Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Wellington, AB.

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.

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.

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.

With very young children, we feel that it is more important to spend our time working with parents- helping to build their capacity and strengthen their parenting skills rather than having a psychologist work directly with a very young child. We coach parents and teach them new behaviour management strategies that they can implement at home.

I have specialized training in Play Therapy and years of experience supporting children through play-based approaches in both school and community settings. My background includes working with children facing trauma, anxiety, attachment disruptions, and emotional or behavioural challenges. Through play, I help children express feelings, process experiences, and build resilience in a way that feels natural and safe for them. This creative, developmentally attuned approach allows me to meet each child at their level, fostering healing, emotional growth, and stronger connections with caregivers.

[I OFFER VIDEO SESSIONS THROUGHOUT ALBERTA AND ONTARIO]. I have seen children with various disorders, but mostly those who are 6 years of age and older. I have been a psychologist since 1986, and I have expertise in several approaches. My main approaches include cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and humanistic therapy. BOOK AN APPOINTMENT NOW: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

Most of my experience working with young children has been related to trauma. I find that children are incredibly resilient, and although they may struggle with language there are many ways to provide healing. I use interventions that involve creativity, providing a variety of avenues for the child to express his or her experience. I also use an EMDR with both children and adult clients. EMDR is an integrative approach to healing that allows for treatment to be tailored to the specific needs of the individual, while address the physical, emotional, and mental needs of the client. This approach allows healing to take place on all levels of functioning.

When we talk about mental health, we often don't consider the mental health of young children in our lives. Little ones cope with a lot though, significant changes in growth, changes in daily life, struggles in school, relationship dynamics with parents, siblings, and peers, and more. Help your child to learn to regulate their emotions and gain the tools for life long mental health.

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.

Is Your Child Struggling To Control Their Big Feelings? Are they dealing with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues? Have they been falling behind in school and getting in trouble more than usual? Do you feel like you’re at a loss for ways to help them? Maybe your child is having a tough time managing all the pressures of school, sports, and peer relationships. Perhaps they’re about to become a teenager and struggling to navigate all the changes in their life. Or maybe you recently remarried and your child is having trouble adjusting to a whole new family. No matter what their challenges are, you just want your child to feel happy, confident, and well-adjusted.

In my work with young children I use Play Therapy, incorporated with the integrative approach, in order to prevent or resolve psychological, social and behavioral challenges. During Play Therapy, the children are provided with a safe and nurturing environment, where they are empowered to freely use their natural healing potential. This results in their optimal growth and development.

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.

I love working with children and am passionate about helping them grow into bright and confident young adults. I use play therapy, art therapy and music to help children get comfortable and feel safe, which in itself, is often therapeutic. In addition, I give importance to working with the parents, and keeping them in the loop, as I believe that this relationship is extremely important for the healthy development of the child.