I provide short and long-term therapy to children.

 

I mainly utilize play therapy to assist children, but tailor my approach to the need and level of maturity of the child client. To ensure this, at least one initial session is spent with the caregivers to obtain an in-depth understanding of the child’s history and the presenting problem.

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Play therapy is an effective way of helping children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings. In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language. Through play, I aim to help my child clients process difficult experiences/traumas and learn more adaptive behaviours when there are emotional or social deficits. I also focus on forming a safe, comfortable and trusting relationship with the child that can provide a corrective emotional experience necessary for healing. Play therapy may promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of the child’s inner struggles.

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Throughout the process, I meet regularly with the child’s caregivers to work with parents to understand and support their child. For younger children a parent-child psychotherapy model might be considered, where both the parent and the child are present in sessions and the therapeutic space is used to work on the bond between them. Parent guidance can also be very effective as a standalone intervention with certain difficulties (please visit the Parent Guidance page to learn more).

 

The length of sessions is dependent on the child’s level of maturity and can vary from 30 - 50 mins in duration. I generally meet once a week with my child clients.

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The psychotherapy I offer can be helpful with:

• Adjustment or major changes in child’s home, family or school environment

• Trauma

• Relationship or bonding difficulties (with parents, peers, and/or teachers)

• Anxiety, fears or phobias

• Depression

• Self-esteem

• Bereavement or loss

• Academic problems

• Acute/chronic illnesses or hospitalisations

• Bullying

• Difficulties with bladder and bowel control (enuresis and encopresis)

• Disruptive behaviour

• Anger

• Abuse

• ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) symptoms

• Emotional dysregulation

• Self-injury

• Etc.