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Psychotherapy for children & adolescents

Today, 1 in 5 youth suffer from a mental health challenge. More than half of these problems begin before the age of 14 — yet 80% of youth will not receive the treatment they need. Bhatia Psychology Group offers consulting, assessment and treatment services for school-age kids (3 to 21) who are struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or more.

Our clinical psychologists and therapists give families the support they need – when they need it the most. If your child or adolescent needs support in any of the following areas, we can help:

  • Anxiety & stress
  • Depression
  • Behavioural issues
  • ADHD
  • Low self-esteem
  • Body image issues
  • Disordered eating
  • Trauma & PTSD
  • Psychological assessments
  • Gifted assessments
  • Learning disabilities
  • Personality & mood disorders
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Supporting your child’s mental health

The symptoms of a mental health disorder in children and adolescents can often be hard to recognize. Children do not communicate in the same ways adults do. This is largely because they often don’t yet have the tools to express and understand their emotions properly. If a child is struggling with their mental health, it may present behavioral challenges like frequent outbursts, defiance, withdrawal, or changes in sleep.

We understand how stressful it can be for parents who have a child who seems to be struggling. Our compassionate counsellors at Bhatia Psychology work with parents and children to create a safe space where children can feel free to explore the big emotions they might be feeling. With children, our mental health treatment is play-based to foster learning and growth. We are here to work alongside you and your family through every stage in life.

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Our treatment approach

We use a client-centred and strengths-based approach to treating children, drawing from a variety of modalities, including:

Mindfulness-based therapies
Mindfulness-based therapies are effective for all ages — from toddlers to teens. It helps young people to focus on the ‘here and now’ as opposed to thoughts of the past or future, which can exacerbate anxiety and encourage rumination. Methods include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), deep breathing, guided relaxation, acceptance of inner emotions, and practices in self-compassion.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on helping young people break down the thoughts, feelings, sensations and behaviours that contribute to difficulties in coping. CBT helps kids recognize thinking traps and challenge negative thoughts or behaviour patterns. They can then apply these skills in between therapy sessions and to increase their ability to handle emotional problems and day-to-day stressors on their own.
DBT-informed therapy (DBT)

DBT-informed therapy provides a skills-based approach to help children or adolescents regulate their intense emotions, thoughts and behaviours in their day-to-day living. This approach combines behavioural therapy and emotional validation by improving coping skills and fostering self-acceptance. Children and guardians learn distress tolerance, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and more.