Child & Teen Therapy
Is Your Child or Teen Struggling? Let’s Help Them Thrive.
Growing up shouldn’t feel this overwhelming. If your child or teen is wrestling with anxiety, emotional outbursts, or sudden withdrawal, it isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a signal they need extra support.
At The Budding Elm, we help young people process complex emotions, build resilience, and discover their full potential in a safe, supportive space.
How We Help
For Children: Using creative methods like play and expressive arts therapy, we help younger children name their feelings, build self-confidence, and learn healthy coping tools—while equipping parents to support them at home.
For Teens: We partner with teens to manage anxiety, navigate social and academic pressures, and build the genuine self-esteem needed to handle life’s transitions.
What We Support
Anxiety, depression, and mood struggles
ADHD, emotional regulation, and behavioural concerns
Self-esteem, body image, and peer relationship challenges
Trauma, grief, and major family transitions
Take the First Step Today
Imagine your child approaching daily challenges with confidence and resilience. You don't have to navigate this alone.
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CBT and play-based strategies to help children manage panic, school avoidance, separation anxiety, and constant worry.
And for teens helping them manage performance anxiety, social fears, and the pressure of school and relationships
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Executive function coaching and school strategies that turns ADHD challenges into real life strengths at home and in the classroom.
Practical tools for teens to manage attention, organization, and the academic demands of high school.
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Tailored strategies to enhance communication, social interactions, confidence, self-regulation, self-advocacy, in school and daily life.
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Evidence-based tools for meltdowns, anger bursts, and school refusal with parent coaching to reinforce progress at home.
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Compassionate strategies to get reluctant teens and adolescents back to school and re-engage with their future.
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Help for intrusive thoughts and compulsions reducing the power distressing thoughts and rituals at school, home, and online.
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Compassionate trauma-informed care for children and teens who have experienced overwhelming or scary events at a developmental pace that feels safe.
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Gentle counselling for children and teens navigating a loss, change, or the death of a loved one, helping them understand feelings and find stability.
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Individual psychotherapy for children and teens who have withdrawn, lost confidence, or are struggling with depression and self-esteem, helping them reconnect with their own worth and potential.
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Help for adolescents who are adjusting to divorce, separation, blended families, or other life transitions, building coping skills and emotional safety through ongoing stress.
Concerns We Help With
For Child & Teens
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Family therapy is a collaborative approach that helps families work through challenges together. Instead of focusing on individual problems, we look at how family dynamics, communication patterns, and relationships affect everyone's well-being. As a dedicated family counselling practice, we support families navigating communication challenges, behavioural concerns, life transitions, and emotional stressors through collaborative, child- and family-focused therapy.
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Parenting is rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming. At The Bud, we provide expert parenting counselling to help you navigate challenges, improve family dynamics, and strengthen your bond with your children. Whether you're dealing with behavioural issues, emotional stress, or general parenting struggles, our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way.
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Specialized couples therapy for partners navigating relationship challenges, attachment patterns, and communication breakdowns using Emotional Focused Therapy and The Gottman Method.
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Small-group sessions for anxiety, emotional regulation, and relationship challenges. Learn alongside families and similar experiences.
For Parents
Book with one of our Child & Teen Counsellors
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Dr. Katie Elmhurst, DSW, RCSW, RCC
FOUNDER OF THE BUDDING ELM
Offers culturally respectful-informed care that honours connection, community, culture, identity, and lived experience within the counselling process.
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Avalon Forrester, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Supports clients experiencing anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and emotional challenges while developing practical tools for regulation, confidence, and resilience.
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Laura Bates, BCYC, MC, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Provides EMDR-informed support for clients processing trauma, difficult experiences, and emotional distress, with a focus on creating safety, resilience, and lasting change.
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Lizanne Chicanot, BA, BEd, MEd, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Works with individuals and families to understand relationship patterns, strengthen connection, and develop healthier ways of communicating and responding to one another.
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Tiffany Canning, RCC, CCC
WESTSHORE DRIECTOR/ COUNSELLOR
Passionate about creating a safe, supportive space where children, youth, individuals, and families feel heard and understood. Grounded in connection, and trauma-informed care. -
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Shelby De Nat, MC, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Supports clients experiencing low mood, emotional exhaustion, and changes in motivation while developing practical tools, insight, and strategies for improved wellbeing.
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Alyssa Vincent, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Uses Brainspotting to help clients process experiences that may be difficult to access through words alone, supporting deeper emotional processing, regulation, and healing. -
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Sydney Thompson, BSc, MACP
CLINCAL COUNSELLOR
Supports couples and individuals in understanding relationship patterns, improving communication, navigating conflict, and building stronger, more secure connections.
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Brooke Ruygrok, BA, MC, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Provides affirming support that recognizes and respects diverse ways of thinking, communicating, learning, and experiencing the world, with a focus on strengths and practical strategies.
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Kelly Houlahan, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
Supports clients in processing trauma, difficult experiences, and emotional distress through EMDR-informed care, with a focus on safety, healing, and building resilience.
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Rachel Ness, RCC
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR
She helps people build self-trust and cultivate healthier relationships with their bodies and minds, specializing in eating disorder recovery, anxiety, burnout, and perfectionism.
