Child Counselling in Salmon Arm
When your child is struggling, it can be difficult to know what they need or how best to help.
Therapy Garden Counselling provides compassionate child counselling in Salmon Arm for children ages 5–11 experiencing anxiety, big emotions, stress, grief, trauma, school or social challenges, family changes, and other difficult experiences.
Ella LaFleur, MACP, RCC, offers a warm, child-centered and trauma-informed approach. Counselling is adapted to each child's age, personality, needs and comfort level, with play therapy, art and creative approaches available to help children express themselves in ways that feel natural.
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Helping Children Express What Can Be Hard to Say
Children do not always have the words to explain what they are feeling.
A child may show that something is wrong through behaviour, changes in mood, worries, anger, withdrawal, difficulty at school, sleep concerns, conflict or emotions that seem much bigger than the situation.
Counselling gives children a supportive space to explore those experiences without expecting them to communicate like adults.
Depending on your child's needs, sessions may incorporate conversation, play, art and other creative activities to help them explore emotions, practice coping skills and make sense of what they are experiencing.
Play Therapy & Creative Approaches
For many children, play is a natural form of communication.
Rather than expecting a five-, seven- or ten-year-old to sit across from a counsellor and explain exactly what is wrong, play therapy gives children another way to express thoughts, emotions and experiences.
Ella's training includes play therapy and art therapy, and counselling sessions may incorporate toys, games, creative activities, art and other developmentally appropriate approaches.
These activities are not simply about keeping a child entertained. They can provide opportunities to explore feelings, practise emotional regulation, build confidence, develop coping strategies and strengthen a child's ability to communicate what they need.
The approach is individualized. Some children naturally gravitate toward play and creative activities, while others prefer talking or a combination of approaches.
Your child does not need to know what to say.
The goal is to meet them where they are.
What Can Child Counselling Help With?
Families seek counselling for many different reasons. Sometimes there has been a major event or change. Other times, parents simply notice that their child seems to be having a harder time than usual.
Child counselling may provide support for children experiencing:
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Anxiety, worry or fears
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Stress and feeling overwhelmed
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Strong or difficult-to-manage emotions
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Anger, frustration or emotional outbursts
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Emotional regulation challenges
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School-related stress
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Friendship or social difficulties
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Low confidence or self-esteem
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Grief and loss
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Separation or divorce
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Changes within the family
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Difficult life transitions
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Trauma or frightening experiences
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Bullying or peer difficulties
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Behaviour that may be communicating emotional distress
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Self-harm concerns
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Disordered eating concerns
A child does not need to have a diagnosis to benefit from counselling.
Sometimes the reason for reaching out is simply:
“My child doesn't seem like themselves, and I'm not sure how to help.”
That is enough reason to start a conversation.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Child Counselling
Children need to feel safe before meaningful therapeutic work can happen.
Ella's approach is trauma-informed, collaborative and paced around the individual child. Sessions are not about forcing a child to talk about difficult experiences before they are ready.
Instead, counselling focuses on building trust, understanding the child's needs and creating a space where they can gradually explore emotions and experiences at a manageable pace.
For children who have experienced trauma, loss, family disruption or other difficult events, this may involve helping them develop emotional awareness, coping strategies and a greater sense of safety and stability.
Supporting Emotional Regulation
Big emotions are a normal part of childhood, but some children have a particularly difficult time understanding or managing what they feel.
You may notice:
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Frequent emotional outbursts
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Anger that escalates quickly
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Difficulty calming down
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Becoming overwhelmed easily
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Shutting down or withdrawing
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Anxiety or excessive worry
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Trouble communicating feelings
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Strong reactions to changes or frustration
Counselling can help children begin to recognize emotions, understand what happens in their bodies when emotions become intense, and practise strategies for responding to those feelings.
The goal is not to teach children that difficult emotions are bad.
It is to help them understand those emotions and develop healthier ways of responding to them.
Parents Are an Important Part of the Process
Child counselling does not happen in isolation.
Parents and caregivers know their children better than anyone, and their perspective can provide important information about what is happening at home, at school and in other areas of the child's life.
Ella works collaboratively with parents while also creating an appropriate level of privacy and trust for the child.
Depending on the child's age, needs and circumstances, this may include conversations with parents about concerns, goals, patterns they are noticing and ways to support the child outside of counselling.
The exact level of parent involvement is discussed individually because every child and family is different.
What to Expect From Your Child's First Counselling Appointment
Starting counselling can feel unfamiliar for both children and parents.
The first sessions are primarily about getting to know your child, understanding what is bringing your family to counselling and helping your child become comfortable in the space.
There is no expectation that a child immediately discuss difficult experiences.
Ella may use conversation, play, art, activities or other approaches depending on your child's age and interests.
Over time, you and Ella can develop a counselling plan based on your child's needs and the goals you have discussed together.
A Comfortable Counselling Space in Downtown Salmon Arm
Child counselling appointments are available at Therapy Garden Counselling's office in downtown Salmon Arm, BC, in the Samara Center at:
#104, 231 Trans Canada Hwy
Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4N8
The counselling space is designed to feel comfortable and welcoming while providing children with opportunities for both conversation and creative therapeutic activities.
Convenient parking is available nearby.
Meet Ella LaFleur, MACP, RCC
Ella provides counselling for children, youth and adults in Salmon Arm.
Her approach is warm, practical, collaborative and trauma-informed. Her training includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), play therapy, art therapy, trauma-informed care, neuro-affirming practice, critical incident stress management, and support for survivors of sexual abuse and assault.
When working with children, Ella adapts counselling to the individual child rather than expecting the child to adapt to a traditional adult counselling format.
Looking for Child Counselling in Salmon Arm?
You do not need to know exactly what your child needs before reaching out.
A free consultation gives you an opportunity to tell Ella what you have been noticing, ask questions about child counselling or play therapy, and determine whether Therapy Garden feels like the right fit for your family.
Child counselling and play therapy-informed support for ages 5–11 in Salmon Arm, BC.