Headstart Child & Family Therapy

We are hiring for an office administrator to join the team! This is such a key role, and the search is on for a friendly, professional and organized individual to support our clients and clinicians in their work.

This is a part-time position (28 hours/week) with daytime hours.

Please pass along if you think of anyone who would be an excellent fit!

https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Headstart-Child-&-Family-Therapy/jobs?clearPrefilter=1

Send a message to learn more

Parenting is hard on the best of days. When your child struggles with anxiety, parenting is even more challenging. This digital reflective journal was created by one of our therapists to invite parents to slow down and be aware of their own reactions as they support their child or teen.
It's discounted right now as we launch it!

A Reflective Journey Through Child Anxiety (Digital Download) | Headstart Therapy Parenting is hard. It brings up all sorts of confusing emotions and responses that are often outside of our awareness. The same is true for parenting through anxiety. I invite you to slow down and walk through a reflective journey of what it’s like for you, as a unique parent of your unique child,...

Did you know we operate Haven Community Counselling out of our office? Haven exists to provide free counselling services to adults in Nova Scotia both in person in Truro and online and is funded by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia!

We have limited availability for new clients, and you can book online at this link: https://havencc.janeapp.com/ /4

Say hello to Jena!

Jena joined the clinical team this spring and has been working with children and teens from ages 8-18. You can learn more about her approach on our website: https://www.headstarttherapy.ca/jena-ashton

"I enjoy working with young minds as we explore emotions, behaviours, and feelings, understanding them better along the way. Working along youth I have gained passion in helping navigate big transitions such as life events, relationships, or trauma in manageable ways."

A big official welcome to Tracy!

With 15 years experience supporting children and families as a clinical social worker, we are so pleased to have her expertise on the team. She is trained in play therapy and loves including parents in her approach.

https://www.headstarttherapy.ca/tracy-munden-hancock

The best part about our team is their ability to think outside the box to meet the needs of the families we serve. Denise is no exception, and we are excited to welcome her to the Headstart team as our first art therapist!

"As an art therapist, I help children regulate their emotions and navigate big feelings through creative expression. By using colours, shapes, and textures, children can externalize their inner experiences in a non-verbal manner, gaining a sense of control over their emotions. Through artwork, children can develop coping strategies and self-awareness, while the art therapist uses the art as a tool for reflection and dialogue, supporting emotional regulation and overall well-being."

https://www.headstarttherapy.ca/denise-benison

Haven Community Counselling has now been operating out of our office for four months with lots of adults receiving FREE counselling therapy! Capacity is expanding in January with the addition of another intern to the team.

Booking is now open for new clients and can be done via this online link: https://havencc.janeapp.com/

Sessions are available both online and in person.

An exciting new service is launching in our community - Haven Community Counselling - a pilot project that provides FREE counselling therapy for adults (18+) in Nova Scotia!

Booking is now open for new clients and can be done via this online link: https://havencc.janeapp.com/

Sessions are available both online and in person with physical space donated by Headstart Child & Family Therapy.

Bet you couldn't find a more playful group of professionals in our community! Don't let the silliness fool you though - this team is highly skilled in providing therapeutic services to kids and teens in ways that make sense for their development. We love to talk about it!

Our team is always enhancing their skills to better serve our clients. Laura loves working with teens (13-18) and recently completed training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), which is a family treatment approach for loss, trauma and other stressful experiences.

The goals of DDP include increasing the child or teen's psychological safety, his readiness to rely on significant attachment figures in his life, and his ability to resolve and integrate the traumatic or dysregulating experiences that are being explored. For this reason, DDP sessions involve the child/teen and his or her primary attachment figure. This may be a parent, foster parent, or some other adult who is taking care of the child and important in his or her life.

DDP is a helpful intervention for children who are experiencing a wide range of emotional, behavioral and relational difficulties. It is useful for children who live with their birth parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, or extended family members.

Call today to learn more about Laura's approach to working with teens and families.

Kayla recently completed her certification as an AutPlay Provider and is now better equipped to provide play therapy services to neurodivergent children!

"AutPlay® Therapy is an integrative family play therapy framework. AutPlay is neurodiversity paradigm informed and designed to help address the mental health needs of neurodivergent children ages 3-18 (including autistic children, those with ADHD, social anxiety, sensory differences, learning differences, and developmental and physical disabilities)."

