Therapy for Children

THERAPY
FOR CHILDREN

For as long as I can remember I have felt connected to the wondrous world of children and their unique ways of seeing and experiencing the world. Throughout my life and throughout my professional career this connection has allowed me to engage with children in a playful and meaningful manner that allows children to feel safe, connected, respected, and seen.

I believe that many of our patterns of behaviour and our psychological and emotional wiring are formed at an early age. Some of these patterns can be very helpful as we grow and mature, and others may become hinderances to our development, joy, or growth. These patterns can begin to emerge in the early stages of a child’s development and may be identified by parents, caregivers, or children as barriers to optimal growth and living. At this point, it can often be helpful for children to speak with a professional who can help them feel better through playful, creative, and age appropriate activities designed to engage children and to help them move past their struggles.

I believe that many of our patterns of behaviour and our psychological and emotional wiring are formed at an early age. Some of these patterns can be very helpful as we grow and mature, and others may become hinderances to our development, joy, or growth. These patterns can begin to emerge in the early stages of a child’s development and may be identified by parents, caregivers, or children as barriers to optimal growth and living. At this point, it can often be helpful for children to speak with a professional who can help them feel better through playful, creative, and age appropriate activities designed to engage children and to help them move past their struggles.

Children often experience anxiety and difficulties adjusting to many things. Some of these things may include bigger transitions, such as the arrival of a new sibling, divorce, marriage of a parent, death of a family member, starting preschool or grade school, and others may seem less obvious. Children can experience difficulties with their peers and teachers, difficulties in interpersonal relationships; difficulties with impulse congee and emotional regulation, or any number of other issues. Sometimes, children experience more severe issues such as physical or sexual abuse and violence. All of these experiences can often be painful and confusing for children to endure, and can result in behaviours such as angry outbursts, frequent crying, changes in mood, or change in sleeping and eating habits.

Children have a lot of wonderful feelings and a lot of layered needs. My work is grounded in understanding these principles. My goal is to create a safe and inviting environment in which children can experience the full range of their emotions and engage in meaningful activities designed to help them attain higher self-esteem, better mood, lower anxiety levels, better interactions with others, and more successful adjustment to various environments.

Children communicate through play; this is their language. I utilize many play therapy, art therapy, and music therapy techniques to help children connect with themselves and their feelings in honest, safe, and adaptive ways. Much like adults, children are often connection and meaning oriented. My work with children is grounded in prioritizing the building of nourishing connections. This allows me to ensure that I offer children the safety and care needed to help them process their struggles in ways that are conducive to healthy and positive outcomes.

I have experience in the following areas:

This is a non-exhaustive list

Bullying and being bullied
Suicidal ideation
Sexual trauma
Self-harm
Adoption

Physical trauma
Academic performance issues
Concentration and hyperactivity
Anger and aggressive outbursts

Body image
Self-esteem
Grief and loss
Illness in family
Gender identify

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to set up an appointment.

I have experience in the following areas:

THERAPY
FOR CHILDREN