Dynamic Minds Therapy
Child Therapy & Parent Support
Guiding children towards a brighter future.
Improved Emotional Regulation
Better communication skills
academic Improvement and success
As parents, we want the best for our children.
When your child is struggling with mental health, it can be incredibly challenging for the whole family. Seeing your child face difficulties, whether it’s anxiety, depression, or other emotional issues, is heartbreaking. It can leave you feeling unsure of how to support them best, and worried about their future.
Challenges you may face as a parent
- Constant worry about your child’s anxiety, depression, or overall mental health.
- Not knowing how to help your child regulate their emotions and big behaviours.
- Concerns at school or home around your child's attention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity.
- Difficulty with navigating and understanding social interactions with other children and parents.
- Feeling overwhelmed with changes or conflicts within the family system, including witnessing a traumatic event, a death in the family, divorce, or abuse.
- Struggling to communicate with your child effectively and learning to set boundaries that work.
Challenges your child may be facing
- Feeling sad, low mood, or withdrawn from friends, family or activities previously enjoyed.
- Constantly worried, afraid, or anxious with or without a clear cause.
- Aggressive or self-destructive behaviours towards others, being engaged in risky behaviours, or self-harm.
- Difficulty making and maintaining friendships due to limited social confidence, perspective-taking, understanding emotions, and flexibility.
- Struggles to concentrate and focus, being easily distracted, inattentive or can’t sit still.
- Changes in school performance, drop in grades, and overall lack of interest in school and schoolwork.
At Dynamic Minds Therapy, our mission is to help children and teens reach their best emotional, social, and mental well-being, while also providing parents with the tools and knowledge to support them effectively.
Parent support & Child Therapy in Barrie
How We Can Support You & Your Child
Children & Play Therapy
Parent Support
Parent support therapy helps parents handle the challenges of raising kids and improving family dynamics. It provides strategies, guidance, and emotional support to boost parenting skills, manage stress, and build healthier family relationships. This therapy covers child development, communication, school or medical concerns, mental health, and supporting neurodivergent children. It also focuses on co-parenting and offers parents a space to address their own emotional needs, making them more confident and resilient caregivers.
Psychotherapy in Barrie & across Ontario
Modalities We Use To Support You & Your Child
Play Therapy
Play Therapy can be used for clients of all ages. However, using play therapy techniques with children provides a developmentally appropriate and engaging approach to addressing their emotional, behavioural, and social struggles. It fosters resilience and empowers them to thrive in their lives.
Play can be especially beneficial for children who may struggle to articulate their emotions or who feel more comfortable expressing themselves through creative and symbolic means.
Through play, children have the opportunity to explore and process difficult or confusing experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
Play therapy promotes a sense of mastery and empowerment as children engage in activities that they enjoy and excel at. Play therapy can facilitate the healing process for children who have experienced trauma, loss, or other adverse experiences.
AutPlay Therapy
AutPlay Therapy is a neurodiversity-informed and affirming collaborative process designed to value the individual child and highlight their strengths as well as guide areas of intervention, goals, and approaches for addressing the needs of the child and family. It’s a holistic approach that combines play therapy principles with behavioural techniques, sensory integration, and relationship-based approaches, to address the unique needs of each child in a supportive and empowering environment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT provides a framework for children that cultivates mindfulness, values-driven action, acceptance of emotions, cognitive defusion, and psychological flexibility. ACT equips children and teens with the skills and mindset needed to thrive.
Parent Therapy
Is your child neurodivergent?
We offer resources to help parents understand neurodivergence and support their children. Learn from professionals and consider having a neurodiversity-affirming therapist to guide you. Your support is crucial for your child’s development and confidence.
Click the button below to access these resources.
Parent support & Child Therapy in Barrie
We Can Support You & Your Child With:
Emotional Regulation
Your child may struggle with managing their emotions, behaviours, or sensory experiences, leading to frustration and outbursts. Therapy can help them develop self-regulation skills, providing strategies to handle these challenges calmly and effectively.
