Child and Youth Mental Health

At ICC, our multidisciplinary team works with children, youth, parents and carers to create a safe and supportive space for children and youth to express thoughts and feelings while accessing healing, health, and resources for coping.  Children and youth may be candidates for therapy for many reasons, such as Selective Mutism, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety, Social Phobia, Trauma, Mood, changes in the family system, being bullied, adjusting to transitions, peer conflict, school avoidance, and family issues ,to name a few.  

We incorporate many approaches to expression including art therapy, play therapy, and activity-based experiences.  Talk therapy is provided for children and youth as appropriate.  We also offer parent supports and involve parents whenever possible.  Service plans and therapeutic approaches are adapted and matched to each individual and family who comes through the door.

Play Therapy

According to Virginia Axline: “play therapy provides an opportunity for the child to ‘play out’ his or her feelings and problems just as, in certain adult therapy, an individual ‘talks out’ their difficulties.”

Are you looking for a counsellor for a child or youth? Registered Clinical Counsellors, interns, and Child and Youth Care Counsellors provide one to one counselling for children with a focus on reducing anxiety, improving mood, enhancing social skills and engaging in problem solving. Using directive and non-directive methods, children can express their innermost thoughts and feelings through a language that feels most natural to them: play. Expressive play therapy and art therapy can be useful tools for children with limited verbal abilities. 

Counselling can also be focused on regulating big emotions through mindfulness techniques, emotion identification, and coping skills.  We enhance the service with parent participation options, including conjoint sessions and parent information sessions.  We welcome children of all ages and abilities into our play space.

Group Therapy

Many of our clients report that adding group therapy to their week has many advantages.  Research has demonstrated that children who engaged with group therapy treatment were better off at the end of it than 73% of those who did not attend.  It helps children and youth feel less alone in their situations. 

Group therapy has been demonstrated to help:

• children and youth feel less alone
• build self-esteem
• kids learn about emotions and how to regulate them
• increase social confidence
• reduce emotional stress
• foster empathy
• kids feel supported 
• develop prosocial behaviour
• make new friendships
• develop assertiveness skills
• kids learn to give and receive feedback
• gain new communication skills

You can find out more about our child and youth groups here.  You can learn more about parenting support groups here.

Who Do I Book With?

Most of our counsellors work with children and youth.  They have specialized training, experience, and supervision.  Our fees for child and youth counselling range from $60 to $140 per session and can be submitted to benefit plans that cover Registered Clinical Counsellors for reimbursement.  Group therapy is $30-$40 per session.  ADHD Coaching services are also available for children and youth.  If you are unsure who would be a good match for your child or youth, book a free consultation with any or all of the practitioners you are interested in connecting with.  Check out their bios here.