Child Therapy

As parents, we want our children to feel confident, connected, resilient, and able to navigate life’s challenges in healthy ways. While childhood can bring many joyful and meaningful experiences, it can also come with challenges that may feel overwhelming for both children and families at times.

Today’s children are growing up in a world shaped by increasing academic expectations, busy schedules, social media, online communication, screen time, video games, and fewer opportunities for in-person connection and unstructured play. These pressures can sometimes contribute to emotional overwhelm, social isolation, school avoidance, family conflict, or difficulties with confidence and resilience.

At Willow Tree Psychology, we provide evidence-based therapy for children ages 8 and up in a warm, supportive, and developmentally sensitive setting. Our experienced psychologists, psychotherapists, and clinical therapists work collaboratively with children and families to better understand the factors contributing to a child’s struggles while helping them build confidence, emotional awareness, coping skills, resilience, and healthier ways of managing emotions and behaviours.

Our clinicians draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Children (DBT-C), mindfulness-based therapies, attachment-based work, Collaborative Problem Solving, parenting support strategies, and other integrative approaches depending on each child’s needs.

Children Commonly Seek Support For:

• Anxiety and Excessive Worry

• Separation Anxiety and Selective Mutism

• School Refusal and School-Related Stress

• Emotional Regulation Difficulties

• Behavioural Challenges and Aggression

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Executive Functioning Difficulties

• Anger and frustration

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Intrusive Thoughts

• Perfectionism and Self-Criticism

• Mood Difficulties and Depression

What Can I Expect?

We understand and appreciate the care that must be considered when working with children. The first session often includes parents so that the presenting concerns may be fully identified. Depending on the age and comfort level of the child and parent, the therapist may then meet with the child and parent together or meet with the child alone. Sessions with children often involve some warm-up time for your child to feel comfortable. The therapist will periodically meet with parents alone in order to discuss progress in treatment- as well as to discuss strategies for how to help your child at home. In the case where parents are separated or divorced, both parents must provide consent for the appointment unless otherwise specified by the court.