Counselling

In simple terms, counselling is the process of connecting with a therapist who can help you to sift through your mental stress, process emotions and work on creating new strategies and habits to feel more on track and positive. It is confidential and supportive and intended to help you resolve personal challenges. Counselling allows you to feel heard and validated without judgement.

The number one factor to your success with counselling is your connection with the therapist. We are proud of our staff and only hire professionals we feel confident will offer a safe and effective alliance. Our Family Coordinators will help assess your needs and match you with the right fit. And if the connection is not 100% right, we will help to find a better one.

Our therapists have specialities in working with young children, teens, families, parents and adults. Counselling with young children is not simply the same process as with counselling adults, the connection and rapport are critical. Therapy with younger children requires special modalities such as play therapy or DBT as well as a keen understanding of the developmental process.

Here is What You Can Expect

Children 11 and Under

We typically begin with an intake meeting with primary caregivers, and we welcome all parental figures to attend. From there, your child’s therapist will meet with them directly to continue building a full picture of what’s going on. Together, we’ll create a treatment plan, with ongoing follow-up and parent support sessions built in along the way. In the early stages, we recommend weekly sessions to help build momentum. Sharing updates with your child’s therapist between sessions is genuinely helpful, it lets us tailor each session to whatever’s happening at home that week.

Counselling for this age group often includes therapeutic play alongside parent guidance sessions. Having parents involved makes a real difference, since it helps what’s learned in session carry over into everyday life at home. We share information openly with caregivers, while still protecting the safe, private space your child needs in the room.

Rapport is everything at this age, kids need to feel comfortable and motivated to show up and participate. We use games and activities to build that connection, all while working toward real assessment and treatment of your child’s needs.

For this age group, a parent or legal guardian signs the consent to treat and confidentiality forms. In cases of separation or divorce, we ask that both parents sign consent, or that we receive a copy of the custody agreement confirming sole decision-making rights.

Ages 12–17

Parental involvement is encouraged at any age, however, once a child is 12 years old, they are required to sign the confidentiality agreement and are in control of what and how they participate in the therapy. Therefore the flow of communication will depend on the will of the child and the needs for each family. A child needs to feel safe in sharing details and feelings and so confidentiality is central to this process. In the event there is anything disclosed that indicates a risk for suicide or other issues of safety, this confidentiality will be suspended so that parents or outside agencies can be brought into the discussion. This will always be done with the utmost respect and goal of maintaining the child’s trust with the therapist.

Similar to sessions with kids under 12, we start the process with an intake meeting with the primary caregivers and welcome all parental figures to attend. For families of teens who would rather the teen attend this first meeting, that is ok too. Teens are also welcome to initiate the process and attend the intake on their own. Following the initial appointment, the therapist will continue to build the assessment picture. From there, a treatment plan will be made; follow up and parent sessions will depend on the needs of each child/teen and the nuances for confidentiality needed to make therapy a safe space for the client.

Therapists will share updates that satisfy ongoing communication with parents, while also respecting the child’s request for confidentiality. This line can be challenging, but most often, updates can be shared that are adequate to involve parents, but brief enough that the child feels respected and safe. As well, there are many instances when the child encourages full disclosure to help involve parents and help make them aware of the challenges they are facing.

18 and Up

Turning 18 opens up an exciting new chapter, and sometimes a daunting one too. Canoe specializes in supporting young adults through this transition. Clients 18 and older can book directly with our clinic without any parental involvement required. That said, we’re always happy to include parents in the process when the family wants that, it’s entirely up to the client.

A Few Important Notes

  • Session length: Our counselling sessions run 50 minutes, which allows time for notes and follow-up afterward.
  • Separation or divorce: We require either both parents’ consent, or a custody agreement confirming sole decision-making rights.
  • Our team: Our therapists include both Social Workers and Psychotherapists, each registered with their respective College in Ontario. If you’re planning to use extended health benefits, it’s worth checking in advance which professional designations your plan covers.
  • Staying in touch: We’re glad to connect with parents by email or phone (always with confidentiality as our guiding principle). If an exchange runs longer than 15 minutes of a therapist’s time, we ask that it be booked as a half or full session.
  • In a crisis: We are not a crisis centre. If you’re worried about suicidal risk, please call a crisis line, dial 911, or go to your nearest hospital right away.
  • Please reach out to your therapist directly if you have concerns about suicidal thoughts, or if you notice changes in mood or worry at home, we want to know.

Resources for You and Your Family

Our Commitment to a Safe Space

Canoe Therapy is committed to providing a safe, secure, and respectful environment for every client and staff member. Words or actions that make others feel threatened or demeaned will not be tolerated, and we will always take decisive action to protect our clients and our team.

Virtual Sessions

We offer virtual sessions as an alternative to in-person care whenever that’s a better fit. If you’re joining virtually, please make sure you have a private space and headphones on hand to help protect confidentiality.

A Note on Substance Use

For every client’s safety, especially our teens, we ask that sessions not take place if a client is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Work with a specialized team member at Canoe.

At Canoe Therapy, our team of professionals are dedicated to one common goal: helping your child to thrive, be confident, happy and successful in life. Get in touch with one of our passionate counsellors.