Psychotherapy for Children, Youth, and Adults
Our Psychotherapy Services
July 2026 Update:
Due to the high demand for psychotherapy services, we are temporarily pausing new additions to our psychotherapy waitlist. We are actively working to expand access to our services and will provide updates as they become available. Our waitlists for assessments and groups are still open to new referrals. Please sign up for our newsletter or check back here for updates.
At Riverwise, we offer psychotherapy through four distinct “streams” designed to meet children, youth, and adults where they are. Each stream has a clear purpose - whether the goal is emotional support, practical skill building, parent support, or structured treatment for specific mental health concerns - while remaining flexible and responsive to changing needs over time. Clients may move between streams as their goals evolve, creating a thoughtful continuum of care rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. This structure helps ensure that individuals are matched with the right level and type of support from the start, promotes consistency and quality across our team, and allows us to provide clear, transparent guidance to our clients and referral sources about what to expect from therapy at Riverwise.
When providing psychotherapy, our clinicians draw from various modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, Emotion-Focused Approaches, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Collaborative Problem Solving, and others. The modality used will depend on the clinician, the presenting challenge or goal, and the individual needs and preferences of the client.
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This stream is designed for older children, youth, or adults looking for a safe and supportive space to process emotions, life transitions, or ongoing stressors. Sessions focus on helping clients better understand themselves, develop coping strategies, and build resilience.
Typical Goals:Reduce stress, worry, or emotional overwhelm
Support adjustment to changes (e.g., transitions, family stress, loss)
Strengthen self-awareness, insights, and self-acceptance
Who it’s for: Individuals (children, adolescents, adults) seeking counselling for general emotional support rather than structured treatment of a specific mental health concern. For children and adolescents, parents and caregivers may be involved in sessions as needed.
How many sessions are needed? The number of sessions is flexible depending on the needs of the individual.
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This stream focuses on addressing specific goals to support success at home, school, community, or work. Sessions are practical and goal-focused, emphasizing active practice, feedback, and real-world application. For children and adolescents, parent involvement is encouraged to support skill building. Typically, goal focused approaches include measurement of change over time.
Typical Goals:
Build/strengthen executive functioning skills (organization, time management, planning)
Build/strengthen emotion regulation (e.g., learn how to handle worries/anxiety)
Build coping skills for a particular situation (e.g., preparing for a medical procedure, preparing to move to a new school)
Develop assertiveness or self-advocacy skills
Build understanding about a specific diagnosis
Who it’s for: Individuals (children, adolescents, adults) who would benefit from more structured, skill-based support. For children and adolescents, parents and caregivers may be involved in sessions as needed.
How many sessions are needed? The number of sessions is structured and will depend on your goal.
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This stream offers structured, goal-oriented therapy for clients experiencing clinically significant symptoms or challenges such as specific phobias, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or misophonia. Treatment is tailored to the client’s needs and grounded in evidence-based approaches. For children and adolescents, parent involvement is encouraged to support skill building. Typically structured treatment includes formal measurement of symptom reduction.
Typical Goals:
Reduce specific symptoms (e.g., phobias, anxiety, depression, or OCD)
Increase emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Build healthier thought patterns, behaviours, and coping skills
Who it’s for: Individuals (children, adolescents, and some adults) with identified emotional or mental health difficulties requiring structured treatment. For children and adolescents, parents and caregivers may be involved in sessions as needed.
How many sessions are needed? The number of sessions is structured and will depend on the presenting concern.
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This stream offers support directly to parents and caregivers, offering an opportunity to build confidence, insight, and practical tools to support a child or teen’s emotional, behavioural, and learning needs. Parent support can be a standalone service, or can happen alongside therapy for a child or adolescent.
Typical Goals:
Increase parent confidence and reduce overwhelm
Improve co-regulation, emotional understanding, and connection
Develop consistent strategies for managing behaviour, emotions, and daily routines
Who it’s for: Parents and caregivers who are seeking guidance and support around their child’s emotional, behavioural, or learning needs.
How many sessions are needed? The number of sessions may be structured or flexible, and will depend on the goal and presenting concern.
Not sure which therapy stream fits?
Many individuals and families aren’t sure what might be the best fit when getting started. You don’t need to have it all figured out before reaching out. If you contact us, we’ll take the time to understand your concerns and goals and help guide you toward the therapy stream that’s the best fit for you or your child.