Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Madoc, ON.

Growing up is a unique phase of life, filled with new experiences, challenges, and developmental changes. Navigating this period can feel overwhelming and intense. Our work together will involve exploring these aspects of yourself and processing the emotions that arise along the way. Many young people can struggle to express their feelings and may not feel comfortable sharing with family so speaking with a therapist can feel reassuring, as it offers a safe, compassionate environment where you can express your emotions freely, without judgment or expectations. Book a free 15-minute consultation with me to see if I’m the right fit for you.

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

When doing therapy with young children, my primary goal is to first make them feel safe and comfortable. I use Play Therapy and Emotion Focused techniques to address concerns and help them regulate their emotions to be able to navigate significant changes in their lives. I find that it is helpful to collaborate with parents for a smoother transition of therapy tools into their lives at home. These younger years can greatly impact their adulthood, which makes therapy a useful tool in building long-term resilience. Call today to see if your child’s needs and my expertise are a good fit.

Early struggles with food and body image can be confusing and distressing for young children and their families. I provide a nurturing, age-appropriate space to gently explore these concerns, helping children develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. Parents and caregivers are supported too, learning strategies to foster positive eating habits and self-esteem, promoting long-term wellbeing and emotional balance for your child.

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

In my practice I work with children in conjunction with the parents and sometimes the whole family. Children are often the 'canary in the coal mine' of the family dynamic and become mirrors of challenges individual members or the family as a whole is experiencing. As it takes a whole village to raise a child, it takes a whole family to help a child in distress heal. That is where my working with children begins, addressing the issues of the family.The family is the garden in which they grow, lets make your 'family garden' as healthy as possible so your children will thrive.

Children experience big emotions, even when they don’t have the words to express them. Our child therapists use play, creativity, and connection to help children process difficult feelings, build confidence, and feel safe in their world. Whether your child is dealing with anxiety, tantrums, grief, or school challenges, we work closely with caregivers to ensure that your child feels supported at home and in therapy. Every session is designed to help your child feel seen, heard, and understood.

We have worked with children as young as 3 years of age. We have helped client deal with parenting issues as well as with trauma issues. Often, parents need help understanding why their children are behaving in the manner in which they are and how to help their children cope. Parents need coping skills too, especially when dealing with childhood trauma. With the children I have used therapeutic play as well as social stories. Children are very resilient and can give us all hope for healing.

Counselling for young children can address challenges with behaviour and emotions, trauma, stress, self-expression and problem-solving. Children can face many stressors including bullying and other school stressors, as well as family-related changes such as divorce, a move, illness and death. I include many modalities in therapy with young children, including music, art, play and role-playing.

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

A number of associates at New Leaf Psychology Centre provide services to young children and youth. Dr. Brunet offers attachment based play therapy for parents and their children (ages 0 through 6). This approach facilitates connection between parent and child, and is ideal for parents who are frustrated and/or children who have behavioral difficulties. Dr. Saliba offers dialectical behavior therapy for school age children and teens. She works with children and youth who are anxious, depressed, and/or engage is self-harm behaviors.

It can be especially scary when a child struggles, because it can be so hard for them to communicate and as adults, we often want to protect them from the things that can hurt them. On top of that, we know that the struggles of childhood can go on to affect adulthood. Fortunately, through different types of counselling, such as play therapy and attachment therapy, young children are often able to find a means of communication and are able to express themselves and their struggles.

Children learn by trial, error and parental guidance, and when faced with new situations or expectations, emotions will surface as a normal reaction. Young children have limited communication skills, and often a temper tantrum is the only means to communicate that they need help. However, when severe emotional symptoms develop into an unhealthy pattern, parents should seek professional help. As an Expressive Arts therapist, I enter the child's world of emotions and thinking through play, art and music. Children love to play. It is their language of communication. Let me offer you my help to explore goals, solutions, coping skills and support for your child. 905-842-3626

I do not work directly with young children, but I work with parents who are navigating the complexity of raising them. Parenting often surfaces unresolved dynamics — from one’s own upbringing, attachment history, or relational wounds. Together, we explore how your internal world interacts with the demands of parenting: how stress, burnout, or disconnection may influence how you show up for your children. This work supports parents in creating healthier relational systems at home — fostering emotional safety, attunement, and clarity for both themselves and their children.

There are a wide range of issues that affect children - they are vulnerable to many kinds of maltreatment and increasing stressors in our culture. However children often find it difficult to express their feelings and fears, which means that problems can be left undetected and unresolved. It is helpful then, to seek professional help if a child seems unhappy or distressed. With children, the construction of a trusting relationship between counsellor and client is especially important. Sometimes the counsellor will use puppets or sandboxes or play therapy to allow the child to tell their own story. In a safe trusting environment, the child can find their way towards emotional health.

