Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in St Marys, ON.

Is your child not functioning as you think s/he should at her/ his age? Within a friendly, clean environment, Adela can assess your child, as s/he plays (Theraplay) and chats with her/ him. Adela believes that every child has the right to feel secure, safe and fully alive. Learn how to recognize what your child needs, and how to discipline in an effective way. Learn to create healthy and loving boundaries and have a "good enough", gratifying and ongoing parent/ child relationship, that will set the stage for the dynamics during many years to come.

Working with children involves a combination of art, play and novelty. A child's way of problem solving is very different from an adult's. One element that is key, is to ask the child how they view the problem and what they think would make it better.Children are creative and spontaneous and often have similar solutions to their problems. It is important for the therapist to support their ingenious and inventive resolutions. The next step is communicating these ideas to parents and to help them put it into action.

When our young children are struggling, the best route for support is to work with you, the parents first. Together we explore the challenges your little one is up against and we can discover new ways to support your child. We can support you to help your child navigate the challenges they are up against. Your relationship with your child will grow as you grow your confidence to guide them through the difficult terrains. If it makes sense to meet with your child in the process we will, but through our experience supporting you, the parent is the most effective route!

I have worked with children as young as 5 years old who have seperation anxiety, been abused, have FASD, or come from divorced and/or seperated families. These little people are sponges of their environment and display through spontaneous action what they are trying to cope with in their life. My approach is to help them cope with their emotions through play/art, breathing/relaxation exercises, and listening to their story in order to make sense of thier reaction. It is also imperative that I bridge the gap between keeping the child's confidence while communicating to their caregiver how to help the child on a daily basis.

I have 20 years experience working with children experiencing a variety of life stresses. I use art and play to help children express their emotions and explore solutions. I meet with the child then include the parents to ensure everyone is on board with improving the emotional health of the family home. Home should be a safe place where you can relax and rejuvenate to conquer the world. Educating children and their parents about emotional and behavior solutions, lets them talk through problems to enjoy each other.

I believe that being a parent is a very tough job. Parents often feel powerless and seek to control their children with shame, guilt and fear. I believe that children need firm, consistent rules and clear, transparent rewards and consequences to guide their behaviours. I am very creative in designing methods of child management that are particular to your child and your family.

I work with children 5 years of age and older. Most challenges facing children are situational-environmental. My approach is based on what children require and respond to: respect, patience, calm and playful resourcing. Young children usually know exactly what their troubles are and need a safe, supportive, opportunity to express themselves. Given secure trust, they are creative and open about collaborating toward realistic solutions. Essential to my work with any child is engagement with their primary care-takers as well as relevant collaterals involved, to ensure that a lasting "circle of care" is established.

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

Children many times don't have the cognitive abilities to understand why they feel the way they feel, which means it is very difficult to express their experiences verbally. Children also do not experience trauma, depression and anxiety the same way adults do. Sometimes their fears, stress and sadness can actually lead them to act out, act inappropriately, be angry, become hyperactive, etc. I provide a safe space for children to process their experiences in their way and allow them to communicate their feelings, their way.