Groups are run at various times throughout the year. If you, your child or teen are interested in attending one of the groups listed, please reach out to us by phone or through the website. We can answer any questions you have and can add you to the list to call when it is being held.
- Emotional Expression Group for children ages 10-12.
- Story-telling Group for children ages 8-10.
- Anxiety and Resiliency Group for teens and young adults (ages 13-15) (ages 16 plus)
- ADHD Educational and Support Group for parents
What Groups are Available?
Play Therapy interventions are based on the belief that a child's language is the language of play. These interventions may include art, story-telling, sand tray therapy, therapeutic games, puppetry, and play acting. Emotions and life stories are expressed and told using non-verbal means, or spoken but held within a metaphor.
Play Therapy interventions are best, due to cognitive and language development stage, to allow children (approximately 4-11 years) to express their emotions.
Play therapy, especially art and sand tray therapy, can also be highly effective for adolescents and adults when verbal expression regarding a difficult situation, including trauma, is a struggle.
What is Talk Therapy?
Sand tray therapy is a type of intervention that involves a large tray of sand and a collection of various miniatures. Children, teens and adults are invited to create their world, their feelings and their experiences in the sand tray. It allows people to show themselves when words are not enough or not possible. It allows therapists and the person creating the world to then process what they have created to find meaning, purpose, direction and a place to externalize their experiences in what can feel like a safer way with deeper meaning.
What about Caregivers?
Why Play Therapy?
Talk Therapy includes therapeutic techniques where conversational methods are used to address the issues that an older child or adolescent is bringing forward as a concern for them.
We combine psychodynamic therapy techniques to promote insight and understanding, with cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques to assist in problem-solving.
As appropriate, the support system of each person is defined with them. How to include various supports, whether other family members, friends and/or activities, is an important part of the therapy process.
What is Sand Tray Therapy?
As a caregiver, your role as a partner in the therapeutic process is key.
Depending upon the plan and goals established with you, you may join all sessions or some sessions so that work and goals may be continued in the home, using the attachment and connection you have with your child to assist in progress.
With adolescents and young adults, a plan is established with them, depending upon their wishes, to communicate with and involve family as needed, with health and safety being a priority.
For caregivers who are divorced, we adhere to the rights of the caregiver(s) based on legal custody AND to the rights of the child/adolescent to privacy. We do not get involved in issues of custody.