FAQs

Parent counselling is a space just for you — the parent, caregiver, or parent-to-be — to unpack the emotional, mental, and practical challenges that come with raising children. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, unsure, stuck in repeating patterns, or just need a non-judgmental place to talk things through, counselling is for you.

Being a parent doesn’t come with a manual — and many of us are navigating it while carrying our own stress, trauma, or unanswered questions. Parent counselling helps you understand your child better, strengthen your parenting confidence, and find approaches that feel grounded, respectful, and aligned with your values.

How it works:

• Exploring the hard parts — whether that’s sleep struggles, setting limits, co-parenting tension, burnout, or something else.

• Gaining insight into your child’s development and behaviours, and also explore your own reactions, needs, and patterns.

• Together, we uncover what’s underneath the surface and work toward more ease, connection, and clarity in your parenting.

• I bring evidence-based strategies, developmental knowledge, and a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens — while also honoring your lived experience and wisdom as a parent.

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from parent counselling. Whether you’re preparing to welcome a baby, navigating toddler chaos, or trying to stay connected to your school-age child, support is available — and you don’t have to do it alone.

While both counselling and coaching offer support, insight, and guidance, they serve different purposes and meet different kinds of needs.

Counselling (or therapy) is a regulated health service that focuses on your emotional and mental well-being. It can involve exploring past experiences, trauma, patterns, and inner struggles. Counselling helps you make sense of how you're feeling, heal from what's been hard, and develop tools to cope and grow. It’s often helpful when you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, or stuck — and you don’t have to have a diagnosis to benefit from it.

Parent coaching, on the other hand, is more focused on the here and now of parenting. It’s practical, goal-oriented, and collaborative. Coaching can help you work through everyday parenting challenges — like setting limits, managing tantrums, co-parenting differences, or building routines — with insight and intention. It’s about learning new strategies, understanding your child’s development, and finding approaches that work for your unique family.

In short:

• Counselling supports healing and emotional well-being

• Coaching supports growth and parenting confidence

You are encouraged to have a free consult in order to determine what would fit your needs the best.

If you’ve been wondering whether counselling might help, that’s usually a good sign that it could. You don’t need to hit a breaking point to reach out. People come to counselling for all kinds of reasons — big and small — and it’s okay if you’re not even sure what you need yet.

You might benefit from counselling if:

• You’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, or low — and not sure how to move forward

• Parenting is feeling heavier than you expected, or you’re doubting yourself constantly

• You’re navigating a major life change (new baby, loss, separation, identity shifts)

• Your child is struggling and you’re not sure how to support them

• You and your partner have very different parenting styles and it’s creating tension

• You keep repeating patterns you promised yourself you’d break

• You feel burned out, disconnected, or like you’ve lost parts of yourself

Or maybe… you just want a space to be honest, feel heard, and work through things with someone who gets it.

Counselling offers a place to slow down, be curious about your experiences, and get support that’s tailored to you — no shame, no judgment, just real, compassionate help.

Yes, I support children from birth to 12 years, but I don’t work with children in isolation — I work closely with parents or caregivers as the primary agents of change.

Children often express their challenges through behaviour, play, or big emotions, and it’s through the parent-child relationship that we can create the most meaningful and lasting shifts. My approach is attachment-focused, developmentally informed, and grounded in collaboration with you as the parent.

Depending on your child’s age and needs, sessions may involve:

• Parent-only sessions to explore what’s going on and build strategies tailored to your child

• Joint parent-child sessions to support connection and emotional safety

• Occasional child-focused play or therapeutic activities, when helpful and appropriate

Common concerns I support include anxiety, emotional regulation, behavioural struggles, school stress, sibling dynamics, family transitions, and more. My goal is always to strengthen your child’s well being by empowering and supporting you in your parenting role.

If you're unsure where to start, I'm happy to offer a consultation to explore your family's unique needs.

Not at all. You do not need a formal diagnosis to begin counselling or parent support sessions.

