Louise Goodman Psychotherapy

Source photo
palette reference

Visual Identity

The design system

All visual decisions derive from a single source: a photograph of Louise in front of a painted patchwork wall. Dusty plum, terracotta, sage, dusty rose, and warm cream. The palette is grounded and specific — not a wellness mood board, not a spa. Purple anchors the brand via International Overdose Awareness Day.

Colour Palette

Primary — Dusty Plum

950

#1A0F2E

800

#3B2260

600 ★

#6B4A8F

500

#8A6AAD

300

#C4AED9

100

#EDE6F5

#F7F4FB

Neutral — Warm Stone

950

#1C1814

800

#3A322A

600

#6B5E52

400

#9E8F82

200

#D9CFC4

100

#EDE8DC

50 ★

#F5F0E8

Accent Palette

Terracotta

700

#A0402A

500

#C4623F

200

#E8C4B0

Sage

700

#4A6152

500

#6B8C72

200

#C2D4C5

Dusty Rose

700

#8C5464

500

#B07888

200

#DEC4CC

Typography

Two typefaces. One voice.

Fraunces is a variable humanist serif for display use — it carries personality and warmth without being precious. DM Sans is a clean, slightly warm grotesque for body and UI copy. Inter (requested in the original brief) was replaced by DM Sans for a warmer register.

Display — Fraunces font-family: 'Fraunces', Georgia, serif

Therapy that meets you where you are.

26 years of frontline experience.

The things that don't have a tidy name.

Body — DM Sans font-family: 'DM Sans', -apple-system, sans-serif

Counselling for adults navigating addiction, trauma, ADHD, grief, burnout, and the things that don't have a tidy name. In-person in Ottawa (Hintonburg/Westboro), virtual across Ontario.

You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. A free 15-minute consultation is the right first step — no pressure, no commitment.

Book a free 15-minute consultation

Design Principles

What the system does and doesn't do

Backgrounds

Warm cream. Never stark white.

Default page: #F5F0E8. Alternate sections: #EDE8DC. Dark section background: #3B2260 with white text. No gradients.

Border Radius

Inputs 4px. Cards 8px. Buttons 0px.

The 0px button radius is intentional — it prevents the "rounded pill button" that reads as wellness-brand. Consistent with the directness of the voice. No decorative left-border accents.

Shadows

Warm-toned, not cold grey.

All shadows use rgba(60,40,20,…) — brown warmth, not the blue-grey defaults of most shadow presets. Three levels: inputs, cards, modals.

Motion

Minimal and purposeful only.

Link hover: underline + color fade at 150ms. Button transition: 200ms. No parallax, no scroll-triggered reveals, no floating elements. The site should feel still and trustworthy, not performative.

Photography

Editorial portraiture only.

Louise's photography: tight crop, no heavy filters, color-true. Never text over her face. No stock photos of hands, sunrises, waterfalls, or journals. No soft-focus headlines on blurred photo backgrounds.

Icons

Lucide only, if needed at all.

Preferred: no icons unless functional (close button, external link). If needed: Lucide Icons via CDN — stroke-based, minimal weight. Unicode arrows (→) acceptable for links. No emoji, no decorative icon grids, no wellness clip art.

Components

Buttons & interactive elements

Note: 0px border radius on buttons is intentional. Avoids the "pill button" association with wellness brands.

Brand Voice Guidelines

How Louise speaks.

Generated from the design system README, Hero, About, FAQ, HowIWork, Contact, and Specializations components. Overall confidence: 0.92 — unusually high because the source material includes verbatim on/off-brand examples and an explicit terminology list.

Brand Archetype

"The Experienced Guide — someone who has seen the hardest versions of what you're going through and hasn't flinched."

Not a guru. Not a cheerleader. A skilled practitioner with depth. Warm, dry, not impressed by jargon. Will see you even if three other therapists turned you away. The voice earns trust by telling the truth plainly — not by performing warmth.

Voice Attributes

We are / we are not

Warm

sentimental

Copy should feel like it comes from a person who genuinely cares — not a brand, not a landing page. Warmth is conveyed through directness and honesty, not emoji or exclamation marks.

