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Motivational Interviewing Ottawa: When You Want to Change but Feel Stuck
You know something needs to change. You’ve thought about taking the first step, but another part of you isn’t convinced. Motivational interviewing gives you room to sort through both sides without pressure, lectures or judgment.
Meet with Caitlin or Jessica at our Wellington West office or through secure video anywhere in Ontario. Appointments are available in English and French, depending on the therapist.
When knowing what to do isn’t enough
You want something to be different. You’re just not sure what comes next.
Change rarely feels simple. You can want it and resist it at the same time. You can know that a habit, choice or pattern isn’t working while still having real reasons to hold on to it.
You’ve probably heard advice already. Make a schedule. Set a boundary. Stop overthinking. Just start. People often mean well, but advice doesn’t solve the part of you that still has doubts.
You could feel ready one day and uncertain the next. You could start strong, lose momentum and criticize yourself for “failing again.” You could spend so much time weighing every option that choosing anything feels impossible.
Motivational interviewing starts with that conflict. It doesn’t treat hesitation as laziness or a lack of willpower. It helps you hear what matters to you, what makes change difficult and what choice you’re actually ready to make.
“I know what I should do. Why can’t I do it?”
“Part of me wants this. Part of me doesn’t.”
“I’m tired of people telling me what to do.”
“What if I try and it doesn’t last?”
A collaborative approach
What is motivational interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is a way of talking about change that respects your right to make your own decisions.
Your therapist doesn’t take over the conversation or try to convince you that one answer is correct. Instead, you look closely at what you want, what worries you, what has worked before and what keeps getting in the way.
The name can sound formal, but this isn’t an interview, test or checklist. It’s a two-way conversation. Your therapist listens for the reasons change matters to you and the reasons staying the same still feels useful, familiar or safer.
The goal isn’t to manufacture motivation. It’s to help you hear your own thoughts more clearly. Once the conflict makes sense, the next step often becomes easier to choose.
According to the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, this approach is collaborative, pays close attention to a person’s own language about change and honours personal choice. It is especially useful when someone feels pulled in different directions or has low confidence about taking action.
Reasons people reach out
What motivational interviewing therapy can help you think through
You don’t need a perfect goal before you begin. You can start with the decision, pattern or task that keeps circling in your mind.
Getting started when you feel stuck
You understand the task, but starting feels heavy. Therapy helps you name what makes the first step hard and find an approach that fits how you actually work.
Changing a habit
A habit can help in one way and cause problems in another. You can look at both sides honestly instead of forcing yourself into an all-or-nothing promise.
Setting a boundary
You want to say no, speak up or ask for something different, but guilt and worry stop you. Therapy helps you decide what matters and how you want to respond.
Making a difficult decision
Both choices have benefits and costs. You can slow down, separate your own values from outside pressure and decide what feels most honest.
Following through with ADHD
You care about the goal, yet planning, starting or staying with it is difficult. The conversation focuses on workable steps instead of shame or another unrealistic system.
Choosing what you want next
Work, relationships, parenting or daily life no longer feel right, but you don’t know what needs to change. Therapy gives you space to sort out your priorities.
No pressure tactics
Motivational interviewing isn’t a lecture, pep talk or sales pitch
You are the person who has to live with the decision. Your therapist’s role is to help you understand it—not make it for you.
You won’t be told what to do
Your therapist can share information when it is useful, but the conversation centres on your priorities and your right to choose.
You won’t be argued into changing
Pressure often makes people defend the exact pattern they wanted to change. Motivational interviewing makes room for honesty instead.
You won’t be asked to pretend it’s easy
Change comes with trade-offs. You can talk openly about what you could lose, what scares you and why the old pattern has been hard to leave.
Inside a session
How motivational interviewing works
The conversation moves at a pace that fits you. These four parts often overlap rather than happening in a strict order.
Start with what matters to you
You talk about what brings you in and what you want from the conversation. Your therapist listens without rushing to a solution.
Choose a focus
Together, you decide which concern needs attention. The focus can become clearer as you talk, so you don’t need to arrive with a polished goal.
Explore both sides
You look at your reasons for changing and your reasons for staying the same. Hearing both sides can show you what the conflict is really about.
Plan when you’re ready
If you decide to act, you choose a small and realistic next step. If you aren’t ready, the session still helps you understand what you need.
What you’ll notice
Your therapist listens for more than the problem
They also listen for your strengths, what you care about and the moments when you already moved in the direction you want.
What does a motivational interviewing session feel like?
A session feels like a thoughtful conversation rather than a lesson. Your therapist asks open questions, reflects what they hear and checks that they understand you correctly.
You can expect room to disagree. If a suggestion doesn’t fit, you can say so. If you feel unsure, that uncertainty belongs in the conversation. You don’t have to perform confidence or promise that you’ll change.
Your therapist also pays attention to language that points toward change. That could be a reason something matters, a strength you’ve used before or a small sign that you’re closer to acting than you thought.
Motivational interviewing can be the main focus of a session or one part of a broader therapy plan. Caitlin and Jessica can discuss how they use the approach and whether it fits what you want support with.
