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Child (age 4-12), Adolescent (age 13-16) & Youth (age 17-18)

Individual Counselling Therapy

     Play is the natural language of children and because of this, a creative process-based approach is the best way to supporting children, adolescents, and youth. My integrative approach is rooted in play and curiosity and is well-positioned to support children, adolescents, and youth in engaging in their own individualized therapeutic process.

 

     Facilitated by the Counselling Therapist, children will be supported in connecting to their curiosity and imagination, exploring, for example, loose parts, play materials, and art media, and invited into engagement with a creative process. The resulting process that unfolds and any pieces of work created through their process (such as artwork, or play structures and artifacts) can be used to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behaviour and challenges, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

 

     A goal of the therapeutic process is integration, regulation, and to make meaning, and to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being. The therapeutic process uses the expressive and self-reflective aspects of the creative process to address issues and challenges across the whole spectrum of human experiences.

 

     My therapeutic approach is holistic and integrative and intends to support a child’s emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Sessions are child-focused and led, meaning they are focused upon the child's fundamental goals brought to the surface through their creative process and become intermixed with both the goals of the parent(s) and the therapeutic goals realized by the Counselling Therapist.

 

Pre/Perinatal Psychology & Infant Mental Health

     The prenatal and perinatal period is from pre-conception through to the first year of postnatal life and is considered the primary period for human development (or primal period) as every part of the being is developed: physical, emotional, mental, relational and spiritual. As humans our life span development is relational, and it is our first and primary relationship which serves an important basis for our later development, creating a blueprint if you will, informing the ways in which we relate to self, other, and the wider world around. 

 

     The attachment relationship is the most important relationship as it supports a newborn infant to not only survive but to also thrive! The attachment relationship is formed between parent and infant through the process of bonding. My focus is on supporting mothers to be and their partners, or new mothers and parents in optimizing their bond with their infant, through the planning or pre-conception phase, pregnancy, birth and during the postnatal period of the fourth trimester and into parenthood.

 

     I provide individualized counselling support to support the transition through fertility and the planning or pre-conception phase, pregnancy, birth, and adjusting to life with a new baby. In addition to this, I offer a five (5) session package for new parents in Infant Massage, where new parents and their infants (0 - 10 months) are guided through the protocol of Infant Massage and how to provide loving touch to soothe and nurture their developing infant. In this package, parents will receive an instruction manual, hands-on education of the technique, a take-home instruction packet and a bottle of massage oil to carry on the massage at home.

 

     During these sessions, you will learn massage strokes in addition to how to listen to your baby through being aware of what your infant cues are, reflexes, and behavioral states, and the different types of infant crying (emotional and physical), and the protocols of asking permission from your baby to begin the massage! It is a special time to bond with and learn from and with your baby, and benefit from how the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) protocol of Infant Massage is centered in supporting the development of healthy attachment and bonding between you and your baby, and in the enhancement of your self-awareness as a parent.

 

Parent Coaching & Consultation Sessions

     I see parents as an integral part of the therapeutic process. Parent Consultation sessions are centered around information gathering and sharing, conversation, and coaching, where parent(s) may meet with Lindsay in person, to learn of insights into their child's creative therapeutic process, and how a parent may integrate into their own skillset how to best attune and match their own child's temperament and needs, within the context of the parent-child relationship, and the home environment. These sessions are centered on supporting parents in how they may best support their child through qualities such as playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy.

 

     When working with children, adolescents, and youth, I meet with the caregiver(s) first prior to beginning my therapeutic work with the child/children. Additionally, throughout the therapeutic process, I encourage the caregivers to remain involved, as I see them as an integral part of the therapeutic process. Sometimes caregivers will be involved actively and directly in sessions with the child, and sometimes they might be observing, and sometimes not. This is dependent on the needs of the child's therapeutic process and the family system. Overall, this helps to establish a positive change in the child, the parent-child relationship, and the family system as a whole. The initial parent consultation and any subsequent meeting is a forty-minute (40) session and occurs without the child/children and is a space for the parent(s) to develop their of self awareness and build upon their skills and capacities to attune and relate to their child in ways that support coming back into rhythm and sync with one another.

