You’re just a parent, standing in front of a child, asking them why on earth they put a bead up their nose…
Parenting Strategies
If you would like to better understand your child’s behaviours, or need strategies to support them as they work through a difficult experience, I can offer parenting support tailored to your specific needs.
My perspective is based in Attachment Theory (not to be confused with Attachment Parenting) which means that I believe that the parent-child relationship should be built on relationship and respect. From my years of experience as a children’s therapist, I can offer insight into your child’s development and how they may be experiencing the world. I can also share specific strategies to use with your child to help you both regulate emotions, gain perspective, and move forward together as a family.
My knowledge and experience is best-suited for parents of children from infancy to age 12.
Mealtime Support
Feeding kids can be stressful. Maybe your child’s food preferences change with the wind, or you’re having to cater to multiple children who all want something different. If you’re starting to dread mealtime, I can help!
Using Ellyn Satter’s feeding models, we’ll work together to cultivate a positive mealtime experience for the whole family. We will start by chatting about your history and experience of food and mealtimes, and then discuss evidence-based techniques that can help take some of the stress away. I will assist you in setting loving boundaries around food that are in line with your child’s development, and support you as you consider (or reconsider) your own ideas about and relationship with food.
Note: Mealtime support services are not appropriate for children with disordered eating or nutritional concerns. If during your initial consultation it becomes clear that you would be better supported by a designated feeding therapist or registered dietician, I will gladly provide a referral for those services.
Children’s Mental Health
Children’s mental health is how I got started in my career, and is something I still love. Children are funny, insightful, and eager to learn, and they naturally relate to art and storytelling. They also feel things deeply and may not have the language to express themselves. By using art and play, and involving you in the process, we can work together to build your understanding of your child’s experience along with their understanding of themselves!
My services are best suited for children ages 5-12.
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Sometimes kids have very big emotions that can erupt in unhelpful ways. The first step in regulating these emotions is to give them the language to express themselves! We can work together to build your child’s emotional vocabulary and understanding of their emotional experience to make regulation more accessible.
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A traumatic experience is generally understood to be a moment when we perceive our life or the lives of people we love to be in danger. Sometimes the perception of danger can stay with us, and affect our day-to-day life in negative ways. If your child has experienced a traumatic event and is struggling to function, therapy may be beneficial.
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Anxiety can be a tricky companion- while it can warn us of danger, it can also take over and get out of control. By exploring your child’s experience of anxiety, we can work together to take away some of its power.
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Grief is not a disease- it’s a natural part of being human. But for kids, grief and loss can sometimes be confusing and scary, and can bring up a lot of questions. Accessing therapy can provide an outlet for your child to share their experience and explore their understanding of death and grieving.