Emotionally Focused Therapy

Emotionally Focused Counselling Ottawa

Couples and families often go through experiences that can challenge the stability of the relationships, leading to feelings of anger, fear, betrayal, and lack of trust. In these instances, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) can be beneficial to provide guidance on how to improve the relationships. EFT can also be helpful for individuals who are experiencing depression or the effects of trauma, such as individuals who are struggling to cope with their own illness or the illness of their child.


Therapists working from the EFT approach use observation skills to identify behaviours or patterns that may be contributing to relational difficulties. Clients are invited to acknowledge and express emotions and vulnerabilities and are guided in ways to actively listen to and stay attuned to others’ emotions or needs. 

Gilmour Psychologists with Expertise in Emotionally Focused Therapy

Contact Gilmour Psychological Services® in Ottawa to schedule a consultation with a psychologist who has an expertise in emotionally focused counselling.

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March 6, 2026
Your relationship’s health influences your personal health and the quality of your life. That is why Dr. Lucas Walters focuses on couples therapy here at GPS. Dr. Walters completed his undergraduate studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He then moved to Ottawa to complete his Ph.D. and a residency in Kingston, Ontario. These programs are both accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association. Dr. Walters has trained across large mental health hospitals (i.e., The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Providence Care Hospital, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), community centres, and private practices. He is now completing supervised practice here at GPS with Dr. Deanna Drahovzal . Dr. Walters focuses on two areas in his clinical work: couples therapy and neurodevelopmental differences. These skillsets help him work with a wide range of couples and tailor services to match how each member of the partnership learns or processes information What defines Dr. Walters’s clinical work? Well, he describes himself as a curious, open, and active clinician. His clinical approach often draws from Emotion Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He uses evidence-based approaches with a sex-positive lens to make couples therapy less intimidating and more impactful for his clients. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Walters is a published academic author and has received support for his work through academic awards, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. His research covers topics such as sexual function, sexual health education, and theories around sexual attraction. Going forward, he is excited to be publishing more of his work with adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Ask him more about how his research informs his clinical practice!
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February 11, 2026
Brandin is a PhD candidate therapist (soon to be Supervised Practice) working under the supervision of Dr. Deanna Drahovzal . He completed his clinical internship at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR) . He has obtained a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology and is currently in the process of obtaining his PhD through the University of Windsor . His research focuses on sexual violence prevention. Brandin’s clinical experience includes working in private practice and university clinic settings where he provided individual therapy as well as psychodiagnostic and psychoeducational assessments for adults. He has experience working with mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trauma-related disorders. Brandin’s approach to therapy is integrative, drawing from evidence-based approaches including Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) , brief psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) . Brandin prioritizes building a warm and trusting therapeutic relationship through which clients can begin to work toward their goals. We are very excited to have Brandin on our team here at GPS. Dr. Deanna Drahovzal is his primary supervisor and Dr. Emma Dargie is his secondary supervisor.
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September 9, 2022
Dr. Drahovzal provides psychotherapy and assessment services to children, adults, couples, and families at Gilmour Psychological Services® in Ottawa.
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September 7, 2022
Dr. Pantin's approach, tailored to her clients’ needs, integrates interpersonal and cognitive perspectives to assist them in developing strategies and skills to make positive changes in their lives.
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September 5, 2022
Dr. Zahradnik provides psychodiagnostic assessment and psychotherapeutic services to both adolescents and adults.
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September 3, 2022
Dr. Ostiguy provides psychotherapy to Anglophone and Francophone adults and young adults. She works with clients experiencing a wide range of challenges such as anger problems, low self-esteem, anxiety, and stress management. Her particular area of expertise is in the assessment and treatment of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
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August 22, 2022
Dr. Dargie maintains a client-centered, evidence-based, sex-positive, LGBTQ-positive approach to psychotherapy. She provides individual and couple therapy to Anglophone adults experiencing a wide variety of challenges and circumstances
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August 20, 2022
Dr. Karima Lacène provides psychological services, including assessment and individual therapy, to children, adolescents and adults. She works with clients experiencing a wide range of challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, grief, adjustment to life stressors, self esteem and stress management. She also provides psycho-educational assessments for children, adolescents and adults, including testing for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities.
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August 4, 2021
Dr. Leanne Kane provides individual therapy and psychodiagnostic assessment services to adults in English and in French. She obtained her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa, where she also completed her internship at the Centre for Psychological Services and Research.
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July 29, 2021
Dr. Mutsaers provides individual and couple psychotherapy for adult clients. Her work primarily focuses on helping adults and couples cope with acute and chronic health issues (e.g., cancer, infertility, chronic pain, and sexual dysfunction).
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