THE COACH APPROACH

My training in attachment theory, my experience as a sports coach, and my 31 years as a teacher and a school counsellor have combined to give me a deep appreciation for the kinds of challenges that pre-teens and teens face in life.

I see youth from the age of 12+ who struggle with:

  • School stress and anxiety

  • Depression

  • Parent-teen conflict

  • Grief/loss e.g. from death, separation or divorce

  • Traumatic life events

  • Bullying

  • Self-esteem

  • Perfectionism

  • Social/relationship problems with peers

How I Work

My main goal as a therapist is to enter into and understand the challenges a teen is facing from their perspective. I’m not an expert on their lives: they are. I’m simply an outside consultant. Someone curious about the problem they are having and interested in helping if I can. Someone who believes they have within them most of the strengths and the resources they need to cope with it.

Listening comes first. Deep, careful listening, with no judgment. This is the foundation for everything.

Then comes collaboration and experimentation. What’s another thought or behaviour or response they haven’t tried yet? What if they were to try using that - just as an experiment - for one full day? In my experience, a supportive experimental approach like this sometimes leads teens to discover solutions they did not expect. It reveals strengths and resilience they did not know they had within them. Tiny successes, repeated over time, can lead to lasting change. They can help free teens from patterns of thinking and behaviour that keep them stuck and restore a sense of hope and agency in their lives.

With the consent of their children, parents/guardians may attend youth counselling sessions to act as a support or to share their perspective on the concerns. Generally, though, the expectation is that youth will attend counselling sessions on their own.

Sessions are available after school to accommodate student schedules.

Contact me for a free 15 minute phone call to find out if I might be a good fit for that amazing young loved one in your life.

“The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed — to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is.”
— Parker Palmer