Relationships
If your child has difficulty making friends or interacting socially, it can affect their self-esteem. Therapy can boost their social confidence and teach essential relationship skills, helping them form and maintain healthy connections.
Life Skills
Your child might find daily tasks overwhelming, impacting their independence. Therapy can aid in developing crucial life skills, empowering them to handle challenges with confidence.
School Success
Academic struggles can cause your child stress and impact their self-worth. Therapy can support their learning by improving focus, organization, and coping strategies, leading to better school performance and a more positive outlook on education.
Anxiety
Anxiety and panic attacks can be overwhelming and frightening for your child. Therapy provides tools and techniques to manage these feelings, helping them feel more in control and less anxious.
Depression
If your child is experiencing persistent sadness or low mood, it can affect all areas of their life. Therapy offers a safe space to explore these feelings and develop coping mechanisms to improve their mood and overall well-being.
Attention & Focus (ADHD and Neurodivergent Support)
Difficulty with attention and focus, particularly for children with ADHD or other neurodivergent conditions, can hinder your child’s ability to succeed in school and daily activities. Therapy can help them develop strategies to improve concentration and manage distractions, providing tailored support for their unique needs.
Trauma & PTSD
Experiencing trauma can have a lasting impact on your child’s mental and emotional health. Therapy offers a supportive environment to process their experiences and begin healing, fostering resilience and recovery.
Navigating Family Changes
Family changes, such as divorce or relocation, can be confusing and distressing for your child. Therapy can provide support and guidance, helping them adapt to new situations and maintain emotional stability.
Life Transitions
Major life transitions, like starting a new school or puberty, can be challenging for your child. Therapy helps them navigate these changes by building resilience and coping skills, ensuring they feel supported throughout the process.
About us
Why Work With Dynamic Minds Therapy
“We all experience the world differently, it’s our job to ensure you feel understood and seen for who you are.”
Navigating your child’s emotional, social, and mental well-being can be challenging. Every child has unique developmental needs, and our child-centered approach to therapy is designed to meet those needs with confidence and care.
With over 20 years of experience, we help you and your child thrive through a neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed framework. We empower parents to support their child’s growth equipping them with the right tools and strategies to build a foundation of resilience together.
We offer Play Therapy, AutPlay Therapy, Psychoeducation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, ensuring we help you get the results you need.
Everyone, regardless of ability, deserves to be understood and valued. We honour each individual’s journey, respecting their worth and identity as we work together.
Inclusive Environment
We offer an inclusive and caring space to enhance overall well-being and contribute to a successful outcome.
Neurodiversity Affirming
We understand that being neurodivergent is not something to be ‘fixed’ but instead a natural part of human variation.
Tailored Support
We strive to help every child reach their full potential by utilizing varied evidence-based therapeutic frameworks and modalities.
Our Therapists
Meet Our Team
Our Approach
How Our Child Therapy & Parent Support Works
Each child grows and learns uniquely, and parents play a key role in this journey. We provide individual therapy for your child and follow-up sessions with parents. Collaborating with parents and community providers ensures your child’s progress is supported and adjusted as needed.
We meet with
parents first
It’s important that we have a good understanding of your family and your child’s history, experiences, schooling, and challenges. We want this to be a time to openly share what you are observing, what your concerns are, and what you would like for your child.
We meet with
your child
We then meet with your child alone and gather additional information. A parent can join in for the first 10 minutes of their child’s first session, if it is needed. The initial phase of therapy can last 4-8 sessions where trust is being established in the therapeutic relationship. Once we have enough information, we develop a plan which can be adjusted over time.
We continue to
work together
We will meet with parents after 6-8 sessions to review and share what has been worked on while ensuring that there is a level of confidentiality maintained to honour your child’s therapy process. Parents are encouraged to continue to have appointments after every 8 sessions or sooner if requested.
