hi there, what do you need support with today?
Development
You have questions or concerns about your child’s unique development and how best to support them in building different skills, while taking family dynamics and daily life into consideration.
Early developmental screening and support plans can be essential in predicting and intervening in a child’s early life trajectory.
Assessment allows a Developmental Support Plan (DSP) to be developed, which is an individualized plan developed to monitor and support the growth of a child in key areas of child development, namely: communication, problem-solving, personal-social, gross motor and fine motor. This can also be done for social emotional development (self-regulation, compliance, social-communication, adaptive functioning, autonomy, affect, and interaction with people).
What can a DSP help with?
– Support the child’s development
– Provide strategies that can foster child’s development while they may be waiting for further assessment or referral to specialists
– Provide simple everyday strategies and activities to help a child reach appropriate developmental goals in a culturally appropriate and strength-based way.
– Provide an opportunity for caregivers and staff members to collaborate on a child’s development
– Helps parents and/or caregivers understand the type of experiences their child needs to meet their next developmental milestone.
Investment: Initial Assessment & Service Process $400 / Ongoing support $80-100/hr (sliding scale)
Infancy and development is also full of constant transitions . It can become easily overwhelming when you feel like you’ve just figured things out and now your child is already struggling with another transition!
I can support your family and child to help prepare, integrate, and maintain effective solutions to cope through any transition.
This may include:
- Feeding (breast/chest/body feeding, bottle feeding, formula feeding, solids)
- Sleep (when what you’re doing is no longer working for you and/or you need to make a change; bedsharing, co-sleeping, independent sleep, crib/bed)
- Introducing new siblings
- Transitions in daily routine
- New caregiver (nanny, daycare, family member)
- Starting school (preschool, JK/SK)
- Transitioning out of isolation/COVID lockdown
- Other transitions unique to your family!
Investment: 3-Session Package $200 | Ongoing support $60-80/hr (sliding scale)
Comfort, Play, Teach Groups teach a research-informed parenting approach to support healthy child development. These three parenting actions work together to generate responses from children that transform everyday interactions from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Comfort, Play & Teach builds parenting confidence, strengthens the parent-child bond, enriches the moment for the child and parent, and, ultimately, opens a world of possibilities for you both.
- Simple, practical, relevant, easy to understand and to do, with no need for special equipment.
- Builds on what your child can do.
- Builds on what you can do as a parent.
- Helps you understand your child’s current capabilities and the kinds of behaviours and skills
- you should be watching for and supporting.
- Gives you the opportunity and choices to support your child’s development based on his age and stage of development.
- Stimulates a positive reaction from your child, which in turn provides strong, positive reinforcement for you.
- For every parent.
- Provides a common language for professionals and parents to talk about parenting.
Groups follow a 5-session model and can be run for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. These are private groups hosted by the family.
Investment: $60/session for 1 family | $35/session for 2 families | $25/session for 3+ families
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health
You have questions or concerns about your child’s unique brain, how that impacts their needs and development, and how best to support them through daily life, transitions, or specific situations - in a way that works for your family.
Infant mental health is the social and emotional well-being of the very young child in the context of family relationships, beginning at birth and extending through the preschool years. Because this is a time of such rapid development and growth, many variables and factors can be at play in your child’s mental wellbeing.
While many find it hard to believe, depression can be observed in infants as early as the first 2-3 months of life, as can attachment disorders, problems with regulation of behavior and emotions, and other developmental difficulties. The rapid growth and flexibility of the brain also means that these disorders and difficulties can be much easier to address the earlier we intervene! Treatment most often involves working with parents and infants together, emphasizing relationship, interaction, emotions and knowledge of the child’s needs.
Parents/caregivers may notice differences, difficulties, or delays in their child and/or may suspect their child has symptoms of a mental health difference or disorder such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, ADHD, ASD, highly sensitive, sensory processing differences, or others. Depending on the individual child, screening assessments for specific disorders may be used and/or the following areas of development may be assessed: communication, problem-solving, personal-social, gross motor, fine motor, self-regulation, compliance, social-communication, adaptive functioning, autonomy, affect, and interaction with people.