Direct

cold or clinical

Say the thing. No preamble. Directness is an act of respect — it treats the reader as an adult. Short sentences. Active voice. No hedging unless medically required.

Plain-spoken

jargony or buzzwordy

Plain English first. Clinical terms (EMDR, ACT, CBT, DBT) only where the reader benefits from knowing them. "The things that don't have a tidy name" refuses the clinical label entirely.

Honest

toxic positive

Therapy is difficult work with uncertain outcomes. The brand does not pretend otherwise. No outcome guarantees. No "you've got this." No sunrise copy.

Grounded

wellness-influencer

26 years of frontline work. Not spa-adjacent. The copy sits with difficulty rather than rushing past it. No stock photo language, no aspirational register.

Personal

institutional

"I" for Louise. "You" for the reader. Never "we" — it's a solo practice. "We're here to support you" is wrong on two counts simultaneously.

Message Pillars

Four things the brand always communicates

Meet you where you are

Louise does not require you to be ready, presentable, or figured-out before you start. Therapy begins with you as you are. Use in: homepage hero, first-touch copy, consultation prompts.

"You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy."

Experience that earns trust

26 years of frontline work — not a recent graduate, not a generalist. EMDR, ACT, CBT, DBT trained. Doctoral research in decolonizing substance use. This depth is a credential. Use in: About, bio copy, FAQ answers.

"26 years of frontline experience. No shortcuts."

The things that don't have a tidy name

Louise works with the full scope of adult difficulty — not just the diagnosable, not just the presentable. This gives language to the unlabelled. Use in: specialisation descriptions, SEO copy, any context where the reader may be self-filtering out.

"Including people other therapists turn away."

Accessible and transparent

$170/session, sliding scale available, free 15-minute consultation. In Ottawa in-person, virtual across Ontario. No hidden barriers. The sliding scale is a values statement, not a footnote. Use in: pricing, CTAs, FAQ logistics.

"Book a free 15-minute consultation."

Tone Matrix

Voice is constant. Tone flexes by context.

Context	Formality	Energy	Technical depth	Key principle
Homepage hero	Low–Medium	Medium–High	Low	Hook through recognition, not aspiration
About / bio	Medium	Medium	Medium	Credibility earned, not claimed
Specialisations	Low–Medium	Low	Medium	Name the struggle honestly
How I work / methods	Medium	Low	Medium–High	Explain without jargon
FAQ	Low	Low	Low–Medium	Direct answers only — no padding
Contact / booking	Low	Low–Medium	Low	Reduce friction; do not oversell
Social media	Low	Medium	Low	Same voice, shorter form
Professional referral bio	Medium–High	Low	High	Credentials front; warmth implied

Terminology

What to use. What to avoid. What to never say.

Use these

"meets you where you are" "the things that don't have a tidy name" "harm-reduction" "free 15-minute consultation" "adults navigating…" "frontline experience" "sliding scale available" "LGBTQ2S+ affirming"

Avoid these

thrive empower holistic healing healing journey transformative wellness safe space evidence-based (alone)

Never say

we / our team emoji of any kind your healing journey don't suffer alone you deserve to feel better transformative wellness solutions

Copy Comparison

On-brand vs off-brand examples

On-brand — Hero headline

"Therapy that meets you where you are."

Off-brand

"Embark on your healing journey ✨"

On-brand — About pull quote

"I meet people where they are — including people other therapists turn away."

Off-brand

"We're here to support you on your path to emotional wellbeing."

On-brand — Section heading

"26 years of frontline experience. No shortcuts."

Off-brand

"Transformative, evidence-based wellness solutions"

On-brand — CTA

"Book a free 15-minute consultation."

Off-brand

"Don't wait — get the help you deserve today!"

Ottawa Market Analysis — May 2026

The competitive landscape.

Twelve Ottawa practices researched across seven specialty areas. The short version: Louise's positioning is genuinely differentiated, but none of it is visible enough online to matter yet. The site needs to say out loud what is currently implied.

