Child, Youth & Family Therapy
Child, Youth & Family Therapy in Kitchener-Waterloo
Supportive counselling for children and teens — and for the families navigating hard moments together. Whether you're a parent looking for help for your child, or a teenager looking for support on your own, you're in the right place.
- Licensed Therapists
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- Age-Appropriate Approaches
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- Online or In-Person
When Children Need a Little Extra Support
Some children go through periods where anxiety, big emotions, or a hard transition are more than they can manage on their own:
- Anxiety and worry
- School avoidance or reluctance
- Difficulty managing big emotions
- Friendship challenges
- Major family changes — separation, a move, a new sibling
- Grief
A note on age: we don't currently have a therapist confirmed to work with children under 12. If this describes your child, please reach out directly — we'll do our best to point you toward the right local resource rather than offer a match we can't yet confirm.
Supporting Teens Through Hard Seasons
A lot of teens come to therapy for reasons that are more common than they might feel in the moment:
- Identity and self-worth
- Social pressure and anxiety
- Academic stress and perfectionism
- Family conflict
- Low mood
- Working through a difficult experience
Family Counselling — When Everyone's Part of the Story
Family counselling is a distinct service from individual child or teen therapy — it focuses on the family system as a whole: improving communication, navigating conflict or a major transition, and supporting co-parenting or blended-family dynamics. It can include some individual sessions within a broader family-focused plan.
Your Role in Your Child's Therapy
This is usually the biggest question parents have, so here's a direct answer:
Under 12: Your therapist will typically share general themes and progress with you, while giving your child space to express things privately within session.
12–16: Confidentiality expands — your therapist will explain what stays private and what they'll loop you in on, usually agreed with your teen upfront.
16–17: Sessions are largely confidential, similar to adult therapy, with safety-related exceptions your therapist will explain clearly.
Regular check-ins with parents are standard practice regardless of age, even where session content stays private.
Age-Appropriate Approaches
Play therapy for younger children, using play as a natural way to process feelings and experiences.
CBT adapted for youth, teaching practical coping tools in age-appropriate language.
Mindfulness and DBT-informed skills for teens navigating big emotions.
Online or In-Person
Both are available. Some young people are actually more comfortable opening up over video than in an office — it's worth considering even if in-person feels like the "default" choice.
Therapists Who Work With Children, Teens & Families
● Accepting new clients MSW, RSW
Works with youth 12+ from a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach.
● Accepting new clients MSW, RSW
Works with adults and youth 12+, including CBT-based approaches.
● Accepting new clients MEd, RP, CCC, CFWA
Supports parenting stress and family dynamics alongside individual work with children and teens.
● Accepting new clients MSW, RSW, PMH-C
Supports parents through every stage of parenting, including re-parenting work.
● Accepting new clients BSW, MSW, RSW
Works with youth 16+ navigating anxiety, trauma, and mental health concerns.
Common Questions
My child won't talk to me — will they talk to a therapist?
Often, yes. Many children and teens find it easier to open up to someone outside the family, especially when that person isn't going to react the way a parent might.
How do I know if my child needs therapy?
There's no single sign — if something feels persistently off (mood, behaviour, sleep, school), or your child is going through a hard transition, it's worth reaching out. You don't need a diagnosis to start.
What if my teen refuses to go?
This is common. A first conversation about it (not the first session itself) can sometimes help, and older teens often respond better when they feel it's their choice rather than something imposed on them.
Do parents attend every session?
It depends on the child's age and the therapist's approach — see "Your Role in Your Child's Therapy" above.
Is what my child shares kept private from me?
Largely yes, with age-appropriate exceptions your therapist will explain clearly at the start. See the section above for the general shape of how this works by age.