Counselling
What can we do when our kids get stuck and we feel stuck alongside them?
We can start by making sense of problems at a root level.
Counselling services are available to support parents in understanding how to best help their struggling child or teen, or themselves. We also support adolescents as they transition to adulthood. Counselling services are available to any adult responsible for caring for kids and may include extended family members, step and foster parents, grandparents, educators, or helping professionals. We recognize all forms of families and the diversity that comes with caregiving.
The goal of counselling is to:
The goal of counselling is to:
Put the adults in the driver’s seat in effecting change and making headway with a child or teen
Support teens with the feelings and experiences that come with the transition to adulthood
Make sense of a child or teen at a root level and build interventions from this insight
Provide strategies rooted in developmental and relational science, as well as experience working with diverse families
Work together in the context of your family to find ways to make headway
Who should come to the counselling session?
Our approach to helping kids is by believing that the adults in their life are their answer.
While you may not feel you have the answers to help or make sense of them, we can help fill
in the pieces.
We work directly with the adults who are responsible for taking care of kids and advise that
you do not tell them you are seeking counselling support. Whenever additional
support is considered helpful in supporting your child or teen, we will provide suggestions
and sometimes referrals to other helping professionals.
Counselling for teens is provided in the context of supporting family cohesion as well as
recognizing that sometimes they may need spaces to feel and heal. When providing
counselling for your teen we also ask that the adults responsible for them attend a separate counselling session and get support where available.
Where do the counselling sessions take place?
All counselling sessions take place in a virtual environment and can accommodate multiple
parties from different locations.
Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to see individuals for counselling who reside outside of Canada due to professional licencing requirements and restrictions. Residents from outside of Canada are able to take courses and join online events.
MEET THE TEAM
DEBORAH MACNAMARA
Counsellor, PhD RCC
Deborah has more than 25 years counselling experience in clinical and educational settings. Her prime directive is to help make sense of kids to the adults who are responsible for them, and to come alongside adults and help them be their kid’s best bet.
CHRISTIE MACKIE
Counsellor, MA, RCC
Christie is authorized Neufeld practitioner through the Neufeld Institute. Christie is passionate about her work with families and believes her role is to shed light on confusing and difficult times, while working towards reclaiming or holding onto a child or teen.
CATHERINE KIRKNESS
Counseller, MA, RCC
Catherine has worked in education settings as a counsellor for youth and embraces complexity and diversity, and welcomes clients of all abilities and identities, including BIPOC and LGBTQ2SIA+. Her two grown children continue to keep her mind sharp and her heart soft.
HEATHER BEACH
Counselling Coordinator, BA.
Heather is here to provide you with a kind and caring intake for your sessions and coordinates speaker events for Dr. MacNamara. She has many years of experience supporting and advocating for fairness, for kids with with diverse abilities.
Common Issues Addressed In Counselling
As developmentalists we work with a range of issues in child and teen years including: anxiety, attention problems, the preschooler personality, high sensitivity, bullying, frustration and aggression, learning challenges, peer orientation, school readiness, dominance issues, eating problems, school refusal, discipline, as well as resistance and opposition.
We also support adults in their transition to parenthood and grandparenthood. We work individually with teens, when it comes to emotional health and well-being, identity and becoming a sexual being, friendships and family connections, as well as teen transition to adulthood.
FAQs
Is there a waitlist?
At times we have a waitlist for new families wishing counselling appointments. Priority for counselling appointments goes to current and past clients. If you have taken a class with us you will be considered an existing client and will go on the availability list for next appointments (if you reside in Canada). We also have courses, articles, and infographics available to help explore developmental topics and issues.
Is there a waitlist?
What can I do to prepare for a counselling session?
How long are the counselling sessions?
What is your cancellation policy?
Are counselling sessions covered by insurance?
What are your counselling fees?
Is a sliding scale available?
Explore Courses
Make sense of kids through developmental science and gain headway using evidence based practices.
