About OCFI

OCFI is a private institute providing individual, couple and family therapy. The type of therapy offered at the Institute is called Emotionally Focused Therapy. EFT is an empirically validated intervention that has been shown to effectively treat and heal distressed relationships and help create secure bonds between intimate partners and family members. Research has also shown this approach to be effective in addressing individual problems.

The Institute now has 21 of the best trained clinicians in the Ottawa area who specialize in proven/tested interventions to couples, families and individuals.

We encourage you to meet our team

To review an Ottawa Citizen article on EFT, click here.

Core Principles and Values

At the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute (OCFI) and the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT), we adhere to the philosophy that relationships are at the core of human experience. Research indicates that emotionally fulfilling relationships are integral components of mental and physical health, and that emotionally focused interventions have the power to establish and re-create supportive bonds among individuals. We are therefore dedicated to the understanding and enhancement of couple and family relationships through an emphasis on emotions and their interpersonal impact. We believe that all people can maximize their potential given a nurturing social environment, which we endeavour to foster in our work with clients.

In light of these guiding principles,

Our therapeutic contact with clients will be characterized by:

• Respect, empathic responsiveness collaboration and authenticity
• Interventions based on the highest ethical standards
• Interventions based on current empirical research