Family Services Ottawa

What Family Services Ottawa does

Family Services Ottawa (FSO) is a registered Canadian non-profit charitable organization (charity number 107376147RR0001) operating since the early 1920s from its headquarters at 312 Parkdale Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario. It provides mental health and family support services to individuals, couples, families, parents, youth, and the 2SLGBTQI+ community across the Ottawa region, employing 51–100 staff including registered psychotherapists and social workers. The service portfolio spans individual, couples, and family counseling, more than 33 types of educational groups and workshops, and specialized support programs including parenting curricula (e.g., Beyond the Baby Blues, Parenting for Connection, Parenting Through High Conflict Separation and Divorce, Anger Management, Positive Discipline), CAS-involved family services, supervised access, violence-against-women support, and 2SLGBTQI+ counseling delivered by community-identifying counselors. Clinical modalities referenced include CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed, strength-based approaches.

Distribution is multi-channel: scheduled in-person appointments at HQ, a free walk-in counseling clinic on Tuesdays and Saturdays, virtual/video conferencing via Zoom, telephone counseling, and online booking through the Counselling Connect platform in English, French, and Arabic. The revenue model combines sliding-scale fee-for-service counseling and workshops (programs priced from $40 to $375 per participant), free services for CAS-involved families and walk-in clients, grants (notably Bell Let's Talk in 2018 and 2021), and FSEAP — a non-profit Employee Assistance Program sub-brand contracting EAP services (counseling, financial/legal consultation, work-life support) to 400+ Canadian organizations, with 100% of profits reinvested into community programs. The organization is CCA-accredited and affiliated with Family Service Canada and Family Service Ontario (a 44-agency provincial network serving 250,000+ individuals annually).

Name

Family Services Ottawa

Legal name

Family Services Ottawa

Website

https://familyservicesottawa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Family Services Ottawa is a non-profit charitable organization in Ottawa providing individual, couples, and family counseling, parenting programs, and support services, plus a non-profit EAP sub-brand (FSEAP) serving 400+ Canadian employers, with sliding-scale fees and free walk-in services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Family Counseling Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG), Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Family support services
• Employee assistance program
• Community wellness programs
• Parenting education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Counseling and Programs: Revenue generated from counseling sessions, workshops, and support programs offered at various price points. Services provided on sliding scale to ensure accessibility regardless of income. Some specialized programs provided free of charge, particularly for CAS-involved families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Family Services Ottawa operates a non-profit wellness centre delivering individual, couples, and family counseling delivered by registered psychotherapists and social workers, alongside more than 33 specialized groups, workshops, and structured support programs covering parenting, anger management, perinatal mood, separation/divorce, 2SLGBTQI+ wellness, and youth resilience. It runs the FSEAP Employee Assistance Program selling counseling and consultative services to Canadian employers, with 100% of FSEAP profits reinvested into community programs. Services are delivered in-person at the Ottawa headquarters, via walk-in clinic, by telephone, and through Zoom video.

Product overview

Family Services Ottawa is a non-profit social service organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of mental health and family support services. The core offerings include counselling services (individual, couples, and family counselling), group programs, and specialized support programs. Their flagship programs include the Walk-in Counselling Clinic providing same-day free sessions, and Counselling Connect offering online-booked phone/video counselling in multiple languages. They operate FSEAP (Family Services Employee Assistance Program) as a distinct sub-brand providing workplace counselling services, reinvesting all profits into community programs. Their parenting programs portfolio spans 10+ distinct offerings including Beyond the Baby Blues, Parenting for Connection, Parenting Through High Conflict Separation and Divorce, Anger Management, Positive Discipline, and Parent Coaching. Additional specialized services include 2SLGBTQI+ Counselling and Together We Thrive for children experiencing family conflict. All programs are delivered by qualified psychotherapists and social workers using evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FSEAP (Family Services Employee Assistance Program): Non-profit Employee Assistance Program providing counselling, workshops, and support programs for employees through their employers, with profits reinvested into community programs.

