When you are choosing a therapist for your child or teen, it can feel overwhelming. You may also be given the option of a student intern from the organization you connect with. Many families may shy away from this option, for the reason that they are unsure if a student has the skills and abilities to best support their child. However, there are many benefits of working with a student intern as your therapist! 

Let’s talk about brain development!  Brain development is such an important part of understanding and making sense of behaviours, thoughts and feelings.  When thinking about how a brain develops, it can be helpful to think about it the same way a house is built. 

Attachment refers to the relationships and bonds between people. These bonds start to form at birth, and help develop a child’s sense of security in their world. It is important for children to have secure attachments to their caregivers because this supports trust and paves the way for children to develop healthy relationships in other areas of their lives. The attachment between a caregiver and child is also a key component to a child’s emotional growth and development.

Anxiety is a term that is often used in everyday conversation to describe our children, ourselves, or others around us. Anxiety is an emotion coupled with feelings of uneasiness, worry, and intrusive thoughts which may occur as a response to a present or perceived threat. When individuals feel anxious, they may experience physical symptoms such as an increased heart rate, sweating, increase in temperature, uneasy stomach, or restlessness.