Investment: Initial Assessment & Service Process $400 | Ongoing support $80-100/hr (sliding scale)
Connecting through Play sessions use the principles of Theraplay to establish, strengthen, and/or repair the parent-child relationship through play, leading to positive shifts in the child’s mood, behaviour, and overall wellbeing of the family.
The principles of Theraplay are based on attachment theory, intersubjectivity, brain research, and the importance of play. Theraplay is proactive, intensive, and relationship focused while modelling the natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child, interactions leading to secure attachment and lifelong mental health. Parents are actively involved and work with the practitioner to engage the child in a healthier relationship through the use of respectful, emotionally attuned, interactive, physical play.
The Intake & Assessment Package includes one assessment session, a parent reflection session, and a parent practice session.
Investment: Intake & Assessment Package $250 | Connecting Through Play Sessions $100-125/session (sliding scale)
Behaviour
You have questions or concerns around addressing behaviours in a developmentally appropriate, strengths-based & relationship focused way, with the resources and support to sustain change (at home and/or at school).
Whether your child is exhibiting behaviours that are challenging, worrisome, or hindering day-to-day functioning, there are ways to work with your child and family that honour your unique values and needs. We can work to address behaviours in a developmentally appropriate way and provide you with the resources and support to sustain this!
Children don’t come with a manual and understanding their behaviours (and therefore their skills, needs, and wants) can be incredibly difficult! Infant and toddler behaviours are often expressions of skills they don’t yet have (such as impulse control or self-regulation) which is why assessing your child’s development and strengths can assist in determining the best ways to support them, and your family!
Areas assessed may include: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, personal-social, self-regulation, compliance, social-communication, adaptive functioning, autonomy, affect, interaction with people, and sensory sensitivities and preferences.
Investment: Initial Assessment & Service Process $400 / Ongoing support $80-100/hr (sliding scale)
New Parent Support & Perinatal Mental Health
You are looking to build your village as a new parent and get personalized education & support around the 4th trimester and beyond (up to 3 years postpartum), with a focus on perinatal and parental mental health.
Customized to fit your needs and family, the Foundations sessions aim to educate and support the expectant and new parent on all things attachment, brain growth and healthy development, biologically normal infant sleep, perinatal mental health, community practitioners, as well as new parent resources and product guidance.
Investment: 3-session package $200 | 5-session package $325
This service is similar to that of a postpartum doula & can either fill the role of immediate postpartum/fourth trimester support (and beyond) or work in collaboration with your chosen doula.
The old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” still has truth to it today. The difference now is that our society isn’t structured in a way in which we have the necessary supports – many young families don’t live near extended family or may not have relationships with them. We also haven’t worked to remove the stigma of hiring professional support, normalized the need for it, or made it accessible to most families.
The rise in perinatal support is both encouraging and vital… AND parents need support beyond the fourth trimester, and even the first year. If your family is looking for support that is based in building a relationship and growing your parenting village, that’s where my support comes in. Feel confident knowing you are inviting someone into your family that can be a constant for your child and help them build safe and loving relationships with non-kin.
Investment:
Intake package (60 min interview + 30 min follow up) $100 | Hourly & Package options below
Hourly support: $30-35/hr sliding scale
– Sessions are a minimum of 2 hours, with a total of 10 hours minimum.
– Best for those who want support during specific periods or for one specific area of support.
20hr Support package: $600 ($30/hr)
– Usually split into 4 3-hour sessions and two 4-hour sessions. Provides between two to four weeks of support.
– Best used for support during the first weeks after baby arrives when you are the most overwhelmed.
40hr Support package: $1150 ($28.75/hr)
– Usually split into twelve 3-hour sessions and one 4-hour session. Provides 1 – 2 months of support.
– Best used for those who are particularly worried about postpartum mood changes, know they will need a lot of support with feeding, or have other children.
