Child, Youth, & Family Trauma & Attachment Clinic

Trauma is part of the emotional terrain that many of us may have to navigate at some point in our lives. Trauma typically occurs when we experience an event, or multiple events, that overwhelm our capacity to cope. Trauma can range from a single traumatic incident to multiple or chronic exposures to adverse experiences. It can impact how we view ourselves and others, how we regulate our emotions, how we view the world, and our mental wellbeing.

We have expertise in treating complex developmental trauma, dissociation, attachment difficulties, disruptive behaviours, self-harm, and substance abuse in children in and from care (child welfare), survivors of human trafficking, refugees, as well as those living with FASD.

 How do we help?
We offer a variety of clinical services to children, youth and their families/caregivers who have experienced trauma and are struggling with attachment and other related difficulties.

Assessment 

• Trauma-informed psychodiagnostic assessment
• Trauma-informed psychoeducational assessment
• Trauma-informed comprehensive psychological assessment
• Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) assessment to direct treatment planning

Treatment 
Our team provides evidence-based treatment to children, youth, and their families/ caregivers which recognizes that brain development follows a sequential pattern and the impact trauma and adverse experiences have on brain development. Our treatment approach is brain-based, grounded in neurobiology and attachment theory, and adheres to the 3 phases of trauma therapy: stabilization, processing and reconnection. Integrating play and other developmentally appropriate, especially somatic based, approaches our team utilizes a wide range of evidenced-based modalities such as:

• Attachment, Regulation and Competency Framework (ARC)
• Brainspotting (BSP)
• Circle of Security – Parenting (COS-P)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
• Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART)
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• Structural Dissociation Model 
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)

Other:

• Expert Witness Testimony on attachment, trauma, & child and youth development
• Trauma-informed program consultation to child welfare agencies, outside placement resources (OPRs), schools and school boards, and other agencies serving children, youth, and families impacted by trauma.