Child Psychologists and Child Therapists in Central Saanich, BC.

Whereas I do not see young children in person in my practice I can be of assistance with many parenting issues. These may involve questions about raising and disciplining and motivating your children. You may be coping with issues concerning the impact of divorce , separation and remarriage on your children. Blending families can introduce difficult child raising and couple issues for you. Please contact me for experienced, practical and understanding help.

I help parents deal with young children in a way that brings more loving and acceptance into their family. I often ask, what is your young child trying to tell you by his or her acting out or misbehaviour or intense emotions. In this way, we can explore together how the child's needs can be met in more positive ways, and how you can model more helpful behaviour and feelings to the child.

Having worked as an elementary school teacher for over a decade, I understand the struggles young children go through at home and at school. I work with children to overcome their anxieties and struggles through therapy not medicine. This often involves parental support at home to reinforce the therapy that happens during sessions. Children are very resilient and can regain their sense of balance in life more readily and quickly than adults!

Andee Dale provides counselling for children online or in person (Duncan, BC). Andee has an extensive background working with children and youth, and believes all children have the capacity to engage meaningfully with the people and world around them. Her commitment to offering space where children feel seen, heard, understood and safe allows Andee to connect with children of all ages. Her counselling approach allows for children to develop and strengthen skills that they can use to engage with family members and friends, at school, and in other settings.

When working with Children and Teens I like to use an activity-based approach. This means we may use play, art or games to facilitate conversations and learn new skills. For example, if a child likes to create imaginary characters, we may use play to create new characters and have them face the challenges that the child is facing. We will then introduce tools to help the characters cope with those challenges.

I have been working in the education field since 1998 as a teacher and more recently as a counsellor. I have training and counselling experience in the areas self-regulating emotions, self-regulating learning, developing friendship and empathy skills, addressing bullying, communicating with parents and adults, transitions, anxiety and depression. It is a privilege to provide interventions and counselling process to young people who have much life and experience ahead of their futures.

As a family man, I'm seriously passionate about the importance of family and hope to support families in my private practice struggling with hopelessness, break downs in communication and lack of boundaries and clear expectations in the home. If you're looking for help improving the environment in your home, please reach out for a free consultation.

Children are resilient. They have an amazing way of adapting to change in the world around them. When a child has lost their ability to adapt or is no longer able to cope and manage their world, a multitude of behaviors can manifest. This can be scary and frustrating for the parent or caregiver and can be equally difficult for the child. We understand and appreciate the struggles that children face today and how challenging parenting can be. We will work together to uncover the underlying issues and recreate harmony for both the child and/or parent. In a warm and understanding environment we will use a variety of techniques, customized to your child'd individual needs.

I treat children who present with ADHD. We would discuss strategies that work to provide support for your child to succeed in school, be happy socially, and improve their overall daily function. By accomplishing these goals, it would improve their self esteem and give them confidence in themselves to be successful. Additionally, we would use the creativity that comes with the ADHD brain to its full potential. Symptoms often include: struggle with time management, outbursts, talking excessively, being impulsive, forgetful, fidgeting, and many others. Using behaviour therapy techniques, such as CBT, we would jointly create a plan that is feasible, and address many symptoms.

Play is the language which most young people speak so I will include playful interactions to establish rapport and allow the person to express and explore their world with me. My approach may include puppet play, games, and symbolic story-telling. usually I will meet with the parent first to find out about the backfround, history, and perceived difficulties in the child's life.

Children, like adults, can be affected by anxiety, stress, pressure and self-esteem issues. It can be very challenging for children to balance a busy lifestyle of sports, school, friends, and personal growth. It can also be very challenging for parents to watch and support their child as they struggle. We use child play therapy as a great tool to support young children in expressing their inner thoughts and feelings, while also creating tools and strategies for how they can cope with things better. We will also work with the parents, as needed to better understand their child and learn tools on how to support them.

With the exception of abuse or extreme attachment trauma, the support I can provide for young children is directed at the parents. As young children are rarely in control of their environments, and are unlikely to have developed the appropriate Executive, Language, Emotional Regulation, Cognitive Flexibility or Social Skills for talk therapy (even augmented with play, art and music), parents are supported in collaboratively working to help develop these skills in their children, instilling perceptions of capability, purpose and significance, and personal power. Parents are encouraged to be kind and firm, emphasizing respect and connection.

My approach to counselling children is rooted working with the parents. Incorporating principles of attachment theory, I recognize the significance of secure emotional bonds in a child's development. I aim to address any attachment-related concerns with parents directly which will support the child in developing healthy connections. I tailor interventions with the parents to meet the unique needs of each child. Through exploration of emotions, coping strategies, and building resilience, children benefit from a supportive environment that facilitates their emotional growth and overall well-being.

Critically important with youth is to build rapport through an interest shared by them and often this is better achieved through conversation. I work with kids who are verbal and who are open to counselling, usually youth or teens. Once rapport and trust are established it becomes possible for the child to share information very sensitive to them, and this openness allows problems such as depression, anxiety, ADHD to be understood and addressed.