​​Child counselling is a broad term describing therapeutic support provided to children. Depending on the child's age, developmental stage, communication style, concerns, and goals, counselling may involve conversation, creative activities, experiential work, play, or other therapeutic approaches.

I use humanistic and person-centered approach with children and parents. As a counsellor who works with children for long period of time with emphasis of child-centered play therapy, I understand that children naturally experience periods of frustration, worry, sadness, anger, and adjustment.

What matters is considering how intense the difficulty is, how long it has been happening, whether it is affecting everyday life, and how the child and family are experiencing it.

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A child may communicate that same experience by becoming quiet, avoiding school, fighting with a sibling, repeatedly playing out a particular story, drawing something, or becoming upset when talking about school.

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This is why I do not believe that effective child counselling means simply asking children more questions and expecting them to explain themselves.

Regular Parent Sessions are conducted to support you in understanding children's emotional patterns, their underlying issues beyond the behavioral challenges, and not limited to:​​

• The impact on the children from family circumstances

• Changes in behaviour or emotions

• What possibly shapes the children to behave and feel in a certain way

• Your child's strengths

• Ways to support your child outside counselling

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Child counselling and play therapy are closely connected, but they are not exactly the same thing.

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Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is a specific therapeutic approach designed around children's natural way of communicating through play.

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For children who may find it difficult to sit down and talk about their feelings, Child-Centered Play Therapy can provide a developmentally appropriate way to express, explore, and make sense of their experiences.

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Rather than requiring the child to explain what is happening first, the therapist creates a safe and accepting therapeutic environment where the child can lead their play and communicate at their own pace.

You may want to consider professional support when:

• Your child's emotions seem much stronger or more frequent than before

• Behaviour has changed noticeably

• Your child is struggling at school

• Friendships or social relationships are becoming difficult

• Your child seems increasingly worried, withdrawn, or overwhelmed

• Family conflicts are happening more frequently

• Your usual ways of supporting your child no longer seem to help

• Your child is having difficulty adjusting to a significant change

• Your child repeatedly struggles to communicate what they need

• You are becoming increasingly concerned but are unsure what your child needs

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You also do not need to know why your child is struggling before contacting a counsellor. Part of the counselling process is understanding what may be happening underneath the behaviour.

My approach is to understand the child before making assumptions about what their behaviour means. People often misunderstand and overlook the needs of Children with ADHD, autism, and other developmental or neurodivergent, as they may express differently from their peers and what we expect.

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The purpose of counselling is not to make a child become someone they are not.

It is to help the child and their family develop greater understanding, connection, and ways of navigating the challenges they are experiencing.