home sessions in select areas, walk-and-talk therapy, and virtual counselling across Ontario.

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Mental Health Counselling in Kanata

At Rooted Family, we believe mental health care should feel supportive, accessible, and collaborative. Whether you are navigating pregnancy, postpartum changes, or other life challenges, you do not have to do it alone.

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Collaborative Perinatal Care

Mental health is closely connected to physical recovery, sleep, and feeding. Some clients benefit from combining counselling with other services at Rooted Family, including:

Our team works collaboratively to support whole-family well-being.

Meet Our

Mental Health Counsellor

Krista Fraser-King, RP

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*CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Krista is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario since 2022. She holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and believes in a collaborative, strengths-based approach that empowers clients. With lived experience in fertility treatments, perinatal loss, and parenting during the early pandemic, Krista understands the profound transitions of the perinatal period and provides compassionate support. Krista specializes in perinatal mental health, fertility, attachment, relationships, anxiety, grief, trauma, and self-compassion. She integrates psychodynamic therapy, emotionally focused therapy, strengths-based CBT, EMDR, and Gottman Method therapy. A Gottman-trained therapist with advanced perinatal mental health training, she offers virtual psychotherapy for adults and couples in Ontario. Krista does not provide direct billing; receipts are issued for insurance submission. Please confirm coverage with your provider.

Stephanie Borgen, RSW, CC-PMH

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**CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CLIENTS** Stephanie is a Psychotherapist with over five years of experience supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds on their mental health journeys. She takes a holistic, client-centered approach, integrating mindfulness, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), attachment therapies, and interpersonal therapy (IPT) to provide personalized care. Whether navigating anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, grief, addictions, relationship challenges, self-esteem, life transitions, or family dynamics, Stephanie creates a safe, judgment-free space for healing and growth. She is committed to honoring each client’s unique experience, ensuring they feel heard and supported. As a Canadian Certified Perinatal Mental Health (CC-PMH) Therapist, Stephanie specializes in supporting expectant mothers and families through conception, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. With lived experience in fertility challenges, birth, and postpartum mental health, she understands the complexities of this transformative time. Stephanie provides compassionate, evidence-based psychotherapy for those facing fertility struggles, birth trauma, and pregnancy loss. She offers in-person sessions for teens and adults, with services covered by most extended health benefits plans.

Samantha Gray, RP

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**CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Samantha is a Registered Psychotherapist with over 10 years of Mental Health Counselling experience. She fosters resilience by emphasizing compassion, trust, safety, and choice in therapy. Taking a holistic approach, she integrates Emotion-Focused, Cognitive-Behavioural, Dialectical-Behavioural, Interpersonal, and Attachment Therapies. Through her own experience with Postpartum Mental Health, Samantha developed a deep passion for supporting parents through the vulnerable and transformative perinatal period. By building a village of support, she found ways to navigate intrusive thoughts, guilt, grief, and identity shifts, gaining confidence and hope. Now, Samantha hopes to be part of her clients’ village, guiding them to align with their values and intuition. She teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness while dismantling unhelpful patterns. Samantha specializes in anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, substance use, and eating disorders. She offers in-person and virtual care for adults (18+), with services covered by most extended health benefits plans.

Rachel Simzer, RSW

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** CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Rachel is a Registered Social Worker with multiple years of experience supporting individuals and families from all walks of life. She believes that each person’s journey is different, and deserves to be heard and honoured. As a counsellor, Rachel works from a strength-based approach that values the client as the expert on their situation, and aims to support and empower clients during their work together. She has experience working with a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and relationship challenges. Rachel’s passion is working with women and their families during the perinatal period, including working with concerns such as postpartum depression and anxiety, birth trauma, pregnancy/infant loss, and identity navigation. She practices from an eclectic approach, pulling from models such as cognitive behavioural therapy, brief solution-focused work, dialectical behavioural therapy, and interpersonal therapy. She also recognizes the importance of the genuineness in therapeutic relationships, and always brings humanity to each sessions. Rachel is committed to supporting adults, teens, and families as they navigate life’s challenges with compassion, humour, warmth, and authenticity. Rachel provides services in English virtually and in-person for teens and adults.

Leigh Berry, RSW/MSW

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**CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW VIRTUAL, IN-HOME & WALK AND TALK CLIENTS** Leigh is a Registered Social Worker, trained Holistic Nutritionist, and a mom to two little ones who are her greatest teachers. She has been registered with the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers since 2010 and holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. Passionate about maternal and parental well-being, she supports moms struggling with emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and challenges such as anxiety, postpartum mental health, and emotional eating. Leigh believes that true healing begins by turning inward, creating space for self-awareness, and reconnecting with one’s authentic self. With a trauma-informed, client-centered, and holistic approach, Leigh integrates various therapeutic modalities, including DBT, ACT, mindfulness-based practices, somatic healing, and internal family systems therapy. She strives to create a safe and compassionate space where clients feel supported in their journey toward growth and healing. Leigh offers virtual sessions, walk-and-talk sessions in the park, and in-home sessions, providing flexibility to meet clients where they feel most comfortable and supported.psychotherapy for individuals (16+) and her services are covered by most extended health benefits plans.

Michele Pomerant, RP

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**CURRENTLY NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Michele Pomerant is a Registered Psychotherapist who works at building a safe and therapeutic relationship that provides the emotional and mental health support that is so very needed at such a transitional time. She recognizes the core of any therapeutic treatment begins with a client-centred approach that is built on the foundations of empathy, compassion and is always judgement free. As a therapist, Michele works with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, anger management, guilt, self-esteem, identity, perfectionism, boundary setting, addiction and is trauma-informed. She works from an integrative model, drawing on aspects of CBT, Mindfulness-Based CBT, Interpersonal Therapy, Attachment Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy, working with clients in a collaborative manner to find the best fit. Michele is passionate about working with parents in the perinatal period and has a long history of working in different settings, offering support and guidance. She is trained in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder and Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy.

Mental Health Counselling

Perinatal and Mental Health Counselling in Ottawa and Kanata

Mental Health Support During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Personalized, Evidence-Based Counselling

Flexible Counselling Options

Insurance Coverage and Consultations

Mental Health Counselling FAQs

What kinds of mental health challenges can happen during pregnancy or postpartum?

Who can be affected by postpartum mental health challenges?

What can partners or family do to support someone experiencing perinatal mental health challenges?

Is therapy helpful even if my symptoms feel mild?

Where are mental health counselling appointments offered?

Mental Health Counselling in Kanata

Collaborative Perinatal Care

Meet Our

Mental Health Counsellor

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