Competitors researched

Ottawa practitioners ranking for overdose grief

$170

Louise's rate vs. ~$175 Ottawa average

Content gaps where Louise has unique claim

Core Finding

The intersection nobody claims: harm reduction + EMDR + decolonizing practice + 26 years frontline experience.

That combination is Louise's actual clinical identity — not a marketing construct. The absence of competition there is not a sign of weak demand. It's a gap that exists because no one has built for it. The practitioner who builds content for these terms in 2026 owns them.

Competitor Profiles

Nine practices reviewed

RISE Anxiety & Depression Clinic

Group clinic

Positioning

Owns "anxiety & depression Ottawa" at the URL level. Evidence-based, multi-disciplinary. 40+ clinicians. "Rise above anxiety and depression." CBT-forward.

Strengths

Two premium SEO domains. Institutional credibility. Nearly impossible to displace on anxiety/depression head terms.

Weaknesses

No addiction, harm reduction, or decolonizing language. "Rise above" framing directly conflicts with harm reduction philosophy.

Louise's play: Don't compete on anxiety/depression head terms. Own the co-occurrence angle: anxiety alongside addiction or trauma.

Ottawa EMDR (ottawaemdr.com)

EMDR specialist

Positioning

Owns the domain "Ottawa EMDR." Established SEO authority for "EMDR therapist Ottawa." Bilingual. Two therapists.

Strengths

Best-possible domain for EMDR in Ottawa. WHO/APA endorsement framing. Can't be easily displaced on the head term.

Weaknesses

No harm reduction framing. No ADHD, burnout, or frontline worker specialization. No sliding scale visible.

"EMDR for addiction Ottawa" — an intersection they don't claim. Real demand, zero specialist competition. Louise should own this phrase.

bmindful — Psychotherapy & ADHD Coaching Centre

ADHD specialist

Positioning

The ADHD specialist practice in Ottawa. Assessment via NP, therapy, coaching, and group. Post-secondary ties (Carleton, Algonquin, CHEO). Assessment-led.

Strengths

Very strong ADHD SEO position. Assessment capability is a genuine service gate. Broad multi-service offering.

Weaknesses

No addiction, harm reduction, or substance use. No decolonizing language. Assessment-led makes therapy feel secondary.

"ADHD therapy, not assessment" — explicit counter-positioning. Turns Louise's RP-Q scope into a feature for the large population that wants therapy without pursuing a formal diagnosis.

Amanda Rocheleau — Burnout for Helpers

Solo practitioner

Positioning

"Helping professionals" burnout — the only solo practitioner in Ottawa visibly claiming compassion fatigue as primary positioning.

Strengths

Strong resonance for the social work / social services community. Speaker/educator profile gives visibility beyond individual therapy clients.

Weaknesses

No addiction, harm reduction, LGBTQ+, or EMDR. "Helping professionals" is broad and doesn't speak to harm reduction workers specifically.

Louise's version: "Therapy for the people who hold the line in addiction, harm reduction, and social services" — narrower and more specific, and it's her actual peer community.

Capital Choice Counselling

Group clinic

Positioning

"Ottawa's choice for counselling." 40+ therapists, multi-lingual, full spectrum. $180/session; interns from $100.

Strengths

Largest practitioner pool. Strong insurance infrastructure. Language access is a real differentiator in multilingual Ottawa.

Weaknesses

Zero addiction or harm reduction visibility. Corporate, impersonal. Clients are assigned to therapists, not choosing them.

Solo practice is a feature: Louise's clients choose her specifically. This trust signal should be stated explicitly in the hero.

The Wren Centre / Grounded Psychology

LGBTQ+ specialists

Positioning

Explicit LGBTQ2S+ affirming practices. Queer therapists with lived experience. Anti-oppressive framing.

Strengths

Community affiliation gives credibility beyond "ally" language. Resonates with clients who've had bad experiences elsewhere.

Weaknesses

Neither integrates addiction or harm reduction into their queer affirmation work. The intersection is unaddressed.