Adult Individual Counselling Therapy

     My approach as a Counselling Therapy is to offer the supportive conditions from which an individual may engage in a process of self-discovery and meaning-making; integrate areas of disconnection; deal with conflict; connect with one's inner potential and outer resources; experience congruency between thoughts, feelings, and actions, and other enhancements. 

 

     My philosophy as a Counselling Therapist is very much rooted in the belief that everyone possesses an inner potential, and the wisdom that this potential provides, is all an individual needs to heal and grow. Finding ways to connect to this potential is key to our holistic development across the lifespan, allowing us to grow in connection to what we know, and who we are, living in harmony, and with authenticity. 

 

    I believe that a healthy dose of curiosity, play, and humor (in addition to love) is essential for living a full life. Tapping into these elements through a creative process-based approach is central to my way of working, and may benefit any adult of any age or stage of life.

   

     Engaging in a creative process with the use of simple materials and materials, and bringing openness to discovering through this process of creating, is all you need. 

 

     Each session you will glean something new, and you will likely be surprised at what your individual process reveals to you! I will guide you in integrating, directing and applying this insight into tangible areas of your life. 

Professional Development 

     I support working professionals, such as those in a variety of helping professions (like nurses, teachers, social workers) as well as entrepreneurs, in accessing their creativity as a way to support personal wellness through coping with stress and being able to self-regulate; in developing one's professional presence and mindfulness as a way of increasing their ability to move with change; harness one's imagination and vision to think outside of the box for ingenuity; increased capacity to focus, and to gain traction with projects; increased conscious awareness of one's performance and ethical responsibility in one's occupation; in accessing and harnessing one's creative energy for professional growth. I offer support to your professional development through individualized counseling sessions that utilize a creative process-based approach to support your own learning and development that can ultimately enhance your capacity in your professional work or vocation. 

 

     A workshop format is something I also offer as a way to support professional development, to cater to small groups. Please contact Lindsay to inquire about this if you are interested.

Reflective Practice

     Reflective practice is a way of studying your own experiences to improve the way you work. It is very useful for health professionals who want to carry on learning throughout their lives.

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     The act of reflection is a great way to increase confidence and become a more proactive and qualified professional. Engaging in reflective practice should help to improve the quality of care you give and close the gap between theory and practice. An individualized session can be utilized to support you in a process of reflection and deepening your awareness of your practice and bridge the gap in any area of praxis you may experience.

Investment

drawing of planting tree on soil.jpg
$170 plus GST per 75-minute session
for any individual child, adolescent, youth or adult counselling therapy session
Session fees are based on a 75-minute session which allows a client enough time to settle and enter into connection with their own creative process and engage the process fully before having to transition out of this liminal state. There will be time for reflection and discussion at the end.
$85 plus GST per 40-minute Parent Coaching & Consulting Session
for an individual child, adolescent, youth or adult counselling therapy session

Session fees are based on a 40-minute session which allows a parent or parents to have a dialogue together with Lindsay focused around hearing the voice of the child and their current needs; support of their child's development through increased capacity and skill of the parent(s) to attune to and connect with their child; building awareness around the parent's own innate wisdom and capacity to use acceptance, empathy, playfulness, and curiosity as qualities to enhance and support the attachment relationship.

 

Accepted methods of payment include credit card, e-transfer, and cheque and are due at the end of each session.

please note:

Cancellations & No Shows

  • There is no charge for cancellations made 24 hours or more in advance.

  • Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice, and missed appointments will be billed at the session rate and are not eligible for reimbursement. 

Insurance Coverage: I do not directly bill for sessions

  • Please check with your provider. Each insurance policy and professionals covered under each policy vary. It is your responsibility to explore your coverage through your individual health care plan for counselling services. 

  •  Clients also may choose to use Health Spending accounts or “Health Technologies Not Otherwise Specified” to cover sessions with me if available through your specific employer’s plan.

  •  After your session you will be provided with a receipt that includes my designation and registration number:

  • CCPA: Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) #4609

  • CATA: Professional Certified Art Therapist (CATA-PAT) #12625195

  • Keep your receipts as these can be kept for your records for income tax purposes.

Special Circumstances

  • If finances are a concern, please discuss it with me right away. I will do my best to make fair and feasible arrangements for those experiencing financial difficulties.

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