Cognitive-behavioural therapy is a relatively short-term, active treatment for a wide range of mental health issues including: depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, panic attacks, perfectionism, procrastination, discomfort in social situations, and self-criticism. CBT has been found to be an effective form of treatment for children, adolescents and adults through decades of clinical trials. The focus of treatment is on identifying how you are thinking, feeling, and behaving in your daily life and then understanding how each dimension of these thoughts, emotions and behaviours impact one another. CBT helps children identify patterns of biases in their thinking, or “thinking traps”, and provides guidance on how to challenge and change these distortions that are negatively impacting their mood and/or behavior. CBT is an empowering treatment that encourages your child to test out ways to challenge negative patterns of thought or behavior in between sessions, during real-life situations and stressors, so that they can increase their competency and sense of efficacy in dealing with emotional issues on their own.

Play therapy is a form of therapy used primarily for children. That’s because children may not be able to process their own emotions or articulate problems to parents or other adults.

While it may look like ordinary play time - it is much more than that. A counsellor uses play time to observe and gain insights into a child’s problems. The counsellor will then help the child explore emotions and cope with unresolved trauma. Through play and art, children can learn new coping mechanisms and how to redirect inappropriate behaviors.

According to the professional organization Play Therapy International, up to 71 percent of children referred to play therapy may experience positive change.

Mindfulness is a commonly used term with many meanings. Here we refer to mindfulness as cultivating a sense of awareness and acceptance of the present moment. Mindfulness-Based Therapies include numerous evidence-based therapies that have been adapted around mindfulness to deal with serious challenges and enhance overall well-being. These therapies are effective for all ages and include: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a range of breathing practices, acceptance strategies to work with thoughts and emotions, and practices in cultivating self-compassion. A large growing body of research shows that training our brain to be mindful, to be aware in the moment, actually remodels the structure of our brain to improve our attention, focus, problem solving, emotion regulation, self-compassion, attunement and connection to self and others, and even alters the way the brain responds to stress.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy was developed to help children who have significant difficulty regulating their emotions and their behaviours. This approach combines behaviour therapy (through skill building) and emotional validation (through fostering acceptance). Your clinician will design a treatment plan based on your child’s needs, which includes targeting pervasive emotional dysregulation and improving interpersonal relationships. Both you and your child will be learning new skills to regulate intense emotions, tolerate stressful events, and improve

Solution-focused therapy is a goal-directed collaborative approach to therapeutic change that is done through direct observation of clients' responses to a series of constructed questions. The concentration is on supporting individuals to move towards the future that they want and to learn what can be done differently by tapping into their existing skills, strengths, strategies, and ideas – rather than focusing on the problem at hand. The therapeutic approach is meant to be goal-oriented and short term.

Other therapeutic techniques we are well versed in include:

Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)

Attachment Parenting

EMDR