Many people I work with don’t have a diagnosis — they’re simply navigating challenges like anxiety, parenting stress, burnout, relationship tension, or life transitions. You’re welcome to reach out whether you’re dealing with something specific or just have a sense that something isn’t feeling right.

If you're curious about whether a diagnosis might be helpful down the line, we can explore that together in a thoughtful, non-pressured way. But it’s never a requirement to start getting support.

You're allowed to ask for help simply because you need it — no labels or paperwork required.

You’re welcome to reach out directly to book a consultation or begin services — whether you’re looking for support for yourself, your child, or your family.

That said, some insurance plans may require a doctor’s referral for reimbursement. If you plan to use extended health benefits, it’s a good idea to check with your provider to confirm what’s needed.

If you have questions about this process, I’m happy to help guide you.

It’s completely natural to want relief as soon as possible — especially when things feel heavy or overwhelming. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, here’s what I can tell you:

Some people find a few sessions are enough to gain clarity, tools, and relief. Others may need longer-term support to work through deeper or more complex challenges. It really depends on what you’re coming in with, what your goals are, and how things unfold for you.

That said:

• Short-term work (4–8 sessions) can be helpful for focused concerns, like a parenting dilemma or specific life transition.

• Longer-term therapy may be needed when working through patterns tied to trauma, identity, relationship dynamics, or mental health concerns like anxiety or depression.

We’ll check in regularly about how things are going and adjust as needed — you’re never locked into a certain number of sessions. My goal is to make this space useful, practical, and responsive to you.

Healing and change take time, but that doesn’t mean you won’t start feeling some relief early on. Even just being heard and understood can be a powerful first step.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of therapy. What you share in sessions stays private between us.

As a licensed social worker and psychotherapist, I follow strict professional and legal guidelines to protect your privacy. This means I will not share your information without your permission — except in very rare situations where safety is a concern, such as risk of harm to yourself or others, or if required by law.

I want you to feel safe and comfortable being open in our sessions, knowing that your trust and privacy are deeply respected.

Yes — absolutely. This is a space where you are welcome exactly as you are.

I’m committed to practicing with a lens that is anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and rooted in equity and social justice. That means I strive to create a space that honors your lived experiences, cultural background, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, faith, neurotype, and ability — with humility and care.

I recognize that therapy, like many systems, hasn’t always been safe or accessible for everyone. I work actively to do better — through ongoing learning, personal reflection, and accountability — so that you don’t have to shrink or edit yourself here.

Whether you're navigating identity-related stress, systemic barriers, or simply want a therapist who sees the bigger picture — I'm here to support you with compassion, curiosity, and respect.

No, my services are not covered by OHIP. OHIP typically only covers mental health services provided by physicians, psychiatrists, or in hospital settings.

However, if you have extended health benefits through work or a private insurance plan, you may be covered for sessions with a Registered Social Worker (RSW) or psychotherapist. I recommend checking with your provider to confirm your coverage details — including how much is reimbursable per session and whether a doctor’s referral is needed.

I also offer receipts for insurance and tax purposes. If cost is a barrier, feel free to reach out — I may have sliding scale spots or be able to refer you to low-cost options.

At this time, I do not offer direct billing to insurance providers.

Clients are responsible for paying for sessions upfront. After each session, I provide an official receipt that includes all the necessary details (my license number, credentials, and session information) so you can submit it to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

I understand that accessing support can be a financial strain for many, and I believe that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to care.

If my full fee feels out of reach, please feel free to reach out — I offer a limited number of sliding scale spots based on financial need and availability. I’m also happy to provide referrals to low-cost or community-based services if I’m not the right fit financially at this time.

Your well-being matters, and you deserve support that feels accessible and respectful of your circumstances.

To respect your time and mine, here’s how cancellations and rescheduling work:

• Cancellations made more than 24 hours before your appointment incur no charge.

• Cancellations within 24 hours of your appointment will be charged 50% of the session fee.

• If you arrive more than 10 minutes late or do not show up, the full session fee will apply.

If you need to reschedule, please try to notify me as early as possible so we can find a time that works for you without penalty.

Thank you for understanding—this policy helps ensure that time is valued for all clients.