Resources

Resources if you are in crisis

Should you require crisis services, below are some available options free of charge:

Ottawa Region:

The Walk-In Counselling Clinic
The person wishing to have a session should check the website to find the time and location for that day’s walk-in sessions. This is a FREE service. http://walkincounselling.com/

Distress Centre Ottawa & Region: 613.238.3311

Mental Health Crisis Line: 1.866.996.0991
Telephone support by professionally trained volunteers
24/7 – 365 days a year. English services only

Tel-Aide Outaouais
- Gatineau: 819.775.3223
- Ottawa: 613.741.6433
Telephone support by professionally trained volunteers. French services only.

Call 911 or 988 if you are suicidal

, or go to the nearest emergency hospital

Toronto & GTA:

Distress Centre
- Toronto & Peel Region: 416.408.4357
- Oakville: 905.849.4541
- Burlington: 905.681.1488
- Milton/Halton Hills: 905.877.1211

Telephone crisis support: 416.495.2891

Call 911 or 988 or go to the nearest emergency hospital

Land acknowledgement and reconciliation: I am an immigrant settler who lives and works on the unceded territory of the Anishinabewaki and Algonquin nations, the traditional stewards of these lands who were unfairly an unjustly affected by the Crawford Purchase of 1783. In the spirit of reconciliation, I recognize the historical and ongoing oppression of these lands and cultures, and honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples. I commit to work toward reconciliation and abide by the Indigenous Peoples, Communities & Contexts section of CCPA’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

For the time being, we will be conducting appointments exclusively through virtual means.

Thank you for your understanding.

Experience You Can Count On

About MEGO NERSES

I am an Ottawa-based Registered Psychotherapist and have a full-time private practice. In the past, I worked in social service agencies for many years. I offer individual, relationship, and sex therapy in English, Arabic, and Armenian to adults 18+, and I do not work with minors.

In 2011, I earned a master’s degree in Counselling from the University of Ottawa. I am a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario (CRPO#001132) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. In addition, I am a Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA#3058). My clinical training focuses on relationship and sex therapy and trauma/PTSD. Since 2013, I have been at Algonquin College as a seasonal professor, teaching courses in mental health and addiction.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to publish peer-reviewed articles and contribute chapters concerning Counselling, coming out, and trauma related explicitly to LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers to Canada. I have presented numerous workshops and continue to offer trainings nationally and internationally on the mental health of LGBTQI+ and SOGIE refugees and asylum seekers.

Professional Work

Early in my professional career, I specialized in individual therapy and served clients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief. Since then, I have taken my clinical work to a higher level and gained more experience in four areas: PTSD and Trauma, Sexuality and Gender Identity, Sex and Relationship Therapy, and Refugee mental health issues. I have received various trainings in these areas since choosing to specialize. As an example, I received training from Division 56, Trauma Psychology, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Global Institute of Forensic Research in writing immigration evaluations for immigration courts. Furthermore, I have completed multiple trainings in trauma/PTSD therapy and relationship therapy (Poly. Kink). I have participated in numerous training opportunities in the field of sex therapy, sexuality, and gender identity.

I am a LGBTQI+/poly/kink/CNM supportive and informed therapist.

Therapeutic approaches
In addition to Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD (NET), I have also been trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Experiential Therapy and Focusing. I integrate social justice and rights-based principles into my work as a trauma-informed therapist.

Awards
In recognition of my dedication to helping LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Canada, I received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).

AffiliationsI have an international affiliate membership with Division 56, Trauma Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Global Institute of Forensic Research.

Let's have a chat

Facts about Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a collaborative process. The therapist and the client must work together to reach the desired outcomes.
Research indicates that the quality of the therapeutic relationship between therapists and clients is the highest contributor to change, almost 40%. Therapy modality or approach contributes only 15% to change.
The quality of the client-therapist alliance is a reliable predictor of positive clinical outcomes independent of psychotherapeutic techniques and outcome measures (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011).
Psychotherapy has been shown to reduce the use of medications, consultations with primary-care physicians, length of inpatient stays, and general health care expenditures by 60% to 90% (Chiles, Lambert, & Hatch, 1999; Kraft, Puschner, Lambert, & Kordy, 2006).
Psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmaceutical treatment has been shown to be more enduring and effective in the long term than medication alone.
There are more than 100 psychotherapy approaches. Always make sure your therapist is using evidence-based psychotherapy.

If you are in DISTRESS