Alyssa Buschert

Alyssa is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with a Master of Arts in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from Martin Luther University and a Bachelor of Theology from Master's College and Seminary. She also brings a background in nature-based early childhood education, camp and ministry leadership, and teaching English as a second language. Through her experiences working with children, youth, and families, she has developed a particular passion for creating spaces where young people feel safe, understood, and accepted for who they are. Alyssa brings a warm, creative, and relational approach to therapy and takes time to get to know each client and what matters to them.

Alyssa especially enjoys working with children and adolescents who are navigating big emotions, anxiety, anger, emotional regulation challenges, perfectionism, low self-esteem, or difficulties at home or school. She has a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD and Autism, as well as young people who may have often felt misunderstood or like they are "too much." Her approach is neurodiversity-affirming and 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming.

Child-centred, play-informed therapy is at the heart of Alyssa's work with children. She incorporates play, sand tray, storytelling, visual arts, music, and other creative approaches to give children different ways to communicate, express themselves, and explore what they are experiencing. She also draws from attachment-based, narrative, strengths-based, mindfulness, and DBT-informed approaches, adapting therapy to each child rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. With adolescents, Alyssa may incorporate talk therapy alongside mindfulness, self-compassion, values exploration, and practical emotion-regulation skills.

Alyssa believes that behaviour can tell us something important about what a child is experiencing or needing. Rather than viewing difficult behaviour as something that simply needs to be stopped, she approaches children with curiosity and compassion, working to understand what may be underneath the behaviour and helping young people develop ways to express their needs, navigate big emotions, and feel more confident in themselves. She also values collaboration with parents and caregivers, recognizing that they bring important knowledge and perspective to their child's therapeutic process.

Outside of therapy, Alyssa enjoys hiking, spending time near lakes and rivers, and working on creative projects.