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Melissa SaumurRegistered Social Worker, PsychotherapistMSW, RSW, Psychotherapist

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist

Melissa Saumur

Founder and Clinical Director,
Canada Therapy & Wellness

I lead Canada Therapy & Wellness, which supports mental health professionals across Canada in English and French. I also see couples and adults online: I help couples break painful patterns, and adults heal from trauma, anxiety and big life changes.

Book a free 15-minute call Canada Therapy & Wellness
  • Registered in Ontario and Alberta
  • Over 20 years of experience
  • EFT trained through ICEEFT
  • Covered by most extended health plans
Melissa Saumur, Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist, smiling

Founder and Clinical Director

Canada Therapy & Wellness

I founded Canada Therapy & Wellness to support mental health professionals at every stage of their career, from preparing for registration to running a practice. As Clinical Director, I set its clinical direction and standards.

More about my role

  • CRPO Exam Lab

    Preparation in the format of the CRPO Registration Examination.

  • Therapy Assist

    Private AI software that helps clinicians with their documentation.

  • Clinical supervision

    Qualified, registered supervisors, by secure video.

  • Referral service

    Matching people with a registered therapist who fits their needs.

Where would you like to start?

Most people come to me for one of two reasons: their relationship feels stuck, or they are carrying more than they can hold on their own.

A couple sharing tea and talking on a sunny porch

Couples therapy

The same argument, then the same silence. Emotionally Focused Therapy helps you see the pattern and build a bond that feels safe again.

Explore couples therapy
A woman sitting quietly in the low branches of a willow beside a calm lake

Individual therapy

For trauma, anxiety, low mood and the weight of big changes. Practical skills, at a pace that feels safe.

Explore individual therapy
Parents laughing as the father carries their baby on his shouldersPregnancy, postpartum and new parentsSupport through the first years A forest trail that splits in two at a wooden signpostSeparation and co-parentingWith your children in mind Two women in hijab talking outdoors, one listening with a calm smileFaith-sensitive careFor Muslim individuals and couples Two armchairs in a bright room facing open doors onto a gardenHow online therapy worksSecure video, from home
The cycle couples get caught in A loop between two partners. One reaches out, louder, to be heard, which the other feels as criticism. The other pulls back, quieter, to keep the peace, which the first feels as rejection. Each move sets off the other. which can feel like criticism which can feel like rejection One reaches out louder, to be heard One pulls back quieter, to keep the peace the cycle is the problem, not your partner

The same arguments, over time

What most couples bring to me is not one big problem. It is the same argument, coming back over months or years, about different things.

What happens

  1. Something small sets it off: a tone, a late reply, a plan that falls through.
  2. One partner reaches out harder to be heard. The other hears criticism and pulls back to keep the peace.
  3. The pulling back feels like rejection, so the first partner pushes harder. Round it goes, and both end up feeling alone.

In Emotionally Focused Therapy we slow that cycle down, name it together, and find what each of you needs underneath it. The cycle becomes the problem, not your partner.

How Emotionally Focused Therapy works

How it works

  1. A free 15-minute call

    Ask your questions and see if we are a good fit. There is no pressure to continue.

  2. Your first session

    We talk about what brought you here and what you want to change, then build a plan together. Sessions are 50 minutes.

  3. Ongoing sessions

    By secure video from home, in English or French. You receive a receipt after each session for your insurer.

Most extended health plans cover a Registered Social Worker. Questions about insurance

Common questions

Is therapy with you covered by insurance?

Most extended health plans cover services by a Registered Social Worker (RSW). You receive a receipt after each session to submit to your insurer. Check how much your plan covers each year, whether a doctor's referral is needed, and whether couples sessions are claimed under one partner.

Do you offer in-person sessions?

No. All sessions are online by secure video. Many people find it easier to open up from home, and there is no travel time. See how online therapy works.

Can I have therapy in French?

Yes. I am fluently bilingual and offer every service in English or French. Couples are welcome to switch between languages if that feels more natural.

Can a Registered Social Worker provide psychotherapy?

Yes. In Ontario, Registered Social Workers are one of the professions authorized to practise psychotherapy. I am registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and with the Alberta College of Social Workers, and I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy through ICEEFT.

All questions

A still lake at sunrise with mist on the water and mountains behind

Reaching out is often the hardest step

Book a free 15-minute call to ask your questions and see if we are a good fit, with no pressure to continue.

Book a free 15-minute call Book a session online