Child & Adolescent Counselling

Working with Younger Children

Counselling children and adolescents requires a developmental understanding of how people grow and change throughout the life span. Children learn and develop through curiosity and play and as such, benefit from a counselling approach that allows them to express their rich inner worlds that often cannot be expressed through words alone. In my practice, I use a variety of play-based techniques to help younger children get in touch with their feelings and begin to make sense of challenging life moments.
Concerns that prompt parents to seek counselling for their children are diverse. Anxiety including school refusal as well as depression, difficulty focussing and irritability are common reasons caregivers look for counselling support. Low self-esteem, challenging peer relationships and bullying are also of concern. When working with younger children I prefer to include parents in the counselling conversation as they play a significant role in the holistic development of their children.

Working with Adolescents & Young Adults

Working with adolescents requires an understanding of how the body and mind are changing throughout the teen years. Adolescence is a period of time when the brain is undergoing significant developmental changes. Psycho-education along with cognitive- and dialectical-based approaches work effectively with this age group due to maturing language development and the ability to express oneself orally. I also use a variety of other therapeutic techniques to help adolescents explore feelings, develop a sense of identity, build satisfying and meaningful relationships and solve peer conflicts. Each session is tailored to address the unique needs of the person I am counselling. My approach is collaborative as I value being a part of the learning, growth and healing process.

Family Counselling

Families are dynamic systems that change and grow over time. All family members are intimately connected like figures on a hanging mobile. When one family member experiences a challenge in life, all members of the family are uniquely affected. Taking a family system approach is valuable as it removes blame and shame by redirecting the focus of therapy towards family context. Using a family system lens moves away from the notion that the “person is the problem” to personal responsibility on the part of all members within the family unit. In my practice, family counselling typically involves learning new ways of communicating effectively with one another as well as addresses issues around triangulation and enmeshment.

Living with Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life. How one thinks about stress significantly influences his/her overall wellbeing. Making stress the “enemy” only serves to create a positive feedback loop with negative consequences. The more a person believes stress is harmful, the greater the likelihood of stress becoming toxic within the body. Current research points to the importance of embracing stress, harnessing its energy for personal growth, social connection and physical and emotional wellbeing.
When working with clients who are experiencing the negative effects of stress, I incorporate strategies into the counselling sessions that address their thought processes, behavior and physiological sensations all within an environmental context. I use a variety of techniques to help people recognize and reduce the physical symptoms of stress. Through psycho-education I help clients understand how the body and mind are interconnected. My goal is to teach strategies that help people embrace stress and “to sit with their emotions.” In order to help clients embrace stress in their lives, I use a variety of therapeutic techniques ranging from “bottom up” approaches such somatic experiencing to mindfulness and acceptance therapy. An essential component of my counselling practice also involves delving into the underlying reasons causing and/or perpetuating stressful life experiences.

Wellbeing

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” When working with clients it is important to help them understand that mental health or wellbeing is not just the absence of a mental health diagnosis and that many people who do have a diagnosis are able to live life fully with happiness and vitality. When working with people I stress the importance of life balance and integration and counsel from a holistic perspective. Psycho-education is incorporated into the counselling sessions along with role playing, goal setting, action planning and self-assessment.

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