Clinical Counselling

• Clinical Counselling:
• Children and Pre-teens Counselling (6 to 12 years)
• Adolescents and Young Adults Counselling (13 to 18 years / 19 to 25 years)
• Adulthood Counselling (26 to 65 years)
• Late Adulthood Counselling (65+ years)
• Couples Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy

Children and Pre-teens (6 to 12 years)

Childhood is an essential and special time for younger people to develop healthy relationships, social and safety skills. These healthy developmental milestones can sometimes be interrupted and negatively affected by several challenges. Some of these challenges that bring children to therapy include traumatic events, parental’ struggles with addictions, postpartum depression, anxiety, and depression. Other early development losses such as adoption, divorce, separation from parent(s) and growing up in foster care can also affect children in negative ways.

Early interventions can decrease difficulties such as challenging behaviors, tantrum and meltdowns and negative feelings and reactions between caregiver and the young person. School, social relationships with peers among academic demands, and parental expectations can aggravate feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, depression and behavioral challenges. The goal is to conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify areas of therapeutic attention and to provide tailored interventions that can restore functioning and well-being.

Adolescents and Young Adults (13 to 18 years / 19 to 25 years)

Adolescence and young adulthood is a unique period in a person development marked by tremendous physical and psychological changes. There is shift that happens between wanting to become independent and the need to remain dependent and connected. This developmental stage can present as a complex period and, in addition, unlimited and unhealthy access to screen time can increase isolation, distractions and possible vulnerabilities which adds a deeper layer to an already very complex development period.

The most common reasons adolescents and young adult seek therapy is due to changes in mood, low motivation, lack of purpose and sense of worth, increased anxiety, early signs of depression, low self-esteem, misuse of alcohol, drugs, overuse of technology, eating disorders, sexuality, and identity as well as conflict with peers, and parents. An assessment and a treatment plan can help foster understanding from the inside out and encourage the young person to develop into their independence with a strong focus on safety, connection, purpose, stronger relationships, and a deeper sense of responsibility.

Adulthood (26 to 65 years)

Adulthood is a period of optimum functioning for most people. Individual’s intellectual, emotional, and social capabilities are at their peak to meet the many day to day requirements of career pursuits, family, and children. However, adulthood can simultaneously present a wide range of stressors that affect a person’s mental health and impact on their functioning.

Some of the reasons, adults seek therapy include anxiety and depression, eating disorders, panic attacks, relationship problems, traumatic events, fears, life transitions, parent-child problems, addictions or coping with someone else’s physical and mental illness. An assessment and early intervention can identify areas that require attention and restore optimum functioning.

Late Adulthood (65+ years)

Individuals over the age of 65 can experience greater understanding, patience and wisdom that comes after years of raising a family and having a career. These are all qualities that can improve life despite the physical changes that aging inevitably brings.

Late adulthood can also profoundly affect appearance, sensations, and motor abilities. Some of the mental health issues involving late adulthood are early signs of dementia, Alzheimer, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, and isolation. At this developmental stage, individuals may ponder on existential issues including living and dying. Compassionate interventions can provide a safe and supportive space for individuals to reflect on these issues, maximize their lives in meaningful and fulfilling ways and to strengthen relationships with loved ones.

Couples Therapy

Feeling connected, bonded and loved to a romantic partner is one of the most fulfilling experiences. However, for varied reasons sometimes couples feel the opposite. Couples can experience issues such as conflict, lack of intimacy, traumatic events, ongoing arguments that get nowhere, financial problems, emotional affairs, infidelities, and further emotional despair. Some couples even experience deep-felt regret and contemplate break up, separation or divorce. The nature of these issues can make for a big challenge to address it outside of therapy. With issues going unsolved, people become lonelier and eventually fall further apart. Whether you come on your own or with your partner, counselling can provide a safe and contained space to tackle issues that hinder deeper fulfilling romantic relationships.

Evidence-based interventions such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) shows that it can help you and your partner to identify conflict patterns, individual attachments needs and healthy ways to respond and reconnect with one another. Couples counselling can encourage you and your partner to move beyond what obstructs you and take the steps required to create lasting changes and a meaningful reconnection.

Family Therapy

Family members are among the most important supports in a person’s life and are often the people who influence development the most. However, challenging family dynamics and lack of insight can lead to serious problems between people. Family counselling is about involving family members in respectful, honest, and patient conversations that produce practical solutions to each family’s member. This form of counselling drives from the understanding that change occurs in systemic interactions between people within a family. It emphasizes that family relationships play a crucial role in psychological health.

Families seek therapy for wide range of reasons, including: conflict between parent and child, family separation, aging parents, cross cultural family adjustment, single parent challenges, transgenerational, cross-cultural blended families, and crisis due to drug addiction and suicide. Evidence-based family counselling can facilitate communication, restore connection, and understanding about the real problematic factors that cause the family’s distress. As a family, possible solutions emerge from each family members’ unique erspective and the family can develop healthier ways of being with one another.

Group therapy can offer remarkable benefits. Becoming part of a therapeutic group can assist with social skills, meeting new people, decrease isolation and realize that often other people also struggle with similar issues. Through group therapy there is an opportunity to also help and to learn from each other. Group therapy also costs less than individual counselling. These are some of the groups offered:

• Mindful Eating Group
• Dialectical behavioral therapy for self-harm teens and young adults
• Women’s Meditation Group
• Mind over Mood Group
• Ways to Manage Anxiety
• Depression Relapse Prevention Plan
• Addiction’s Recovery Group
• Anxiety and Depression Group
• Healthy Relationships Group
• Meditation Group

Please call to inquire additional information of when each group is being offered.

Consultation Services

Consultation informs current mental health needs and assesses for any additional interventions and services required to achieve optimum mental wellness. Consultation ranges to 2-4 sessions. As part of consultation, referrals to well established professionals and/or programs can be made as appropriate.

We work closely with many exceptionally skilled professionals, including specialized clinical counsellors, sleep specialist, nutritionists, social workers, adoption agencies, occupational therapists, behavioral interventionist (BIs), board certified behavior analysts, speech and language pathologist, family doctors, psychiatrists, registered psychologists, educators, and family lawyers.

Successful Coaching

Coaching are for people that are well basically well adjusted, emotionally healthy, functioning effectively and want to make change in a particular part of their lives. Coaching is not therapy, counseling, advice-giving. Coaching is not a replacement for counseling, psychiatric interventions, or treatment for mental condition or recovery from abuse and trauma. Coaching can assist individuals who are not affected by underlying mental health related conditions. Coaching deals mostly with a person’s present and seek to guide into a more desirable future.

Individuals who often seeking coaching are in search of more direct and goal-oriented strategies that help frame, understand, explore and lay out successful plans. People seek coaching for many reasons including:

Self-Leadership:
• Identify and manage priorities
• Handle change
• Find motivation
• Overcome procrastination
• Manage time

Life Skills:
• Set goals
• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Getting organized
• Managing stress
• Acquiring healthy supports

Life Perspectives:
• Seek happiness
• Identify your calling
• Overcoming adversity
• Understanding and using your strengths

After an appointment with a coach, you will leave with an action plan as well as greater sense of focus, support, encouragement, and accountability.