Are you looking for support right now? We are accepting new clients and have no wait time to start in-person or virtual therapy sessions. Our hours are flexible with both daytime and evening availability. We provide a caring and supportive place for your child, teen and family to connect, explore and reach their goals.
Child Therapy Children develop various ways of coping with their emotions which can be both healthy and unhealthy. When a child falls into an unhealthy coping pattern you might notice it effects mood, routines, school success, sleep, relationships and extra-curricular activities. If you are noticing that your child is not coping well or there has been a sudden change in their behaviour, contact us to discuss next steps.
After participating in therapy sessions, children report being able to fall asleep on their own and with less fear, feeling calmer, having more confidence with friends and with trying new things, and are generally happier.
Teen Therapy
Teenagers are on their journey towards independence; with this independence you might notice that they are less communicative, argumentative, and less inclined to listen to parental wisdom. This is normal for this stage of their lives; however, if you are noticing big changes in their behaviour or risky behaviour, isolating themselves, refusing to participate in activities they once enjoyed, or moodiness therapy might be the right choice for them. Some teenagers appear to be doing well and approach their parents to request therapy; this is common as the pressures of today's world can weigh heavily on them, and they may not want to burden others with their problems. Therapy provides a space to build on their confidence and strengths and explore effective coping strategies.
Teenagers report that they are less stressed, have better relationships with their families, improved peer relationships, improved their self-awareness and are able to cope better after attending therapy.
Parenting Support
Parenting, as they say, is the most difficult job on the planet. You are learning on the job and the job description changes regularly. Although it can be wonderful and fulfilling, it can also be overwhelming and confusing at times. If you are feeling overwhelmed and unsure if you are approaching parenting in the most effective way, a parent support session(s) might be helpful for you. The session(s) can be used to speak freely about the problem, come up with solutions if needed and discus and practice various parenting approaches and strategies.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidenced based listening therapy that is designed to help regulate the nervous system. It was created by Dr. Stephen Porges who is the founder of the Polyvalgal Theory. It involves listening to 5 hours of specially filtered music that is listened to over a couple weeks or several months or more. Listening occurs either with the therapist or at home with a trusted and safe support person, with daily check-ins from the therapist. It is designed to stimulate the vagus nerve and regulate the autonomic nervous system and aims to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and emotional dysregulation.
SSP has been found to improve self-regulation, social engagement, anxiety, sleep, social and emotional difficulties, auditory sensitivities, processing difficulties, digestion, resiliency, ability to engage in therapy, and focus to name a few. This change can be noticed within minutes or the shift in the nervous system may be subtle and it occurs for up to 7 weeks after completing SSP. Every nervous system is different and every individual can experience different improvements at different speeds.
SSP can enhance or accelerate occupational, physical, speech or mental health therapies. SSP can be added to individual's therapy for $300 +HST or if you are just interested in accessing SSP while participating in other forms of support, please contact us to discuss a personalized plan. Please contact for more details or click on this link for general information: www.whatisthessp.com/ If you think you or a family member might be interested in this please contact us at (905) 464-1029, or ljuba@newdirectionscounselling.ca or book a free 20 minute consultation by clicking on the 'Book An Appointment' button at the bottom of this page.
What to expect in the psychotherapy sessions:
The first session is used to complete paperwork, discuss privacy and confidentiality, answer your questions and start to get to know each other.
The second and third therapy sessions are used to understand the problem better, your individual strengths and skills that you can use to fight the problem and to create your therapeutic goal (i.e. to feel less anxious and sleep in my own bed, or to improve communication with my mother and yell less).
Then we decide how we'll achieve this goal and get started. Achieving your goal means you will be doing some activities at home like practicing new skills and trying new things. We will measure your progress at each session and add or change goals as needed.
The final step is you decide when you are ready to wrap up with counselling; you might feel better after one session, or after a few sessions or you might want several sessions.
Privacy: Therapy sessions are private and confidential unless safety concerns are disclosed. Where someone is at risk of harm or a disclosure of child abuse or neglect, this information can not be kept confidential.
If you have any questions or want more information about psychotherapy, feel free to contact us for a free 20 minute consultation. Phone: 905-464-1029 or email: ljuba@newdirectionscounselling.ca
Cost: $150 +HST per 50 minute therapy session No wait list, clients can usually be seen immediately *we are offering in-person sessions and virtual sessions