Child Therapy in Ontario

We see children from age 3. With the youngest ones, much of the work happens through play, art, and music, with you closely involved. If your child is a teenager, our teen therapy page may be a better fit, though many of our child therapists work with older kids too. If you’re not sure which is right, Rachel can help you decide.

Therapy starts with a full, paid 50-minute session for you, the parent or caregiver, with the therapist your child will see, without your child. You’ll talk about what’s been happening, what you’re hoping for, and how therapy will work, including consent and your child’s privacy. Your child’s first session is booked after that.

With some of our therapists, yes. They offer a free 15-minute consult so you can ask questions and see whether they feel like a good fit. It’s a short conversation, not a therapy session, so the therapist won’t go into your child’s story in detail. If you’d like to go ahead, the next step is a full 50-minute session with you, the parent or caregiver.

You have a right to know how your child’s therapy is going, and there are many ways for you to be involved. Before your child starts, you and the therapist agree on what you’ll be told, how, and how often. Your child is part of that conversation too, so nothing comes as a surprise to anyone.

If you and your child’s other parent live apart, the therapist will usually need consent from both of you. They’ll talk with you in the first session about how to involve the other parent. If that’s difficult, tell them, and they’ll explain the options.

Keep it simple and true. You might say they’re going to meet someone who talks to kids about their feelings, and that there’s a room with art supplies, instruments, and toys. Let them know it isn’t a punishment and they’re not in trouble. Your therapist can suggest words that suit your child’s age.

They’re different ways into the same thing: helping a child express what they can’t yet put into words. Art therapy uses drawing, painting, and making. Music therapy uses instruments, rhythm, and song. Play-based therapy uses toys, games, and stories. In practice, they overlap. Our art therapists and music therapists may also use play, and sometimes a music therapy session may include art, just as an art therapy session may include music.

No. We’re psychotherapists, so we don’t provide assessments or diagnoses; those come from a psychologist or a physician. What we do is work with your child on what’s hard day to day (big feelings, friendships, school) and with you on what helps at home. Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to start, and if you’re on a waitlist for an assessment, you don’t have to wait to get support.

For some children, yes. For young children we recommend coming in person, because so much of the work uses the room: the instruments, the art supplies, the toys. Online child therapy is available anywhere in Ontario when your child is a little older, and it works better for your family. Your therapist will talk to you about what is likely to suit your child.

Many extended health plans cover psychotherapy, but it depends on your plan and on your therapist’s designation, so check which providers yours includes. We bill most major insurers directly. A 50-minute session is $150 to $180, depending on the therapist.