Mother, son and daughter looking at a book.

Counselling & Therapy Services

Children, youth and their families who are experiencing mental health needs may benefit from the broad range of services offered through this program. Professionals assist families in identifying and helping their child/youth’s behavioural, social and/or emotional issues.

Services provided include:

All requests for Counselling and Therapy Services are offered a Single Session as the first step to these services.

A Single Session occurs once, is 1-2 hours long, focused on the reason for referral and offered within ten (10) business days of the referral.

This intervention is sometimes all that children/youth/parents/legal guardians/families find they need.

If more service is needed, next steps will be discussed as appropriate, including transfer to Brief Services.

Learn how to make a referral

Following the Single Session, if Counselling and Therapy Services are still necessary, Brief Services are offered. Brief Services focus on reducing the severity of emotional, social, and behavioural needs of children and youth, over the course of up to 6 sessions within a maximum of 2 months.

Brief services are intended to enhance awareness, improve coping, functioning and resilience and to reduce the need for more intensive/intrusive intervention.

Brief services may be all that some children/youth/parents/legal guardians/families require. They may also be useful in clarifying the need for additional or on-going service and identifying appropriate available supports.

Counselling and Therapy services may/may not be required following Brief Services.

Counselling and Therapy services also focus on reducing the severity of and/or remedying the emotional, social, and behavioural needs of children and youth.

Services include a series of planned, interrelated interventions based on an assessment of the child/youth/parent/legal guardian/family's needs, risks and strengths.

A clear treatment plan is developed in collaboration with the child/youth/parent/legal guardian/family and the needs, risks and progress are reviewed on a regular basis.

Services are delivered over a period of time using a variety of interventions and in a range of settings (office, school, community, home), at various frequencies.

Group services may be indicated and included as part of either Counselling and Therapy Services or Intensive Services and each group will have its own purpose and expected outcomes. Groups for children/youth and parents/legal guardians can be offered in person or virtually.

Groups may include:

  • Triple P Parenting programs
  • Clinical groups for anxiety or mood disorders
  • Emotion Coaching groups
  • and more