Therapy

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist, with the purpose of providing a safe, collaborative and non-judgmental space, in which to explore thoughts and feelings, promote growth, gain insight, and generate alternative solutions to problems.  Therapy may be provided to the child/youth individually, to the family, or to various family members, depending on the issues.  In addition to talking, therapy with children may involve play, drawing and art, and various hands-on activities, which are tailored to the child’s developmental stage.  The goals of therapy include the promotion of resilience, emotional well-being, and mental health; the enhancement of communication and connections with significant others; and the development of adaptive coping strategies.

We provide a range of evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, family systems approaches, attachment-based approaches, collaborative problem-solving, and behavioural approaches.

Some of the common concerns for which we provide therapy include:

  • Mood problems (including sadness, depression, emotion regulation difficulties)
  • Anxiety problems (including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and selective mutism)
  • Behavioural difficulties (e.g. anger and aggression, frequent meltdowns, impulse control issues, ADHD)
  • Parent-child relationship difficulties (e.g. attachment difficulties, conflict, poor communication)
  • Peer relationship difficulties (e.g. bullying, peer conflict, social isolation)
  • Low self-esteem
  • Parenting strategies for handling challenging behaviour
  • Family transitions (separation and divorce, adoption)
  • Trauma and loss
  • Pediatric health conditions (adjustment to chronic pain, diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders; needle phobia; picky eating and food phobias; conversion symptoms; Tourettes)

 

The Therapy Process

 

Therapy begins with an initial intake/assessment phase in order to discuss background information and explore the needs of the child/adolescent and family.  This information is used to determine a treatment plan.  If treatment is considered appropriate, children/adolescents are typically seen once per week or every other week for approximately 6-12 sessions.  Further sessions or long-term follow-up may be required, and this is determined on a case-by-case basis.