Assessment & Therapy Services for children, adolescents, and young adults .
Types of Services
Therapy
Children and Adolescents
Mental Health & Emotions: Depression and Mood, OCD, Tics, Anxiety, Emotion Regulation, Trauma, Behavioural Difficulties, Aggression and Anger
Adjustment and Well-Being: Family Stress and Conflict, Self-Esteem, Grief and Loss, Coping with Life Stressors, School Difficulties, Peer Relationships
Health: Sleep, Toileting Challenges, Coping with Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Medical and Dental Anxiety, Medication Taking
Young Adults
Our psychologists provide treatment services to young adults (up to age 25) related to concerns including:
Mental Health & Emotions: Depression and Mood, Anxiety, Emotion Regulation.
Adjustment and Well-Being: Family Stress and Conflict, Self-Esteem, Grief and Loss, Coping with Life Stressors, Transition to Post-Secondary, Interpersonal Difficulties
Parents/Caregivers
Typically, for children younger than 6 years of age, parent consultation is the intervention of choice. Additionally, our team recognizes that parent/caregiver involvement is often critical to promoting positive outcomes for youth of all ages. Our clinicians provide parental consultation related to youth concerns, including:
Behaviour: Aggression, Tantrums, Cooperation with Daily Activities, Attentional Difficulties, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
Psychoeducation: Understanding Diagnoses such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual Disabilities
Adjustment and Well-Being: Family Stress and Conflict, Coping with Life Stressors, Social Difficulties, Communication, School Challenges, Co-parenting support
Psychology Rates
Intake session - $340 (75-minutes)
Follow-up sessions - $225 (50-minutes)
Social Work Rates
Intake, family therapy, & co-parenting sessions - $285 (75-minutes)
Individual follow-up sessions - $190 (50-minutes)
Assessment
Psychoeducational Assessments
Our psychologists offer comprehensive evaluations for students in Grades 1 through 12, as well as university students, related to learning challenges, cognitive difficulties, attention problems, hyperactivity, and school transitions.
A psychoeducational assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of a child’s learning profile. Youth who may be experiencing learning or academic difficulties, particularly those who may be performing below grade-level at school in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math, or those with attentional difficulties often benefit from an assessment.
Rate - $3375 (15 hours at $210/hour)
Psychodiagnostic
Our team utilizes a goals-based approach in treatment, so the primary focus is not on diagnoses. However, some of our psychologists offer comprehensive mental health evaluations for children and adolescents for concerns such as mood/depression or anxiety, if deemed helpful.
A psychodiagnostic assessment aims to clarify mental health diagnoses. Although a psychodiagnotic assessment is not necessary for treatment, a comprehensive mental health diagnostic assessment may be helpful to better under a client’s concerns, to provide additional recommendations, or to access appropriate resources/supports.
Rate - $225/hour (estimate can be provided depending on presenting concern)
Our clinic offers a variety of groups and workshop on topics related to challenges with sleep, executive functions, tics, big emotions, and needle anxiety. If you interested in a group or workshop that is not being currently offered, please contact us.
Groups & Workshops
Psychoeducational Assessments.
A psychoeducational assessment can provide insights into how a youth learns and processes information, and can help highlight any barriers to learning. Identifying strengths and challenges in a youth’s learning profile is an important step in the development of individualized strategies to help a youth succeed and show their true learning potential.
A psychoeducational assessment can also highlight other factors that may be contributing to a youth’s challenges (e.g., attention difficulties, emotional regulation difficulties) to ensure that appropriate supports are put in place.
Sometimes psychoeducational assessments lead to the provision of a diagnosis, such as a Specific Learning Disorder or Disability, ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), or other relevant concerns. Our psychologists recognize that receiving a diagnosis may be challenging, and they work diligently with families to help them understand what the diagnosis means for the youth’s functioning. The diagnosis does not change who the youth is. Rather, a diagnosis helps caregivers and educators use a common language to talk about the youth’s difficulties and allows them to work toward the common goal of supporting the youth’s learning in and outside the school.
What is involved in a psychoeducational assessment?
An Intake Interview
The purpose of the interview is to obtain background information about a youth’s development, medical history, school performance, and socio-emotional and behavioural functioning. This interview is typically conducted with parents, although older youth may also be part of the initial meeting to share their perspective on perceived strengths and challenges.
One-on-One Testing with the Youth
Testing typically takes place over one full day or two half-day meetings (approximately 5 to 7 hours in total). During testing, youth complete a wide range of assessment tasks to evaluate a variety of factors involved in learning, including: verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, memory, vocabulary and language, phonological processing (understanding of the structure and sounds in English language), visual-motor skills, and academic abilities.
Review of School Information
Information about a youth’s functioning at school is obtained through review of school records (e.g., report cards, documentation related to adaptations, previous assessments) and through an interview with the current classroom teacher. An interview may also be conducted with other school staff that may be involved in supporting the youth at school (e.g., Resource teacher, Guidance Counselor), if appropriate.
Completion of Standardized Forms
These forms evaluate a youth’s emotional, behavioural, and social functioning in a systematic way. The goal is to determine whether the youth is experiencing more difficulties than would be expected for their age, and whether those difficulties are impacting their functioning across settings. Forms are typically completed by parents and teachers. Depending on the age of the youth, they may also be asked to complete their own set of forms.
Completion of a Detailed Report
Once all the above information is gathered, your psychologist will review and summarize the findings in a comprehensive report that will be provided to you. The report will also include detailed recommendations about how to draw upon the youth’s strengths at home and at school, and how to support the areas of challenge.
Feedback Session
Your psychologist will review the findings of the assessment at the feedback session and discuss ways in which the recommendations can be implemented at home and at school. If it is believed that further intervention is needed (e.g., academic remediation, intervention for emotional regulation difficulties), your psychologist will review possible options with you.
The feedback session is typically first completed with parents. However, our psychologists believe that it is important for youth to understand their learning profile, so that they can become advocates for themselves. As such, depending on the youth’s age and family’s preference, they often offer a feedback session for youth themselves to help them understand their strengths and challenges in an age-appropriate way.
The feedback session will be schedule approximately 4-6 weeks after all information has been gathered (e.g., interviews, testing, and questionnaires have been completed, other documentation has been provided).
School Meeting
The findings of the assessment report are often relevant to a youth’s functioning at school. As such, our psychologists are happy to consult with school staff at the family’s request.
Psychodiagnostic Assessments.
If you are interested in a psychodiagnostic assessment, one of our psychologists will speak with you to discuss the goals for the assessment and whether they are a good fit for what we can offer. A psychodiagnostic assessment typically involves clinical interviews with the parent and youth, as well as completion of standardized questionnaires. However, the exact nature of the assessment tasks will depend on the goals and presenting concerns. Your psychologist can provide you with more detailed information on what to expect.
Groups & Workshops.
Managing Big Emotions Group
Who: Children 7 to 11 years old who experience big emotions
Cost: $150/session (total of 6 child and 1 parent session; receipt will be provided for insurance coverage)
Modality: In-person at Developing Minds Psychology Centre
Date: Thursdays from May 16 to June 27, 2024; 4pm to 5:30pm
Clinicians: Dr. Ena Vukatana, R.Psych., & Ellene Comeau, Psy.D. Student