Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Barrhaven, ON.

Sandra Forbes, Relationship Solutions helps parents help their children. Challenges faced by children are addressed by understanding the child and people involved and the family. In some situations the children who come to Relationship Solutions have been diagnosed with for example aspergers syndrome, ADD or ADHD. They also may have no diagnosis and yet there are challenges identified. How parents work with their children in a way that works best for all family members (including themselves!) is where we focus. We are experts at Identifying family patterns that are working well and others that were once effective and may need now to shift.

Children can often exhibit externalizing or internalizing behaviors when they are unable to express themselves or process/cope with their feelings and emotions. Therapy can be a safe space for children to make sense of their feelings through creative and engaging means. Depending on age, working with young children can entail working with parents on how to best support their child in what they are going through and to give parents a space to reflect on the kind of parent they want to be while expressing concerns or personal challenges they may be experiencing. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to ensure we are a good fit.

I work virtually and in-person with children and adolescents. Parents have told me that their children are more emotionally regulated and, overall, happier, as a result of therapy. The initial session is free so there is little risk in reaching out to schedule a session to determine if I am a good fit for your child. I offer in-person therapy in Orangeville (Mondays) and Inglewood (Fridays and Sundays). I offer virtual appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings as well as Sunday mornings and afternoons.

Children can be impacted by transitions and traumas in their lives. When they don’t know how to cope, the stress can build up. I provide safe and compassionate counselling where the child can talk about their feelings without the fear of being judged, better understand why they feel this way and learn strategies to move forward. I help children express their feelings and emotions through the lenses of play and art therapy combined with cognitive behavioural therapy for children. examples of common problems that can be addressed in my therapy: -bullying -loss/grief separation/divorce -depression, anxiety and panic -attachment disorder -behavioural challenges -learning difficulties

I have extensive experience working with young children and youth who are survivors of trauma and/or struggle with mental health. While I typically focus on clients 14+, I will gladly work with parents and their children who need support. I'll initially meet with the parent/guardian, and then parents are welcome to join initial sessions with the child if that is preferred. Parents are always part of mapping out plans for care for children/youth under 14.

Children and youth may need a neutral, safe place to express themselves. Therapy can help healing, develop coping skills, and relieve stress. If you notice a change of personality, loss of pleasure in enjoyable activities, sleep difficulties, withdrawal, fears and anxieties, or a behavioural regression, therapy might be recommended. When dealing with children and youth using the least invasive method is proven to be the most effective. Accordingly, if possible, I like to counsel the parent(s) to help the child, and only meet with their child if required or if it is requested by the child.

Children need safety, nurturance, affirmation, structure, and guidance to gain a positive sense of self, of others, and of the world around them. Centre for Interpersonal Relationship psychologists and clinicians assist children to develop a positive self-concept. Through our work, we help children build a more positive view of themselves and improve their capacity to connect and relate effectively with others in their home and school environment.

I can work with children over the age of 6 to process difficult feelings that stem from situations of abuse, neglect or who have had a lack of consistency in their upbringing. I will utilize tools such as drawing pictures and I will use other objects to represent feelings to teach the skills to your child in a less traumatic way. I also work on the early teaching of anxiety reduction skills with your child to better allow them to cope with their feelings. I also believe in your involvement as a parent because you know your child best and all these skills need to be practiced at home with you and your child!

Based on the evidence-based research, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is typically implemented when working with young children. EMDR is adaptable and suitable to children as young as two years old and has shown to be effective in treating a number of presenting concerns in children including anxiety, depression, trauma, pain and sleep disturbances.

One of our lovely psychotherapists, Anna, is passionate about supporting children, youth, and young adults, as well as their parents. As a psychotherapist and a teacher, she is interested in supporting children and adolescents with challenges related to school, including academic success, special education needs, bullying, self-esteem and peer relationships. She draws on various interventions, theories, experiences and techniques to support our young clients well, including art therapy, movement based psychotherapy and dialectical behavioural therapy.

Children can experience various challenges that can impact their mental health. Therapy can offer children a safe space and a listening ear while providing different tools and skills to support them in creating change and alleviating distressing emotions and feelings. When working with young children, I seek to get to know them and create a caring, safe and interactive environment where they can explore and learn about their feelings, work through difficulties, better understand themselves and others and learn new ways of engaging with themselves and the world. Schedule a free consultation with me to see if we are a good fit.

While I do not work with youth under the age of 16, our clinic has many child and family therapists who are availability to schedule a free consultation. Since children are often impacted by family dynamics, we often find the most effective way to work with children, ages 6-11, is within the context of family therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with one of our child and family therapists by visiting https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/services/child-and-family-therapy