Child & Youth Counselling
What is Child & Youth Therapy?
According to the provincial government, approximately 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario have a mental health challenge. In addition, about 70% of mental health challenges faced by adults actually have their onset much earlier. That’s why early identification and intervention is so critical and can lead to improved achievement in school and better health outcomes in life.
When children and youth have a physical illness or injury, parents seek professional help to get them the medical attention they need. When children and youth have symptoms of a mental illness, they need their parents to respond and advocate with the same urgency and dedication. While every situation is unique, there are many well-established types of therapy to help young people deal with developmental difficulties, mental health issues and other challenges.
Types of Therapy to Help Children
Play therapy
Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach primarily used to help younger children, who may have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings verbally. In a safe, comfortable play area, the therapist can observe the child’s choices, decisions and play style. The goal is to help children express difficult thoughts and emotions in healthier ways, and discover new and more positive ways to solve problems.
For example, a child feeling anxious about going to school might use building blocks to create a “safe place” and a “school place.” Through play, the therapist helps the child explore what feels scary about school, identify their strengths, and practice coping skills they can take with them into the classroom.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical, relatively short-term form of talk therapy, used to help people understand anxious and/or depressed thoughts and feelings. CBT helps children and youth identify thinking errors and negative patterns of thinking. This, in turn, can help change these thoughts and feelings. Part of CBT is “behaviour activation” where the therapist helps kids identify specific small (but important) goals, and work toward meeting those goals. This lets children and youth gradually conquer negative thought patterns, and return to age-appropriate living.
For example, a youth who becomes anxious before tests might learn about how to challenge catastrophic thoughts (“I’m going to fail”) and practice calming techniques, gradually feeling more confident in academic settings.
Narrative therapy
Narrative therapy helps children and youth externalize their problems. The often-quoted maxim of this therapeutic approach is: “The person is not the problem; the problem is the problem.” Externalizing language situates the problem as something that’s outside of the child, rather than internal to himself or herself. Narrating the relationship between the child and the problem in this way distances children from their issues, and allows a light-hearted approach to a situation that is usually treated with extreme seriousness. In this way, the therapist and child manoeuvre round the problem, giving it less space and power in the child’s life.
For example, a child or youth experiencing being overwhelmed in social situations might name the problem “The Tidal Wave” and work with the therapist to imagine ways to shrink it, empowering them to feel braver in social situations.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps children & youth understand and express their emotions in safe, healthy ways. Through guided conversations, play, and creative activities, they learn to identify what they’re feeling, connect those feelings to their experiences, and develop new ways of coping. This approach is grounded in attachment theory and focuses on strengthening the bond between the young person and their caregivers, helping families respond to each other with empathy, support, and understanding.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy that helps individuals explore thoughts and feelings, change behaviours and address problems in their lives. For youth mature enough to articulate and understand complex feelings, traditional talk therapy can be very helpful.
For example, a teen struggling with low self-esteem might use therapy sessions to unpack critical self-talk, explore the origins of these beliefs, and reflect on how these beliefs impact the youth now.
Take The First Step Of Your Therapy
Start your journey with a therapist who truly listens.
Take The First Step Of Your Therapy
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending she became a butterfly
– Barbara Haines Howett
©
YourTherapy. All Rights Reserved
Your Therapy offers strengths-based therapy for individuals, couples, and families, led by experienced Social Workers and Psychotherapists. We collaborate closely to ensure effective, high-quality care.
Your Therapy offers strengths-based therapy for individuals, couples, and families, led by experienced Social Workers, Psychotherapists. We collaborate closely to ensure effective, high-quality care.
© 2025 YourTherapy. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions