aBOUT OTTAWA VALLEY WELLNESS

Wellness Support for Busy Professionals

wELCOME TO OTTAWA VALLEY WELLNESS

At Ottawa Valley Wellness, we empower busy working professionals to reclaim their mental and physical wellbeing. By combining evidence-based psychotherapy with nutrition science, we provide compassionate, practical strategies tailored to each client’s unique lifestyle. Together, we help manage stress, foster resilience, and ease the transition to healthier habits while balancing work and family commitments.

Life gets pretty crazy trying to balance it all.

Hi, I'm Samantha

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) & Registered Holistic Nutritionist

With over 14 years of experience supporting individuals and families in the mental health and child welfare fields, I’ve walked alongside people navigating complex systems, parenting challenges, life transitions, and high-stress situations.

Now, as a therapist, I work with individuals who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, burnout, chronic stress, grief, or the long-term impacts of trauma. I also support clients living with chronic illness and pain, helping them explore how emotional and physical wellness are deeply connected.

My approach is integrative, blending traditional talk therapy with body-based and skills-focused practices. You’ll often find me drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic awareness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based practices, while weaving in psychoeducation from my background in holistic nutrition. This allows us to explore healing not only through thoughts and emotions, but through your body, routines, and lifestyle as a whole.

My goal is to offer a space where you feel safe, respected, and empowered to show up as you are. I believe that small, intentional shifts can create lasting impact- especially when life feels heavy or stuck. These shifts are designed to fit into your busy life, while still honouring the deeper work of self-exploration, healing, and growth. I’m here to support you in a way that feels manageable and meaningful. Clients often tell me they feel more centred, empowered, and connected to themselves through our work together.

When I’m not in session, you’ll find me exploring the beautiful hiking trails in the Ottawa Valley with my family, tending to my gardens, getting lost in music, learning something new, or enjoying a quiet moment with a cup of tea and a good book.

If you’re feeling drawn to this approach, I’d love to connect. Let’s schedule a Complimentary15-minute Connection Call to see if it feels like the right fit for you.

My Journey To Integrative Wellness

Like many busy professionals, I’ve walked the path you might be on now. After spending 14 years working in the child welfare sector, I experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to juggle work demands, family responsibilities, and personal wellbeing.

I’ve felt the weight of burnout and saw how chronic stress manifested in my body through anxiety, digestive issues, and chronic pain.

This frustration led me on a journey to discover how nutrition and mental health are fundamentally interconnected. My personal experience with burnout became the catalyst for returning to school, becoming both a therapist and nutritionist equipped to help others navigate similar challenges.

That’s why I created Ottawa Valley Wellness: a space dedicated to real talk and realistic goals that work for busy professionals like you. No fancy jargon—just genuine conversations about wellness and mental health, with practical, tangible steps toward feeling better.

Professional Qualifications

Education

Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), Yorkville University
Natural Nutrition Certificate, Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
Honours Bachelor of Arts, Joint-Major in Business Administration and French Language Studies, Trent University

Professional Memberships

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario (CRPO)
Professional Member, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
Standard Member, Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals (CAHN-Pro)
Alumni Member, Canadian School of Natural Nutrition Alumni Association (CSNNAA)

Specialized Training

Train the Trainer – Empathic Fatigue, Secondary Trauma & Burnout Trainer (TEND Academy)
Compassion Fatigue 101 (TEND Academy)
LivingWorks Start (LivingWorks)
Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA), Level 1 (Renfrew County District School Board)

OUR CORE VALUES

Community

Respect

Collaboration

We strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. We are dedicated to breaking down barriers to wellness and ensuring our services are accessible to diverse individuals and needs.

We maintain the highest ethical standards in our practice, building relationships based on mutual respect and trust. We prioritize transparency and authenticity in all our interactions, honoring your unique experience and perspective.

We believe you are the expert in your own life. Our role is to empower you with knowledge, tools, and support while working collaboratively to develop personalized plans that honor your autonomy and wisdom.

OUR INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and Registered Holistic Nutritionist, we offer something truly unique:

a fully integrated approach that addresses both mental and physical aspects of well-being.

Blending Mind And Body

Unlike traditional approaches that treat mental and physical health separately, we explore the powerful interconnections between:

How your emotional experiences influence eating patterns
How nutritional choices impact your mental state and stress resilience
The physiological factors affecting anxiety and burnout
The psychological patterns influencing self-care practices

Through this dual lens, we create more effective, sustainable solutions for lasting change.

Evidence-based Practices

Our approach draws from evidence-based therapeutic frameworks including:

Solution-focused Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness-based approaches

These are complemented by personalized nutrition guidance that addresses:

Energy management through proper nourishment
Mood support through targeted nutrition
Stress reduction through anti-inflammatory approaches
Sustainable eating patterns that fit your real life

Practical, Actionable Steps

We believe in making small, sustainable shifts that fit into your already busy schedule, creating meaningful impact without overwhelming you with drastic changes.

Our practical approach includes:

Personalized strategies tailored to your unique circumstances and goals
Gradual implementation methods that build confidence and consistency
Simple daily practices that integrate seamlessly into your existing routines
Clear, measurable milestones to track your progress and celebrate successes
Flexible frameworks that adapt as your needs and circumstances evolve

Together, we'll navigate this journey toward holistic wellness
one manageable step at a time.

what You Can Expect

When we work together, you can expect to:

Develop practical strategies that fit into your busy life
Understand the connection between what you eat and how you feel
Build resilience against stress and overwhelm
Create sustainable self-care practices that don’t require hours you don’t have
Feel supported and understood throughout your journey

Our vision is to see you not just surviving but thriving—managing stress effectively, feeling energized, and finding joy in both your professional and personal life.

Get to know Me Better

Here are some fun facts about me, since sometimes, habits speak louder than words:

My favourite balanced nutritional snack: Sliced apples with almond butter and hemp seeds.

My favourite not-so-balanced nutritional snack: Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (yum!).
My go-to coffee order: Chai Latte with oat milk and a sprinkle cinnamon
My least favourite household task: Vacuuming, but scrubbing the bathtub and mopping the floor are up there too.
The app I can’t live without for managing stress: Spotify – music is my go-to for stress management
My top tip for squeezing in movement during a busy week: Habit stack! Add in stretches while lying in bed, waiting for your lunch to heat up or every time you go to the bathroom. Park further away and take the stairs!
My favourite way to unwind after a long day: Sitting outside reading a book or binge-watching 90s / 00s TV sitcoms and dramas
My go to playlist to get motivated: 80s Road Trip!
My dream job: allows me to empower people in recognizing their strengths that will lead them back to feeling the truest selves, to teach people skills to navigate through the highs and lows of life, and to bring community together through events and retreats. Oh wait, I’m working my dream job!

small shifts can create A big Impact

At Ottawa Valley Wellness, we’ll help you identify those small, sustainable changes that fit into your busy life and lead to significant improvements in how you feel.