Child & Teen Therapy in North York & Online Across Ontario

Understanding it

What child and teen therapy helps with

Most families do not arrive in crisis. They arrive because a child who used to be easy has gone quiet, or angry, or anxious about things that never used to bother them, and nothing at home seems to reach it. Therapy gives your child a safe adult outside the family, tools that fit their age, and a way to say what is going on that does not have to come out as a fight.

The things that bring families in

Worry and anxiety. Low mood and withdrawal. School stress, refusal, or falling behind. ADHD and focus. Big feelings and outbursts. Friendships and bullying. Family changes such as separation, a move, or a new sibling. Grief. Adjusting after an accident or illness. And, for many families here, the pull of living between two cultures.

It responds well to therapy

Children and teens change fast. Given a safe place to talk, tools that match their age, and a parent who understands what is going on underneath, most start to feel steadier within a few sessions. We work with your child and with you, and we are clear from the start about who hears what.

How we work

How we work with children and teens

Different ages need different things. A ten-year-old and a sixteen-year-old do not get the same session, and neither of them gets a lecture.

Meeting them where they are

Talking, drawing, games, and activities, matched to age and temperament, so a session feels like a place they want to come back to rather than an appointment to survive.

Parents in the loop

You are part of the work. We set out at the start how confidentiality works with a minor, share themes and progress with you, and offer parent sessions when that is what would help most.

Skills that fit their age

Practical tools for worry, anger, and overwhelm, drawn from CBT, ACT, and grounding and somatic work, taught in a way a child or teen can actually use on a bad day.

The whole family, when it helps

Sometimes the most useful session is the one with everyone in the room. Family sessions are available, in English or Farsi, when a pattern at home is part of the picture.

Not sure whether your child needs therapy?

That is exactly what the free 15-minute call is for. Talk it through with us first, before anything is said to your child.

Book a free consult or contact us

Is this your child?

Who child and teen therapy is for

Children from about age 10, and teens, across Ontario, along with the parents who are trying to help them.

The anxious kid

Worry that has started to run the day: stomach aches before school, endless what-ifs, needing everything to be certain.

The teen who has gone quiet

Withdrawn, irritable, in their room, and you cannot tell whether it is normal teenage distance or something heavier.

When school is the problem

Refusal, falling behind, panic about tests, or a child who used to like school and now dreads it.

ADHD and focus

Bright and capable, and still losing the homework, the temper, and the confidence. Neurodiversity-affirming support for them and for you.

After a big change

Separation, a move, a new sibling, a death in the family, or an accident or illness that has shaken their sense that things are safe.

Between two cultures

Growing up with one set of expectations at home and another at school, and not sure where they fit. Sessions available in Farsi as well as English.

Who you would work with

Warm, steady, and on your child’s side

Two of our therapists work with children and teens. Sepideh Kojori, RP (Qualifying), sees children 10 and older, teens, and families, in English and Farsi, with a compassionate, culturally sensitive, strength-based approach that draws on CBT, ACT, narrative and solution-focused work. Yasaman Haghighat, RP, sees children 11 and older and teens online across Ontario, drawing on EFT and IFS-informed work for anxiety, trauma, self-worth, and the patterns that build when a young person has spent a long time holding things in. Both work at the child’s pace, keep you appropriately in the loop, and are clear about what stays in the room.

CBT Cognitive Behavioural ACT Acceptance and Commitment Narrative and solution-focused Grounding and somatic EFT and IFS-informed Neurodiversity-affirming Culturally sensitive English and Farsi

Fees and insurance

Straightforward and flexible

Direct billing to many extended health plans with select therapists, a limited number of sliding-scale spaces based on need, and children are usually covered as dependants on a parent’s plan.

See fees and insurance

One conversation can shift things

Book a free consult

Free 15-minute consultation · In person in North York or online across Ontario · Direct billing with select therapists

Common questions

Child and teen therapy questions

A few of the things parents ask before booking. Anything else, just ask on your free call.

What ages do you see?

From about age 10 through the teenage years and into young adulthood. Sepideh works with children 10 and older, Yasaman with children 11 and older, and both see teens. For younger children we are happy to point you toward someone who specialises in that age group.

Will you tell me what my child says in session?

We agree this with you and your child at the start, so nobody is surprised. In general, a child or teen needs some privacy for therapy to work, so you will hear the themes and how things are going rather than a transcript. Anything that touches on safety is always shared with you, and we explain that to your child in the first session.

What if my child does not want to come?

Very common, and not a reason to wait. Many kids and teens arrive reluctant and settle once they realise the session is theirs and nobody is going to lecture them. It usually helps to start with a short call with you first, so we can plan a first session that feels low-pressure for them.

Can this be done online with a child or teen?

For teens, and many 10 to 12 year olds, yes, and some prefer it. Younger or more restless children often do better in the room. We will give you an honest recommendation on the free call, and you can switch between in-person and online as things change.

Do you offer sessions in Farsi?

Yes. Sepideh works in both English and Farsi with children 10 and older, teens, and families, which also makes it easier to include parents whose first language is Farsi. See our Farsi therapy page for details.

Is child and teen therapy covered by insurance?

Sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist are often covered under extended health plans that include psychotherapy, and a child is usually covered as a dependant on a parent's plan. Direct billing is available with select therapists to many insurers through TELUS Health eClaims, and for any plan we cannot bill directly we provide receipts you can submit. It is worth confirming your plan's rules for dependants.

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Other things we help with

Many families here are navigating more than one of these at once. We can hold the whole picture together.

Therapy for children and teens who need someone in their corner.