Questions About Therapy
Questions About Child Therapy & Parent Support
Are parents involved in their child’s therapy process?
Yes, there is parental involvement in their child’s therapy session as it can be an important part of the therapeutic process. The extent of involvement will vary. Generally, children have their own time with their therapist. Parents are involved in the initial gathering of information and treatment goals. Therapists will then arrange appointments with parents to review progress, updates, and book any additional parent support sessions as needed.
Will therapists communicate with your child’s school or other health professionals?
If requested by the parent and if appropriate, your child’s therapist can arrange to communicate with school staff or a health professional once there has been an Exchange of Information form signed by the parent (and child). Your therapist will inform you of any additional fees.
Will your child be required to talk about sensitive topics?
Parents may have concerns about their child’s comfort level with discussing sensitive or difficult topics in therapy. Therapists prioritize the child’s emotional safety and use developmentally appropriate approaches to explore sensitive issues gradually and at the child’s pace. Play therapy techniques and creative activities provide alternative avenues for expression and exploration.
How can parents support their child's therapy outside of sessions?
Therapists may provide recommendations for practicing skills, implementing strategies, fostering positive communication, and creating a supportive environment that complements the child’s therapy goals. Parents can practice these applications in the home and/or the community with their child.
Should parents ask their children questions about their therapy session?
Part of your child’s therapy process entails parents respecting their child’s need for privacy. It is important to honour your child’s work in therapy and refrain from asking your child detailed questions about their therapy sessions. This will avoid causing any uneasiness for your child. Your child’s therapist will encourage them to share their thoughts, feelings, and needs with you. It is extremely important that your child is able to trust the process of therapy without any worries about parents accessing information they may not want shared.
How long will it take to feel better?
Children often take longer than adults do to process changes and practice new skills. The length of time in therapy varies with each child. Usually, children require a minimum of 6-8 sessions for the initial phase of therapy where a child may be able to use a couple of strategies that have been learned during that time. Child Play Therapy is a process that can take up to 20 sessions or more.
Dyanmic Minds Therapy
Possible Outcomes Of Child Therapy & Parent Support Sessions
While we can’t guarantee specific results or a set timeline, with consistency and commitment, you may see these results over time.
Positive Outcomes for Parents
- Enhanced parent communication leads to more clarity with children and fewer misunderstandings and conflicts.
- Parents gain effective strategies for managing their child’s behaviour and supporting their emotional development.
- Understanding your child’s unique needs helps parents gain insights into their child’s development, which allows for more appropriate expectations and support.
- Parents and children together build resilience, which better equips the family to handle future stressors and challenges.
- Finding greater confidence in parenting allows you to feel more competent in handling complex parenting challenges.
- Parents develop greater empathy for their child’s experiences and more patience in their interactions.
Positive Outcomes for Children
- Improved self-regulation which helps children better understand their reactions to feelings and manage their behaviour.
- Enhanced social skills help children develop better communication and interpersonal skills which improves relationships with peers and adults.
- Increased self-esteem helps children feel good about themselves, build confidence, and have a positive self-image.
- Children develop healthy coping strategies to deal with stress, worry, trauma, and other challenges they may encounter.
- Enhanced independence leads to children becoming more self-reliant and promotes problem-solving skills to find effective solutions.
- Stronger family relationships can foster more understanding and secure attachments between children and parents.
Therapy can lead to a healthier, more harmonious family dynamic and improved well-being for both children and parents.
Dynamic Minds Therapy
How To Get Started
We help children and teens reach their potential. We provide psychotherapy in Barrie and online sessions across Ontario.
To get started with Dynamic Minds Therapy, you can book a free consultation online using our secure online booking system. You can also call, email, or use our contact form for any questions or assistance with booking.
Contact Us!
Child Therapy & Parent SUpport in Barrie & Across Ontario
Dynamic Minds Therapy
Empowering Kids, Supporting Families