*payment plans available
While many parents experience some mild mood changes before, during, or after the birth of a child, some experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. Although the term “postpartum depression” is most often used, there are actually several forms of mood disorders that parents may experience, including: Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD (can include birth trauma), Bipolar Mood Disorders, and Psychosis.
Parents of every culture, age, income level, race, and gender can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth (or later if unaddressed). *perinatal means ‘around’ the time of birth – meaning these services are available when pregnant or postpartum up to a year, for either or both caregiver(s).
It can often be difficult to assess whether or not you are experiencing a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder for several reasons. If you are unsure, we can discuss where you are at and what next steps look like for you, specifically. With informed care and support, you can feel hope and control again. Every perinatal mood disorder, no matter how strong the symptoms are, is temporary and treatable.
Please visit Postpartum Support International and The Postpartum Stress Center for more information.
Investment: Initial Assessment & Service process $250 / Ongoing support $80-100 (additional services at their own rates)
Parenting & Family Dynamics
You have questions or concerns about finding your unique parenting style; providing support around aligning family goals with family values, repairing & strengthening relationships, and building opportunities for lasting connection.
Creating, sustaining, and adapting effective family dynamics in today’s world can feel like an impossible task. Many families have been forced into uncomfortable situations…there’s less support, more anxiety and uncertainty, and little to no control.
Regardless of the shifts and changes your family may be coping with, this kind of support can be incredibly beneficial to realign family goals consistent with family values, repair & strengthen partnerships, and build opportunities for lasting connection with your children.
Being present with yourself allows you to be present with your children. Infants in particular need parents that can be responsive in the moment and engage in back and forth interaction. If this is something you’re struggling with, you are not a bad parent! Read that again. What it could mean is that seeking support is the next step & I am dedicated to working with your unique family and circumstances!
Investment: Initial Service Process $100 / Ongoing support $40-60/hr (sliding scale)
For almost a decade, I have offered a variety of childcare services to families of children 0-10. I have worked intimately in family’s homes to provide parents with a source of freedom and hope, while helping their children build early, predictable, and trusting relationships with non-kin.
As my role and business has shifted, the need for compassionate, educated, non-judgemental and holistic childcare has only increased. To fill this gap, I have begun to offer Caregiver mentorship to both independent caregivers and families who would like their caregiver to be mentored. This process looks different depending on the family and caregiver’s needs and current knowledge and experience. Mentorship can include (but is not limited to) information on infant and early childhood mental health, healthy development and supporting milestones, brain development, types of play and sensory enrichment, attachment theory & bridging separation, challenging behaviours and compassionate discipline, basic skills (including feeding, changing, bathing), supporting biologically normal infant sleep & maintaining routines and rhythms of the family, products and resources, ongoing training, and more.
Investment: 3-session package $200 | ongoing support $60-80/hr (sliding scale)
Knowledge & Support
You are looking for education and resources on general or specific topics related to infants, early childhood, parenthood, mental health, etc. to help you make confident, supported, and informed decisions.
In today’s culture of constant information, opinions, and advice, it’s hard to know where to turn when you have a question or concern. Grandparents? Social media? Friends? Your doctor? Google?
None of these options guarantee accurate information based on relevant and recent research, consideration of your family’s values and needs, your unique individual child, or your family’s current circumstances. They don’t provide you with the knowledge and options to make an informed decision based on what you feel is best for your family – without judgement, shame, or fear-mongering.
That is exactly what this service aims to provide. Once learning more about your family/child/circumstance – I will compile all the relevant research, recommendations, and referrals for you!
Investment: Initial Knowledge Consult $200 / Ongoing support $80-100/hr
As someone who has personally navigated healthcare and medical systems for most of my life, I know how overwhelming and draining it can be. When it comes to your children – it can be THAT much more difficult.
Whether it be physical, mental, developmental, or even a routine check-up – I can be there to support parents in understanding the knowledge presented to them, being heard by their practitioners, and self-advocating for themselves, their child, and/or family. I can also be present to provide an emotional container for parents who have medical fears or struggle with medical-related anxiety (for themselves or infant/child).
Investment: $25-30/hr (sliding scale)