Learn more about AutPlay Therapy here: https://autplaytherapy.com

Happy Pride Month!

Gender questioning can be uncharted territory for parents. This resource offers some thoughts on how to navigate as parents.

"Start by being really open to what they have to say; just hear them out without passing judgment. It may be awkward at first, but that’s okay. The important part is to listen, let them know that you take their feelings seriously and follow their lead."

How to Support Kids Who Are Questioning - Child Mind Institute Kids who are questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation do best when they have the support of their families.

Here we grow again!

Give Kayla a warm welcome to the Headstart team! Kayla has been supporting children and families for over ten years and is working towards certification as a Play Therapist.

"I strongly believe in the importance of engaging the child’s support system as part of the collaborative therapeutic process to help strengthen the support both inside and outside of the therapeutic setting. I bring an attachment lens to my sessions that aims to provide children a sense of security, regulation, and resilience in order to feel safe to explore the world."

Read more about Kayla on our website: https://www.headstarttherapy.ca/kayla-warren

Congratulations to Eric on finishing his practicum! We are so excited to announce that Eric has accepted a position on our team and will be returning to us with his professional designation. Thank you for all you do to help children and families in our community, Eric!

Play Therapy is a well-established modality that requires specialized training and supervision to be used competently and ethically. CAPT - Canadian Association for Play Therapy exists to promote play therapy in Canada and ensure the professional and ethical practice of this approach.

Using play in therapy is different from doing Play Therapy, where play is used as the form of communication rather than a way to engage a client into speaking. If your child hasn't been able to engage in traditional therapy, an approach more developmentally appropriate to them might have been the missing piece.

To mark Canada's first celebration of International Play Therapy Week, our office spread fun across town in the form of Play-Doh!

Thank you to the community partners who are providing valuable services and agreed to spread play with Play-Doh :)

Maggie's Place Family Resource Centre - Colchester
CMHA: Colchester East Hants Branch
The Lotus Centre
Colchester-East Hants Public Library

Group opportunity!
Have an 8-9 year old who struggles with worries? They may benefit from a group setting where they can learn more about anxiety, how to handle it, and realize they aren't the only ones.

Space is limited. Call today to get started in the process.

https://www.headstarttherapy.ca/group-play-therapy

2023 is looking great!

We are moving out of our space on Inglis over to Commerical Street! New space means more space for more clients and more importantly, more play!

Twelve year olds are often just as surprised by the overwhelming emotional outburst as their parents!

Although preadolescents are developing reasoning skills, parents and caregivers cannot realistically expect them to be able to consistently operate from this newly developed part of the brain.

Our phone lines are down today! We are able to access voicemails, but calls will not come through. Feel free to email if you need to get in touch - [email protected]

Ten year olds are typically happy, but they can be quick to anger - and just as quick to forgive.

Terms like "remarkably persistent", "impatient" and "unique" best characterize nine year olds overall.

"Special time increases opportunities for closeness between a parent and child. As that attachment is building, it increases the likelihood that a child is going to listen or value what a parent has to say."

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/13/1128737199/the-5-minute-daily-playtime-ritual-that-can-get-your-kids-to-listen-better?fbclid=IwAR2JCvKGxIACD5B50vqLJ1Fm8QKja3ck_PhPajXE0GOduRtHbOjgnKmxsps

The 5-minute daily playtime ritual that can get your kids to listen better : Life Kit Called "special time," the strategy is widely recommended by children's health professionals to help reduce behavioral issues in young children. Here's a guide on how to do it with your kids at home.

Seven is a turning point for children as they are generally quieter than their younger selves and enjoy building relationships with adults in their lives. They also tend to complain a lot and can feel like the world is out to get them. Seven year olds need loads of patience, empathy and understanding to not internalize a sense of rejection.

Reaching out for help can be intimidating. The first step can be as simple as an online submission, which is followed up a phone call from our office. We are always happy to talk about options for your family.
Get in touch:
https://forms.wix.com/749e6b7c-9ddf-4321-9d2e-1dbc74e3848e:0f35bfcc-6d63-4b51-8e5c-be9fc2e30b2b