Therapy for Children, Teens and Families

Life is stressful and complex for many youth.  Anxiety, depression and other emotional or behavioural difficulties are common.  There are many factors that contribute to children’s struggles including family breakdown or blended family dynamics, bullying, stress, over-use of technology, loss or trauma as well as genetic and temperamental predispositions.

Many parents are concerned about the inter-generational transmission of trauma.  That means that trauma and unhealthy patterns in families are often passed from one generation to the next, even when parents are loving and well-meaning.  For many parents who recognize their own family- based trauma, minimizing what they pass on to their children is an important goal. 

When I work with youth, I prefer to involve parents and/or caregivers.  The reason is that families can become powerful medicine for the child or teen.  Working with the family is empowering and can create positive long-term changes.

As with individual work, I will complete a thorough assessment first and discuss my observations and recommendations with you and your child.  Together, we will decide how to proceed.