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Work with Children
Among Diane's strengths is her ability to engage children and help them in a way that is supportive and enjoyable. Her office has a variety of therapeutic games for all ages and her love of working with children is evident from the moment they arrive.
Her work is short-term, goal-oriented and solution-focused. She often finds that the new strategies she teaches her clients are transferable, and, once learned, can help them cope with many other life situations.
Learning and behaviour problems
Diane has worked extensively with children who have challenges with social skills, impulse control, and emotional regulation. She brings in the expertise of psychologists and educational specialists and works with schools to provide a co-ordinated and team approach to the life of the child.
Children develop new skills in ways that are enjoyable and motivating. Diane works with parents to reinforces their progress.
Diane believes that children learn new skills best through play. With a wide assortment of games and art work, children have an opportunity to balance fun with serious discussions about
issues that cause them distress. They begin to feel better when they find their confidence to learn strategies that help with their road blocks.
Childhood Anxiety
Childhood anxiety can be masked by other behaviors that do not necessarily reflect the inner life of the child. These might include:
- behaviour problems
- transition issues
- nightmares and difficulty falling asleep
- fearfulness of a variety of things such as loud noises, storms, dogs, new experiences
- shyness and social apprehension
- frequent temper tantrums for unexplained reasons
- apprehension about school or group activities
Diane helps children develop strategies to face and manage their anxieties. Using a variety of strategies including: parental coaching; cognitive behaviour therapy; normalizing; play; problem solving; EMDR; and improving their ability to identify the triggers, children learn to be "the boss" of their anxiety.
Issues of Adoption
Because of her background in child welfare, and her experience in private adoption placement and birth parent counselling, Diane has a diverse perspective on all aspects of the adoption process. She has worked with many parents where adoption is one of the complexities in raising their children. She helps children and young adults grapple with issues of identity, self-esteem and internal strength.
Children and Divorce
As the separation of parents is an immensely polarizing event/transition, children often do not have anyone neutral to speak to about the significant changes impacting them. brought on by the separation of their parents. Also, parents receive differing advice from friends and family about how to help their children best. Parents who are separating can have strong disagreements about what the children need or feel, and indeed children often say different things to each parent.
Diane is skilled at helping children feel comfortable talking about their feelings and giving them the skills to be direct with their parents. Parents can benefit from the insight that Diane brings to their children's experience.
In addition, children need to grieve the divorce and the many changes that include new parenting schedules; moves; reduced income; and the addition of new partners and their children. Parents might be drawing them into awkward situations or misunderstanding their experience. Children will often tell parents different information about how they feel, trying to please everyone and inadvertently (or intentionally) creating problems that add to the pre-existing parental conflict. Diane helps families manage this if the parents are willing to work together co-operatively in spite of their hurt and anger.
Diane helps children learn to communicate their concerns and coaches parents about responding to their children in more helpful ways. Children and parents feel relief after consulting with Diane and develop better ways of coping with the changes brought on by their new family life.
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