- Questions that help you think, not defend yourself
- Reflections that put your mixed feelings into words
- Attention to strengths you already use
- A summary that helps you hear the bigger picture
Meet the therapists
Caitlin and Jessica offer motivational interviewing in Ottawa
Both therapists offer in-person appointments at our Wellington West office and virtual therapy across Ontario. New-client appointments depend on current availability.
Caitlin Kemmett
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Caitlin works with individuals and couples dealing with relationship concerns, ADHD, neurodiversity, parenting and postpartum concerns, life transitions, infidelity and ethical non-monogamy.
Her style is warm, direct and collaborative. She helps clients slow down, understand what keeps pulling them in different directions and choose steps that feel realistic.
- Language: English
- In person: Wellington West office
- Online: Across Ontario
Jessica Muziramakenga
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Jessica works with adults facing anxiety, guilt, people-pleasing, self-doubt, weak or unclear boundaries and the pressure to put everyone else first.
She helps clients understand what makes change feel difficult and make choices that reflect their needs without dismissing the relationships and responsibilities that matter to them.
- Languages: English and French
- In person: Wellington West office
- Online: Across Ontario
In-person therapy in Ottawa
Motivational interviewing at our Wellington West office
Therapy with Empathy has one physical office. It is located on Wellington Street West, close to Westboro, Hintonburg, Tunney’s Pasture, Hampton Park and Mechanicsville.
Therapy with Empathy
Suite 202
1355 Wellington Street West
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 3C2
In person or online
Nearby parking is available. The office can also be reached by public transit, with LRT access through Tunney’s Pasture Station. If coming to the office doesn’t work for you, secure video appointments are available across Ontario.
French therapy is available with Jessica. Caitlin offers therapy in English.
Getting started
Three simple steps to begin
You don’t have to be certain about therapy, your goal or which therapist to choose before reaching out.
Book a free consultation
Choose a free 20-minute phone consultation. You can share what you’re weighing, ask questions and learn more before booking a full session.
Choose your therapist
Review Caitlin and Jessica’s profiles or ask for help deciding. The right choice depends on your concern, language and current appointment availability.
Attend your first session
Your first session is a conversation about what has been happening and what you want from therapy. You can attend in person in Ottawa or online from elsewhere in Ontario.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about motivational interviewing
What is motivational interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is a collaborative way of talking about change. Your therapist helps you explore your own reasons for changing, your reasons for staying the same and the values that matter to you. You remain in charge of the decision.
Is motivational interviewing really an interview?
No. It is not a formal interview, assessment or test. A session feels like a two-way conversation. Your therapist asks thoughtful questions, listens closely, reflects what they hear and helps you organize your thoughts.
Who offers motivational interviewing at Therapy with Empathy?
Caitlin Kemmett and Jessica Muziramakenga both offer motivational interviewing. Both are Registered Psychotherapists (Qualifying) and offer in-person appointments at our Wellington West office and virtual appointments across Ontario.
Will my therapist tell me what to do?
No. Your therapist can offer information when it is helpful, but motivational interviewing respects your autonomy. The goal is to help you make a decision that reflects your own priorities rather than pressure you into someone else’s answer.
Do I have to be ready to change before I start?
No. Motivational interviewing is especially useful when you feel uncertain, pulled in two directions or low in confidence. You can start by talking about what makes the decision difficult.
What concerns can motivational interviewing support?
It can support conversations about habits, boundaries, procrastination, ADHD-related follow-through, relationships, parenting, work decisions and other changes that bring up mixed feelings. Your therapist will discuss whether this approach fits your specific concern.
Can motivational interviewing help with ADHD and procrastination?
It can help you understand why a task matters, what makes it hard to begin and which next step feels realistic. It does not provide an ADHD assessment, but it can be part of therapy for clients who already experience ADHD-related challenges.
Is motivational interviewing used on its own?
It can guide a full conversation or be used alongside other therapy approaches. Your therapist will explain how they work and shape the sessions around your goals and needs.
Can I attend motivational interviewing therapy online?
Yes. Caitlin and Jessica offer secure virtual therapy to clients located anywhere in Ontario. In-person appointments are also available at our Ottawa office, subject to current availability.
Where is your Ottawa therapy office?
Our only physical office is in Suite 202 at 1355 Wellington Street West, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 3C2. It is in Wellington West and is convenient for people travelling from Westboro, Hintonburg, Tunney’s Pasture, Hampton Park and Mechanicsville.
Is motivational interviewing available in French?
Yes. Jessica offers therapy in English and French. Caitlin offers therapy in English. Availability depends on each therapist’s current schedule.
Do I need a referral, and is psychotherapy covered by insurance?
You do not need a referral to contact Therapy with Empathy. Some extended health plans cover services provided by a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Check your plan directly because coverage differs by provider and policy.
You don’t need to arrive certain
Still deciding? That’s something you can bring to therapy.
A free 20-minute phone consultation gives you a chance to ask questions, meet an available therapist and decide whether you want to continue.