Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in Ottawa

While traditional therapy often focuses primarily on gaining insight into past events, DBT is action-oriented, skill-focused, and practical. We respect your personal history, but our primary focus in DBT is giving you concrete tools to navigate emotional distress in your day-to-day life, starting immediately.

• Validating Emotional Lived Experience: Recognizing that your emotional reactions make sense based on your experiences, reducing feelings of shame or guilt.
• Building “Wise Mind”: Learning to bridge the gap between your Emotional Mind (feelings-driven) and Reasonable Mind (logic-driven) to make balanced, intuitive decisions.
• Active Skill Application: Learning specific behavioral tools—such as TIPP skills for crisis tolerance, DEAR MAN for communication, and radical acceptance for unchangeable situations.
• Targeting Problematic Coping Mechanisms: Replacing self-sacrificing, impulsive, or destructive behaviors with adaptive coping strategies.

DBT isn’t about suppressing your emotions or pretending everything is fine. At Fireside Psychotherapy, DBT is about helping you build a resilient inner anchor so you can navigate life’s toughest storms with confidence.

Decades of clinical research demonstrate that DBT is exceptionally effective for individuals who experience emotions very intensely. At Fireside Psychotherapy, our therapists adapt DBT protocols to support clients dealing with:

• Emotion Dysregulation & Mood Swings: Learn how to de-escalate rapid emotional shifts and calm an overactive nervous system.
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) & Emotional Intensity: Build stability in self-identity, reduce fears of abandonment, and foster sustainable relationships.
• Chronic Impulsivity & Unhelpful Coping Behaviours: Replace self-harming urges, disordered eating, or substance misuse with healthy distress tolerance tools.
• Relational Conflict & Anxious Attachment: Overcome communication breakdowns, set clear boundaries, and build authentic, balanced connections.
• Post-Traumatic Stress & Complex Trauma (C-PTSD): Gain emotional stabilization and grounding techniques to safely process traumatic stress.
• Chronic Suicidal Ideation & Self-Harm Urges: Develop crisis survival strategies and construct a fulfilling, meaningful life worth living.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a collaborative process, and your treatment plan will be tailored to your goals, concerns, and circumstances. While every person’s experience is different, therapy often follows a structured progression from understanding current challenges to developing practical skills and building confidence using those skills independently.

We believe specialized psychological care should be easily accessible. We offer flexible options to ensure you receive support in the format that works best for you:

In-Person Therapy in Downtown Ottawa

Our clinic is situated in a warm, welcoming heritage home at 428 Gilmour Street (between Kent and Bank Street in Centretown). Designed to feel comfortable and grounded—far from a cold medical environment—our clinic offers a safe haven for individual therapy and skills work. Convenient street parking and public transit options are nearby.

Virtual DBT Across Ontario

Prefer accessing therapy from home or balancing a busy work schedule? We offer secure, PHIPA-compliant teletherapy across all of Ontario. Virtual DBT skills training is proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy, allowing you to practice emotional regulation tools right where you live.

As the founder of Fireside Psychotherapy, Alice Lurie brings over 20 years of clinical expertise, helping individuals and couples across Ottawa navigate severe anxiety, depression, grief, and intense emotional regulation challenges. Specializing in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Alice integrates core mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills with other evidence-based approaches. Her compassionate, structured method empowers clients to overcome emotional volatility, rebuild key relationships, and achieve meaningful, lasting life balance.

• Regulated Clinical Expertise: Our team consists of Registered Psychotherapists (RP) and Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying) governed by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). We ensure strict adherence to high-standard, evidence-based care.

• Comprehensive DBT Skill Pillars: We systematically cover all four core Dialectical Behaviour Therapy modules—Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness—to equip you with practical tools for long-term emotional stability.

• Integrative, Tailored Approach: While grounded in Marsha Linehan’s core DBT framework, our clinicians thoughtfully integrate complementary, evidence-based modalities like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and trauma-informed care based on your unique goals.

• Flexible Ottawa & Ontario Access: Receive care in-person at our Ottawa clinic (428 Gilmour Street) or through secure, PIPEDA-compliant virtual teletherapy available across Ontario.

• Insurance & Direct Billing Support: Services provided by our RPs and RSWs are covered under most extended health care plans in Ontario, helping lower out-of-pocket expenses for ongoing therapy.

What Sets Fireside Psychotherapy Apart in Ottawa?

• Specialized DBT Core Expertise: Unlike general therapy practices that only offer broad coping strategies, our clinicians receive targeted training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). We provide a structured, skills-based framework designed specifically for intense emotion regulation, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and chronic anxiety.

• Warm, Non-Judgmental Therapeutic Environment: We combine rigorous clinical protocols with genuine human connection. Our approach creates a safe, compassionate space where you feel validated, heard, and supported as you navigate overwhelming emotional states.

• Practical, Real-World Application: Therapy at Fireside goes beyond weekly sessions. We focus on active skill rehearsal, behavioral homework, and personalized coping plans so you can apply mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal boundary skills directly to your everyday life in Ottawa.

• A Life Worth Living Goal: Grounded in fundamental DBT philosophy, our ultimate focus extends beyond symptom relief—we partner with you to heal underlying emotional wounds, build healthier relationships, and create a truly fulfilling, meaningful life.

DBT is designed to help you understand and change the deep connections between your thoughts, intense emotions, and daily behaviors. At Fireside Psychotherapy in Ottawa, our goal goes far beyond providing temporary relief in the moment. We focus on equipping you with core DBT skills—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—so you can navigate overwhelming distress, build lasting resilience, and create a truly fulfilling life.

What is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that balances acceptance of yourself and your emotional experiences with active behavioral change. It focuses on teaching four core skill sets: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

How does DBT differ from standard Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

While standard CBT focuses primarily on challenging and reframing unhelpful thoughts, DBT emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and acceptance. DBT is specifically tailored for individuals who experience extremely intense, overwhelming emotions or struggle with impulsive coping behaviors where cognitive reframing alone isn’t enough.

How long does a typical DBT treatment program take?

Comprehensive DBT programs typically range from 6 to 12 months of consistent therapy, depending on individual goals and symptom severity. However, many clients report experiencing tangible improvements in crisis management and emotional stability within the first 8 to 12 sessions of skills acquisition.

Is Dialectical Behaviour Therapy covered by insurance in Ontario?

Yes, DBT provided by a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) or Registered Social Worker (RSW) is covered under most extended health care plans in Ontario. At Fireside Psychotherapy, we offer direct insurance billing for select insurance providers to streamline your access to care.

Can DBT skills be taught effectively in virtual online therapy?

Yes, clinical studies confirm that virtual DBT skills training delivered via secure video teletherapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. Practicing distress tolerance and emotion regulation techniques in your everyday home environment often helps accelerate real-world skill adoption.

How do I know if DBT is the right therapeutic approach for me?

DBT is ideal if you frequently feel overwhelmed by intense emotions, experience rapid mood shifts, struggle with impulsive reactions during stress, or face ongoing conflict in relationships. If you want concrete, step-by-step coping mechanisms to handle emotional distress without shutting down or exploding, DBT is an excellent fit.

You don’t have to carry the weight of intense emotions alone. At Fireside Psychotherapy, our experienced team is ready to guide you toward balance, self-compassion, and practical emotional tools.

• Location: 428 Gilmour Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0R8 (In-Person & Virtual)
• Hours: Monday – Saturday, 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Contact: (343) 644-4357 | info@firesidepsychotherapy.ca

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