My approach when working with children under 12 years old is to ensure that they are provided with a positive and safe experience of therapy. I prefer to tailor therapy to their developmental stage by creating a fun environment that may involve play, art, and activities during sessions. Discussions about their interests, skills, and special talents and abilities are at the forefront of our therapeutic conversations to help build confidence and feelings of positivity. My background in relational therapy may invite parents or siblings into sessions as well. Please contact me for a free consultation if you are interested in determining if I would be a good fit for your child/children.

Working with children 6 + brings positive changes to the individual and families. Collaboratively, children and parents can learn to: manage strong feelings (anxiety, stress, sadness, frustration) Recover from and prevent meltdowns, tantrums, or aggressive behaviour Socialize, make and keep friends Learn coping skills, including developing resiliency, during stressful situations

Therapy with young children can be very critical to your child’s future development and emotional health. I provide some structure geared toward the issue at hand but the child also has a chance to explore their feelings in creative ways. Situations many young children come to therapy for include difficulty regulating emotions, parental separation or divorce, grief, withdrawal, trauma, amongst others. No matter what your child is going through, therapy can get them over the hurdle by allowing them to speak out in different ways and discovering coping strategies to get them through.

Working with young children requires a gentle, playful, and creative approach that meets them at their developmental level. In counselling, I create a safe and engaging environment where children can express themselves through play, art, and other age-appropriate activities. These methods help them explore feelings, build coping skills, and develop healthy ways to communicate. I work closely with parents and caregivers to understand the child’s needs and provide consistent support at home. Whether addressing anxiety, behavioural challenges, social skills, or the effects of life changes, my goal is to help children feel understood and strengthen their emotional resilience.

There are a wide range of issues that affect children - they are vulnerable to many kinds of maltreatment and increasing stressors in our culture. However children often find it difficult to express their feelings and fears, which means that problems can be left undetected and unresolved. It is helpful then, to seek professional help if a child seems unhappy or distressed. With children, the construction of a trusting relationship between counsellor and client is especially important. Sometimes the counsellor will use puppets or sandboxes or play therapy to allow the child to tell their own story. In a safe trusting environment, the child can find their way towards emotional health.

With my many years in education I am able and skilled at working with and relating to children and adolescents. Childhood should be a time for healthy growth and development. For many children and teens, it is a time of great emotional stress. Children react to stress in many ways including withdrawal and acting out behaviors at home and school. I am here to help children and families learn the life skills necessary to be successful and happy. Family counseling may help to promote better relationships and understanding within your family. There is no shame in needing support. Family counseling during a divorce, or a child experiencing trauma can help all of you find some peace.

Child therapy utilizes a number of techniques that allow children to express their thoughts, feelings, and conflicts in order to heal and change their maladaptive behaviours and modes of expression. In play, children learn how to express themselves in constructive ways, to control their behaviour, to make better decisions, and to accept responsibility for their actions. When children can communicate or play out how they feel to someone who understands and validates them, they feel better because their feelings have been released and transformed. This also allows them to form a positive and healthy attachment to a caring adult, further enabling them to develop positive feelings for others.

Children are often impacted by family dynamics and for that reason, at Psychotherapy Collective our approach to working with children aged 6-11 is a family based approach. While I do not work with children under the age of 12, we have many therapists on our team who work with children aged 6-11. I encourage you to view our approach to child and family therapy (https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/services/child-and-family-therapy) and schedule a consultation with one of our family therapists to see if they are the proper fit for your journey.

Young children are faced with many issues and challenges including divorce recovery, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions and others. The approach taken is not only a cognitive approach but a practical “hands on” , “activity based” exercise approach. Pet therapy, art therapy and solution and strength based methods are used for the child in order to reinforce certain cognitive methods of thinking. As a professional, I have had extensive training and a lengthy amount of experience (16 years) in dealing with all ages including young child to youth to young adult. Possible other topics include goal building, personality type, career exploration, safe coping strategies and many more

There are a wide range of issues that affect children - they are vulnerable to many kinds of maltreatment and increasing stressors in our culture. However children often find it difficult to express their feelings and fears, which means that problems can be left undetected and unresolved. It is helpful then, to seek professional help if a child seems unhappy or distressed. With children, the construction of a trusting relationship between counsellor and client is especially important. Sometimes the counsellor will use puppets or sandboxes or play therapy to allow the child to tell their own story. In a safe trusting environment, the child can find their way towards emotional health.