Childhood comes with a lot of big feelings and big events, and kids don’t always have the tools to process them on their own. Sometimes it’s a specific event, like a family change, a loss, or something overwhelming that happened at school. Sometimes it’s less specific, just a pattern of big emotions or behaviours that feel hard to understand or manage, for your child and for you.
Whatever brought you here, you don’t have to figure it out alone, and neither does your child. Our therapists work with kids using approaches suited to how children actually process experiences, including play therapy, art therapy, narrative therapy, CBT, and EMDR for children who’ve been through something traumatic. The right approach depends on your child, their age, and what they’re working through.
Parents are part of this process too. We work with you alongside your child, helping you understand what’s going on for them and how to support the emotional or behavioural changes you’re seeing at home.
Signs Your Child May Benefit From Therapy:
- Big emotional reactions that seem hard for them to manage
- Changes in behaviour at home or at school
- Difficulty adjusting to a family change, such as separation, divorce, or a new sibling
- Trouble processing a difficult or overwhelming event
- Difficulty with peer relationships or new social situations
- Physical complaints, like stomach aches or headaches, with no clear medical cause
Child Therapy Can:
- Give your child a safe, age-appropriate way to process emotions and experiences
- Help your child build skills to manage big feelings and reactions
- Support your child through a family transition, using an approach suited to their age
- Help process a difficult or traumatic event, using tools like play therapy or EMDR
- Support you as a parent in understanding what’s going on and how to help at home
How do I know if my child needs therapy, or if this is a normal stage?
Kids go through phases, and not every big emotion or behaviour change means something is wrong. It’s worth looking closer if changes are sudden, ongoing, or tied to a specific event, or if your child seems to be struggling more than they’re able to cope with on their own. A conversation with one of our therapists can help you figure out if support would help.
What does therapy actually look like for a young child?
Therapy for kids doesn’t look like sitting and talking the way it might for adults. Depending on your child’s age, sessions often use play, art, or storytelling as the main way to process feelings and experiences, since these are the tools kids are naturally comfortable with. Your therapist will choose an approach that fits your child specifically.
Will I be involved in my child’s therapy?
Yes. Parents are an important part of the process. While your child needs their own space to work through things with their therapist, we also work with you to help you understand what’s going on and how to support your child’s progress at home.