Products and services

• Counselling Services Individual, couples, and family counselling delivered by registered psychotherapists and social workers, supporting mental health and wellness issues such as stress, depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions. Available in-person at headquarters, by telephone, and via Zoom video conferencing.
• Groups & Workshops Educational group sessions and workshop programs covering a range of mental health, parenting, and family topics, offered in-person and via video conferencing.
• Support Programs Specialized programs including parenting programs, violence against women services, and supervised access programs for families in need.
• FSEAP (Family Services Employee Assistance Program) Non-profit Employee Assistance Program delivering counseling, educational workshops, and support services to employees through their employers across Canada. As a non-profit, 100% of profits are reinvested into FSO community counseling and social service programs.
• Walk-in Counselling Clinic Free, same-day single-session counselling for individuals, couples, and families at the FSO headquarters on Tuesdays (12PM–8PM) and Saturdays (12PM–5PM), with no appointment required on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Counselling Connect Quick-access online booking for free phone or video counselling sessions delivered by 100+ counselors of diverse backgrounds (including Indigenous, African, Caribbean, Black, and LGBT2SQ+ communities), available in English, French, and Arabic with no waiting list.
• 2SLGBTQI+ Counselling Counselling services tailored to 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, couples, and families, delivered by counsellors who identify as part of the community, supporting gender identity exploration, sexual orientation, coming out, social transitioning, and related concerns.
• Parent Coaching One-on-one parenting support delivered by telephone and video conferencing, covering routines, positive discipline techniques, anxiety reduction, child development, and co-parenting communication.
• Parenting for Connection 5-week group course for parents of children aged 0–12, focused on child development, communication, attachment, understanding behavior, and positive discipline strategies. Priced at $175 per person or $325 per couple.
• Parenting Through High Conflict Separation and Divorce 6-week course for parents experiencing high conflict separation or divorce, teaching communication skills, child support strategies, and how to minimize children's exposure to conflict.
• Anger Management for Parents 6-week course helping parents explore triggers and strategies to manage anger and the stressors of parenthood. Priced at $300 per person.
• Positive Discipline Program 5-week interactive course helping parents understand child behavior and development while strengthening parent-child relationships through positive discipline strategies. Priced at $200 per person or $375 per couple.
• Parenting with Confidence 8-week group for families involved with the Children's Aid Society, covering stress management, child development, effective discipline, and building self-esteem for parents of children aged 6–16. Free for CAS Clients.
• Just for Dads Program 8-session support group providing fathers a safe space to learn from one another and gain parenting information, with a focus on coping strategies and positive discipline.
• Connecting with Your Teens 2-hour interactive workshop exploring challenges and opportunities parents face with teenagers, including communication strategies and screen-time management. Priced at $50 per person with subsidies available for CAS clients.
• Effective Parenting Through Positive Discipline 2-hour interactive workshop providing a safe space for parents to learn ways to promote secure attachment and healthy relationships with children. Priced at $50 per person; $0 for CAS Clients (English) and $40 per person (French edition).
• Beyond the Baby Blues 9-week support group for individuals experiencing perinatal depression and/or anxiety, offering workshops, coping-skills development, and mindfulness training grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy tools.
• Together We Thrive Free 6-week group for children aged 11–13 who have witnessed or experienced family conflict, helping them explore emotions, develop communication skills, and build resilience.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 250,000 people served annually through the Family Service Ontario network
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Family Service CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of community social service agencies. FSO is part of this network enabling shared learning, leadership development, and collective strengthening of member organizations to benefit Canadian families.
• Family Service OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents 44 member non-profit organizations serving over 250,000 people annually in Ontario workplaces and communities. Provides FSO with provincial voice, collective advocacy, and capacity building support.
• Canadian Centre for AccreditationcoreOthersProvides accreditation framework for managing resources, delivering best practices, and pursuing continuous improvement. FSO displays CCA accreditation badge indicating compliance with quality standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jewish Family Services of Ottawa: Ottawa-based non-profit offering counseling and family support services across the same geography and client segments as FSO, including individual, family, and EAP-adjacent offerings.
• Family Services Toronto: Toronto-based non-profit family services organization offering counseling, settlement, and community programs; structurally identical to FSO and a sister agency in the Family Service Ontario network.
• Canadian Mental Health Association - Ottawa: Regional branch of a national mental-health non-profit providing counseling, crisis support, and community programs in the same Ottawa market and overlapping with FSO's mental-health segment.
• The Counselling Group: Ottawa-area counseling services provider offering individual, couples, and family therapy; competes directly for FSO's client segments and is even referenced in FSO's leadership team's prior experience.
• Kids Help Phone: National non-profit providing e-mental-health, counseling, and crisis support for youth; overlaps with FSO's youth counseling segment but operates nationally and via digital channels.

Broad incumbents

• TELUS Health: Diversified health-services and EAP provider competing with FSEAP for employer contracts and increasingly with virtual therapy offerings that overlap with FSO's remote counseling.
• Family Service Canada: National umbrella network to which FSO belongs; coordinates advocacy, accreditation, and capacity building across member family-service agencies, including operating the FSEAP division.
• Homewood Health: Canada's largest commercial EAP and mental-health provider; competes with FSEAP for corporate EAP contracts while also offering direct-to-consumer therapy that overlaps with FSO's individual counseling.

Regional players

• ConnexOntario: Ontario-wide health-services information and referral line funded by the province; serves as a referral channel that directs clients to FSO while operating as an adjacent non-clinical service.

Emerging players

• Pine River Institute: Ontario-based non-profit focused on youth mental-health and substance use treatment; comparable therapeutic mission to FSO and connected through FSO's Executive Director, who co-founded Pine River.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/family-services-ottawa
• Xx.com/FamilyOttawa
• Facebookfacebook.com/familyservicesottawa

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Family Services Ottawa