Child and Adolescent Therapy

Child and Adolescent Therapy is geared to help children and teens with any issues they might be facing, whether developmental, emotional or behavioural.

• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy emphasizes understanding the issues that motivate and influence a child’s behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. It can help identify a child’s typical behaviour patterns and responses to inner conflicts and struggles.
• Play Therapy involves the use of toys, blocks, dolls, puppets, drawings, and games to help the child recognize, identify, and verbalize feelings. The psychotherapist observes how the child uses play materials and identifies themes or patterns to understand the child’s problems. Through a combination of talk and play the child has an opportunity to better understand and manage their conflicts, feelings, and behavior.
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) helps improve a child’s moods, anxiety, and behaviour by examining confused or distorted patterns of thinking. CBT therapists teach children that thoughts cause feelings and moods which can influence behavior. During CBT, a child learns to identify harmful thought patterns. The therapist then helps the child replace this thinking with thoughts that result in more appropriate feelings and behaviours. Research shows that CBT can be effective in treating a variety of conditions, including depression and anxiety. Specialized forms of CBT have also been developed to help children cope with traumatic experiences.
• Supportive Therapy gives children and teens emotional, psychological, and practical support in order to cope with life’s stressors, identify helpful and unhelpful behaviours, and improve self-esteem.