Anxiety, Depression, & Behavioural Difficulties in Children, Teens, and Adults
Everyone feels anxious or down sometimes. But when worry, low mood, anger, or other strong emotions start to take over, they can make it hard to get through school, work, relationships, or daily life. That’s when it helps to get support.
We work with children, teens, and adults at our Grimsby office and virtually across Ontario. Everyone starts in a different place. Whatever brought you here, the goal is the same. We’ll figure out what’s keeping you stuck and help you build the skills to move forward.
Our Approach
Our treatment is grounded in evidence-based forms of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). If your family doctor recommended CBT, this is CBT. These approaches help people live in line with their goals and values, rather than letting their thoughts, beliefs, or emotions control what they do.
What Therapy Looks Like
There’s no set order. We start with what matters most to you right now and build from there. Depending on what you need, treatment might include:
Understanding your emotions. Anxiety, sadness, anger, and self-criticism show up for everyone. We’ll look at what’s driving them and why they’ve become so hard to manage.
Getting unhooked from difficult thoughts. You’ll learn to notice when your mind pulls you into worry, fear, or self-criticism, and how to respond in ways that give those thoughts much less power over you.
Changing what’s underneath. Most unhelpful emotions and patterns come from inaccurate and self-defeating beliefs that your mind presents as facts. We’ll work on weakening those beliefs and strengthening ones that are accurate and self-helping.
Building new patterns. You’ll build frustration tolerance and make changes in your behaviour at home, at school, or at work that move you toward the life you want.
Therapy is active and collaborative. Between sessions, you’ll have specific things to practise, because that’s where most of the progress comes from.
Common Concerns We Treat
- Anxiety and excessive worry
- Panic attacks
- Social fears and avoidance
- Low mood and depression
- Anger and irritability
- Emotional dysregulation
- Grief
- Perfectionism and procrastination
- Oppositional or defiant behaviour
- School refusal
- Stress related to school, sport, work, or social situations
- Coping with sport injuries and recovery
- ADHD and ASD-related difficulties
- Trauma-related symptoms
What Can Change
That depends on what you came in for. For many of the people we work with, it can mean feeling less overwhelmed by anxiety, sadness, or anger, having emotions hold less control over what they do, getting back to things they’ve been avoiding, and handling stress at home, school, or work more effectively.
Why the Type of Therapy Matters
When people look for a therapist, they often focus on availability, fees, or insurance. Those matter, but so does the type of treatment you’ll get. Not every approach has strong research behind it. ACT, REBT, and CBT have been studied extensively and are recommended for anxiety, depression, and many related difficulties in children, teens, and adults. They’re active, skills-based, and focused on the problems you’re dealing with now, so you leave with tools you can keep using long after therapy ends.
Who You’ll Work With
Everyone on our team uses ACT, REBT, and CBT, tailored to each person’s age, goals, and what they’re dealing with.
Anya Sudhakar, M.Sc., Psychological Associate (Supervised Practice), works primarily with children and adolescents under the supervision of Dr. Chris Friesen. She works in a warm, structured way, often bringing in creative and art-based approaches to help young people engage. Sessions are available in person or virtually.
Dino Tober, M.A., Registered Psychotherapist, works with teens and adults, with a particular focus on athletes. A former NCAA soccer and lacrosse player, he understands the pressure young athletes face and how closely mental health and performance are connected. Sessions are available in person or virtually.
Dr. Chris Friesen, Ph.D., C.Psych., also provides treatment when appropriate. His sessions are virtual.
For Parents
Parents are often part of the process for children and teens, so they can help support new skills at home. At the start, we’ll talk with you and your child about how you’ll be involved and what stays between your child and their clinician.
Additional Treatment Options
Some clients benefit from combining therapy with neurofeedback, biofeedback, or qEEG brain mapping. Others prefer these options on their own.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NEUROFEEDBACK AND BIOFEEDBACK
Ready to Get Started?
If you or your child are struggling with anxiety, depression, or emotional or behavioural challenges, our team can help. Contact us to book an appointment or to learn more.