"Queer-affirming harm reduction therapy" — a genuine unclaimed intersection. Louise's clinical and lived context positions her to own this.

Content Gap Analysis

Topics Louise covers that competitors have ignored

Ownable immediately. Will grow as the field shifts in this direction.

Topic	Ottawa market coverage	Louise's opportunity	Priority
Overdose grief therapy	Institutional resources only (hospice, BFO) — zero private practitioners	Highest single opportunity. Louise has the clinical background to do this work authentically.	Highest
EMDR for addiction	Zero Ottawa practitioners ranking on this phrase	Own "EMDR for addiction Ottawa" outright. Real demand, real clinical overlap.	High
Harm reduction therapy Ottawa	One solo practitioner; Rideauwood (non-profit)	Own the private practice version. Louise is the most credentialed practitioner in this space.	High
ADHD and addiction co-occurrence	Nobody — clinically real intersection, zero SERP coverage	Real demand growing with mainstream ADHD diagnosis. Louise's scope covers both.	High
Harm reduction worker burnout	Nobody — zero dedicated practitioners ranking	Louise's exact peer group. 30 years working alongside this population.	Medium
Queer addiction counselling	LGBTQ+ practices don't mention addiction; addiction practices aren't queer-affirming	Real population, real gap. Louise's clinical positioning covers both sides.	Medium
Decolonizing substance use therapy	Near zero — Louise's doctoral specialty	Medium

The biggest structural threat: RISE's two premium SEO domains give them durable structural advantages on anxiety/depression head terms. Psychology Today profiles overshadow individual practitioner sites on almost every Ottawa therapy search. Louise should optimise her PT profile as a funnel, not fight against it — and focus content investment on terms only she can own.

SEO Keyword Strategy — May 2026

Where to build. What to own.

Volume estimates are directional ranges based on local market signals, not API-pulled exact numbers. For a solo local practice the relative scale, SERP shape, and content angle matter more than precise volume counts. Validate with Ahrefs or Semrush to confirm.

Tier 1 — Don't depend on these

Head terms. Directories and group practices own them.

"Anxiety therapist Ottawa," "EMDR therapist Ottawa," "ADHD therapist Ottawa." 200–2,000 monthly searches each. SERP locked by Psychology Today, Theravive, RISE, Firestone, ottawaemdr.com. Solo practitioners don't crack top-3 here without an aggressive 18-month program.

Tier 2 — Realistic targets

Meaningful long-tail with real demand.

"Harm reduction therapy Ottawa," "burnout therapy Ottawa," "grief counselling Ottawa," "queer affirming therapy Ottawa." 50–300 monthly searches. Mixed SERPs — some practitioners rank, some directories. Realistic top-3 within six months of launch.

Tier 3 — Highest ROI

Intersection long-tail. Wide open.

"Overdose grief Ottawa," "EMDR for addiction Ottawa," "ADHD and addiction Ottawa," "queer addiction counselling Ottawa." Under 50/month each, often under 10. Very high intent. Stack 5–6 into a pillar page: cumulative traffic plus near-guaranteed top-3.

Quick Wins

High-intent, low-competition keywords — weave into pillar pages

Keyword	Volume (mo.)	Difficulty	Trend	Pillar page
harm reduction therapy Ottawa	50–100	Medium-Easy	+15% rising	Substance Use & Addiction
overdose grief Ottawa	10–50	Easy	+25% rising	Grief & Loss
late diagnosed ADHD Ottawa	20–50	Easy	+30% rising	ADHD
harm reduction counsellor Ottawa	20–50	Easy	+12% rising	Substance Use & Addiction
complicated grief therapist Ottawa	10–30	Easy	Stable	Grief & Loss
compassion fatigue counsellor Ottawa	20–50	Medium-Easy	+12% rising	Burnout
EMDR for addiction Ottawa	20–40	Easy	+18% rising	Trauma & EMDR
process addiction Ottawa	20–50	Medium	+10% rising	Substance Use & Addiction

Recommended Pillar Architecture

Seven pages, in priority order

Substance Use & Addiction

/addiction-therapy-ottawa

Primary: addiction therapist Ottawa · Key supporting: harm reduction therapy Ottawa, non-12-step addiction therapy Ottawa, decolonizing substance use therapy Ottawa, concurrent disorders therapist Ottawa. This is Louise's primary specialty and the foundational page. Won't win the head term but will rank top-3 on harm reduction variations and own "decolonizing substance use therapy Ottawa" outright.

