Family Services A La Famille Ottawa - Ottawa, Ontario

Nathan F.

Disappointing experience overall, it really feels like this office doesn't care at all. My partner and I were looking for couples counselling and we had a great counsellor at FSO for a few months, then we showed up once day and he wasn't in, and no one had called us to let us know. They did call to cancel the following appointment, saying our counsellor "didn't work there anymore". Not one word of explanation.

We asked if we could get someone else, and they did make an appointment with a new counsellor, who listened to us for half a session, then sent us an email saying that we needed couples counselling and she didn't do that (this was literally what we were there for) and was dropping us, no further explanation, no offer for a replacement, she just sent us a link to the counselling intake form I had filled in the previous year when I first applied for counselling.

So I filled out the form again, and received an email a few days later saying they didn't take any new clients. When I explained I wasn't a new client, that my first therapist had just vanished without a trace and the second one just dropped us, they said they would see what they could do and then we never heard from them again.

I would recommend not wasting time and money, as it's extremely unlikely that you'll get help on a consistent basis enough to make a difference. My partner, who has trauma from past bad therapy, was actually making really good progress with the first therapist, but after all this I feel like we've been set back further than we were when we started.

C

Well, what can I say? I am very grateful for this place & the help I received there in my darkest hours.
Have always been helped when I went there. Am familiar with the building, that helps. Harder if you've never been there. Every counsellor I saw helped me in her own way, and all were very good, and nice. Very busy place now since many people need help. Be patient, be quiet, they will help you. They are under tremendous pressure too from many directions -- budget cuts, programs changing, being evaluated left right and centre, and the general swirl of change affecting us all. Remember we're all human.

Jessica P.

They discontinued my counselling thanks to provincial and municipal cuts in funding. It was a great service while it lasted and I had a great counsellor named Tim. I'm now trying my best to live without counselling. Tim helped me work through a lot of my trauma and I was able to partially move on from it. Since I stopped seeing him I paid off all my debt, I got promoted to full-time, I signed up for a very important surgery, I lost 60 pounds, I made a true friend, and I no longer have high blood pressure. There's plenty of more things I've done and I'm currently trying to do. Thanks Tim for all your help. Enjoy your retirement you deserve it old man ^_^

L N.

Terrible treatment, I called this centre in hopes of seeing someone, the lady that answered me didn't explain to me whatsoever that this is a walk in service and that I can't book an appointment. So I was under the impression that an appointment was made for me and when i drove out 35 mins from my house on 3 hours of sleep having multiple panic attacks due to anxiety only to be told they won't see me and that she didn't explain to me properly how this works. I then suddenly get confronted pretty abruptly from behind by a lady who came out of her office asking me if everything is ok implying I'm being aggressive to her staff when that wasn't the case at all. Terrible service glad I didn't end up seeing anyone there.

Casey-Marie A.

This is the worst counselling experience in my life and I have been receiving counselling for over 25 years! The counsellor that I was assigned was supposed to call me back and then did not call back for a whole week. She admitted that she forgot about me. What kind of a counsellor actually forgets a client and then admits it! I did not feel like she would be trustworthy or competent to discuss my issues. couldn’t pay the full fee because of my finances and the person who was speaking to me about it was insensitive. When I called to cancel my services, the counsellor was so cold and didn’t offer any support just that she is cancelling my file and good bye. The whole preliminary experience turned me off and I decided not to get services here. This organization is supposed to be helping people with their mental health but I felt like I was bothering them. I would not recommend.

Rabbi A. M. H.

I am a kinless elder who lives with chronic illness, chronic pain and a mobility disability. Today, my 3rd visit to the facility, I once again had difficulties accessing the facility. When I initially sought services at FSO, I specifically asked about physical accessibility. I was assured that the building was completely accessible. When I was called about the availability of services, I was reassured again that the building was accessible.
The so-called accessible building does not have automatic doors in any location that I observed on my recent visits. The accessible washroom does not have an accessible entrance; the door does not have an accessible locking system. The heavy door was very difficult for me to open resulting in a dislocated elbow. I made my concerns known to the counsellor during my visit. (This individual did not understand the term 'accessible' nor the potential needs of those with mobility disabilities - another troubling issue.)
Before my next appointment, I wrote letters addressed to the members of the FSO board and to the executive outlining my concerns and asking for accommodations. I hand delivered them to the front desk.
At my visit today, I asked for assistance to use the so-called accessible washroom. After walking part of the way towards this washroom, I discovered it was 'out of service'. I was directed to use one washroom, but then was told I could not use that staff washroom, and was redirected to a second washroom. Again, the washroom was not accessible, and did not have an accessible lock. I had walked down three hallways resulting in significant energy expenditure, pain and emotional distress as no-one to whom I spoke seemed to understand the accessibility issues, and why persons with disabilities might need support to use non-accessible facilities.
The letters I wrote have not been answered. One of the executive directors is a former colleague; I added a hand written note to her letter. She did not respond to this letter, either.
Based on my experiences, I cannot recommend this organisation based on their blatant disregard for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Patrick G.

My daughter was refered by CHEO's One-Call-One-Click program where the referal was then sent to Ottawa Family Services.

I spoke with Rebecca today. Despite having court ordered custody and access to my daughter, Rebecca refused to show me the intake referal sent by CHEO for my young daughter. Providing only minimal snipets of the full intake referal.

As an Ottawa parent, I did not feel like part of the process at all. I would be consenting to unknowns if I am to blindly give consent for therapy which I, the parent, am kept in the dark on the full details of why therapy was requested.

Will be following up with Patient Ombudsman and the Child and Family Services Review Board; a blatant lack of transparency for parental rights.

Brodie L.

To be fair, my rating is not based on the actual services provided as I haven't been able to get any actual services. My rating is based on their utter negligence.

I had called to inquire about counselling services. I have a chronic mental health condition, and suicidality is one of my major symptoms. I'm currently struggling financially, and had heard this place offered a sliding scale fee. I left a message and was told I'd be contacted within 8 business days but never received a call back. I could call back again, but I honestly shouldn't have to beg for mental health services. It is incredibly unprofessional and unethical of a mental health service.

I'm writing this review partially because this is far from the first time this type of thing has happened to me in this city. I have routinely been denied health services for my mental health. Canada should stop priding itself on "universal healthcare" because the mental healthcare in this country is a crying shame.