Child and adolescent services
“I believe that counselling is an opportunity for your child to fully express themselves in a way that feels right for them, through attuned relationship, play, movement, story, art, and language-so they get back to feeling their authentic best.”
Nicole provides knowledgeable and caring support to children and youth experiencing social-emotional challenges. She will help you and your child or adolescent through divorce, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, bullying, frenemies, self-harm, gender and sexual identities, school troubles, aggression, suicidal thoughts, attention and focus, addiction, abuse, birth trauma, medical trauma and other types of trauma like falls and crashes.
Nicole also provides effective treatment for test anxiety and and can help your child grow into their true potential by working through athletic or creative blocks.
The Play Therapy Process
Intake session
Prior to beginning play therapy or after the first play therapy session, I meet with one or both parents for a 75 minute intake session without your child present. This way we can speak freely about your concerns. I will explain the play therapy process in detail. We will collaborate on how to best support your child at home, school and other environments and identify achievable and measurable goals.
I will discuss topics specific to your concerns so you can better understand your child’s emotions and behaviour.
I do not provide parenting assessments or court documents.
Child SEssions: frequency and duration
It is best to bring your child weekly for a minimum of 6 to 12 sessions to effectively create significant, long-lasting change.
Depending on the age and needs of your child, I ask that parents drop their child off for their play therapy sessions. Parents then join at the end of session for 20-30 minutes to discuss the session, tidy up and say our goodbyes until next time.
Children usually really enjoy showing their parents what they got up to in the playroom.
Parent Sessions
After the Intake session, I ask that parents book sessions with me after the 3rd, 6th and 10th Play Therapy session to discuss progress towards our goals and to problem solve ongoing stuck issues.
In parent only sessions, we will discuss specific parenting strategies for children who are stuck in such things as alarm, opposition, frustration and defence.
Parents are people too♡ you have your own developmental history, stresses and life demands. I believe it is crucial that you feel supported throughout this process.
What do I say to my child about coming to therapy?
Most children do not need much more than this as an introduction:
"You are going to have your very own special play time to do whatever you need to do to feel great."
If your child needs more, you can add things such as:
“The place where you are going has a room full of toys and equipment to bounce, crash and swing on. You get to play with whatever you want while you talk. I also met the person you are going to play with and she is really fun and is excited to meet you."
If there is resistance, validate them and say:
"I hear that you do not want to go and I understand that you are a little nervous. I believe you. And, it is really important for you to have your own special time, so we are going to go and check it out."