Do first

Grief & Loss (overdose grief as the lead angle)

/grief-counselling-ottawa

Primary: grief counselling Ottawa · Key supporting: overdose grief Ottawa, grief support after overdose Ottawa, loss to substance use therapy Ottawa, suicide loss therapy Ottawa. The single largest unclaimed niche in the Ottawa SERP. Open with standard grief framing, then give the overdose/substance-use loss angle the strongest section on the page. Likely top-3 on overdose searches within months.

Do first

Trauma & EMDR

/trauma-therapy-emdr-ottawa

Primary: EMDR therapist Ottawa · Key supporting: EMDR for addiction Ottawa, trauma therapy harm reduction Ottawa, complex trauma therapist Ottawa. ottawaemdr.com owns the head term. "EMDR for addiction Ottawa" and "trauma therapy harm reduction Ottawa" have zero competition — the page wins by stating the intersection plainly.

Strategic

Burnout & Frontline Workers

/burnout-therapy-ottawa

Primary: burnout therapy Ottawa · Key supporting: compassion fatigue counsellor Ottawa, social worker burnout therapy Ottawa, harm reduction worker burnout Ottawa, moral injury therapist Ottawa. Do NOT pitch as first-responder therapy — that territory is taken. Pitch to harm reduction workers, addiction counsellors, social services frontline — Louise's actual peer community for 30 years.

Strategic

ADHD (therapy, not assessment)

/adhd-therapy-ottawa

Primary: ADHD therapist Ottawa · Key supporting: late diagnosed ADHD Ottawa, ADHD therapy not assessment Ottawa, ADHD and addiction Ottawa. Highest individual keyword volume in the strategy (+20%/yr). Lead with: "You don't need a diagnosis to work on the things ADHD makes harder." The ADHD + addiction intersection has real demand and zero competition. Will take longer to rank than pages 1–4.

Strategic

LGBTQ2S+ Affirming

/lgbtq-therapy-ottawa

Key angle: queer-affirming harm reduction therapy, queer addiction counselling Ottawa. Lean on the queer + addiction + harm reduction intersection — The Wren Centre and Grounded Psychology don't claim this. Worth building for completeness; invest extra content effort in the intersection angle.

Complete

Anxiety & Depression

/anxiety-depression-therapy-ottawa

Key angle: anxiety and depression alongside addiction and recovery — not standalone. RISE owns the head term and won't be displaced. Louise's PT profile lists this as a top specialty, so the page must exist for name-search confidence. Position around co-occurrence only.

Complete

Watch List

Emerging terms — create named sections now, revisit in six months

Moral injury therapist Ottawa

Term is gaining traction in healthcare-worker and social-services literature. Expect search demand to follow. Louise's burnout positioning should include it now — ahead of the curve.

Decolonizing substance use therapy Ottawa

Louise's doctoral specialty. Near-zero current competition. Will grow as the clinical field shifts in this direction. She owns this from day one — name it explicitly on the addiction page.

Queer addiction counselling Ottawa

Specific, underserved, growing. The queer community faces overdose loss disproportionately. LGBTQ+ therapy practices don't address addiction; addiction practices aren't queer-affirming. Louise covers both.

ADHD and addiction Ottawa

Clinically real co-occurrence. No current SERP coverage. Demand is latent but rising fast as ADHD diagnosis becomes mainstream and people connect the dots with their substance use.

Volume note: These keyword volumes are directional. For a local solo practice, a term with 20 searches per month that ranks first and converts at 15% is worth far more than a 500/month head term on page two. The intersection long-tails are where Louise wins — by being the only right answer, not by competing on volume.