Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Strathcona County, AB.

I work with children from the age of 3 to 17. While adolescents are able to engage appropriately in more traditional "talk therapy," younger children do not have the skills to verbally share their feelings or experiences. Instead, they will often work through their issues in more symbolic ways, such as through play. Different types of play are used, such as sandtray play, dolls or puppets, books, art, storytelling, and therapeutic board games. While the child plays, I ask questions and probe for more information, in an attempt to assist the child to share feelings, resolve difficulties, gain a sense of mastery, and problem solve in a healthy manner.

As children we acquire non-nurturing elements in our formative years we can either be raised in nurturing environments or non-nurturing environments. Regardless of which environment we were raised in there are always flaws that get in the way of us being adaptive or feeling like we’re unconditionally supported and loved. There can be themes such as a caregiver being critical or controlling, never being home, or having addictions.

Through play and art therapy, I am often able to engage young children and explore their problematic thoughts and feelings. I take great pride in working with the individual strengths and weaknesses of children to help them better process difficult situations and change their behaviours. Supportive parenting strategies and psychoeducation are often vital to long-term success with children.

BOOK APPOINTMENT NOW: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112 Please note that I  live in Calgary so most of my clients live here, but I do offer online counselling through a secure service made specifically for physicians and psychologists (similar to Skype or FaceTime). Most people find this as helpful as seeing me in person. You must live in Alberta, however, as this is the only province in which I am licensed to practice. With 31 years of experience, I have expertise in several approaches. My main approaches include cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, and existential therapy. I am also familiar with solution focused therapy and oth

Our therapists can help your kids to • Grow strong and face tough situations without losing confidence • Manage all types of moods and behaviours effectively • Increase self confidence and learn to overcome stress and suffering • Learn to create a good relationship with everyone • Develop skills to overcome pain and unhappiness • Improve the relationship with siblings

We have psychologists and counsellors who offer play, and art therapy to assist your child. Therapy can help your child who may be struggling at school, with friendships, adjusting to change, divorce and other difficulties. Art and Play therapy can be especially helpful with autistic, young children, and children and adolescents who struggle with articulating their feelings. Play and art therapy offer a non-verbal mode of expression. Through these treatment modalities children can learn new ways of problem solving, healthier ways of expressing themselves, develop empathy and respect for others.

Children are clearly different from adults, their therapy needs to be as well. Children, especially young ones, are not developmentally able to express their feelings through conversation like adults can. Therapy that allows children to share their thoughts, struggles and experiences in ways they have already mastered are much more effective than those that rely on verbal communication skills. Playtherapy, Art therapy, Sandtray and Theraplay allow a child's imagination to communicate for them. These kinds of modalities help children communicate their inner world in familiar ways, process big feelings and cope with difficult situations and behaviours, definitely a plus for the kiddos!

Therapy for young children provides an opportunity for the parent to work together with the child toward healing. As a parent, your way of being with your child can be a tremendous healing influence, especially when your child is having difficulties. Your place as their primary attachment figure is respected and supported. Tuning into your child's perspective, listening effectively, and being aware of what they need takes skill and careful attention by both counsellor and parent. Child therapy is thus an opportunity to create a safe place for confident and comfortable interactions that support healing for the child.

At SunRise we offer a variety of services for young children. We do play therapy for children, where the focus is on establishing a trusting relationship, where important themes can be processes. We also offer assessments in school psychology, both clinical and psycho-educational. Young children in school, in families and in friendships can have daunting challenges, and we are here to help with transitions, delays in emotional functioning, bullying, and socio-emotional traumas.

After working in Children's Mental Health for many years, I have developed numerous styles and techniques for coaching children and youth. I typically start with play therapy or art therapy to make each child feel more comfortable during their sessions. Collaborative Problem Solving is typically the model I teach each child, in order to minimize conflict at home. This approach focuses on goals for the entire family and teaches optimal parenting techniques.

Parenting is hard and there is so much conflicting information available that it is often even more hard to figure out what the 'best' advice is or what is even trustworthy. I'm not in the business of giving advice, particularly because all children, and all families are unique. However, I have been working with children and families in a variety of settings for over 10 years. By working together to seek a greater understanding of what children's distress is about we can often figure out the most compassionate and helpful approach helping them better manage their experiences.

Children are experiencing serious mental health challenges early in life these days. Whether they have personality issues (low confidence/self esteem issues, need for control, perfectionism ideals) that make them more susceptible to stressful emotional moments or whether they are facing external life factors (school, family, friends, peer pressures, bullying issues) that result in a breakdown of their ability to function successfully, our children need just as much support as adults do. And it is only with the support and encouragement of the significant adults in their lives that our children can overcome these challenges and build the resiliency they need to grow into capable adults.

Childhood is a precious time in each persons life; yet children often experience challenges that are hard to understand and even harder to resolve. My approach to working with children is collaborative and caring. I value the opportunity to work with children towards a happy and fulfilling future. I work with parents, foster parents, and caregivers to provide counselling that integrates all aspects of their child's life. I want each child I see to have the opportunity to flourish, and I work with all areas of the child's environment to ensure flourishing is made possible.