If your teen notices the pattern and - on top of the burnout - feel confused and guilty about why they seem to keep going back for more when their nervous system is already fried. We address this in the therapy office all the time - social media isn’t designed to make us happy, it’s just designed to make us look.

Most of us think play is just for fun (and don’t get us wrong, it is fun), but play is a way for children to communicate in a language they understand. In the same way that adults use hypothetical scenarios to explore novel solutions, children use pretend play to consolidate, revisit, and interpret the piles and piles of brand new information they absorb every day.

ADHD changes the way your nervous system regulates attention, arousal, and inhibition. It has more to do with an inability to self-regulate than it does with a lack of attention. This is an important factor worth noting since it affects how your brain responds to sensory input from your environment.

What you see in a child with ADHD probably looks different from what you see in an adult with ADHD. It manifests in various ways across genders and life stages. In children, you may see restlessness and impulsivity. In teens, it may look like avoidance and emotional intensity, often coupled with academic struggles.

Research in developmental psychology consistently shows that adolescents have a deep, biologically driven need for autonomy. Teens aren’t necessarily being defiant for the sake of being defiant. They are actively building the foundation for their transition into adulthood and beyond.

Ambiguous loss is a form of grief without clear closure - when someone is physically present but emotionally absent, or gone without explanation.

Grief can feel overwhelming for teenagers, who are still learning how to regulate intense emotions and make sense of loss.

Most couples assume they have a communication problem when, in reality, they are navigating subtle drops in felt safety. Skills can only be practiced when these conditions are met…

Recognizing the “fawn response” in teens and how to support them in feeling more confident and calmer in relationships.

Many of the clients I’ve worked with who end up doing a significant amount of somatic therapy didn’t start off that way. Even when we progressed into mostly somatic work together - sessions that were much “quieter” or worked in meditative states - we would still have sessions where there was more talking.

Your teen needs your support using screens wisely. Here’s what the research shows us and a Screen Use Family Agreement for you to take an evidence-based approach with your child or teenager.

The evidence is in! Art therapy works particularly well for teenagers, not just children and adults.

What is queer joy and what role does it play in therapy for LGBT clients?

Rethinking “unmasking” as both the process and goal of therapy for folks on the autism spectrum.

How parents are integral supports for teens in the therapy process.

No one really thinks of the ending when they begin therapy. How do we know it’s time?

Explore The Wren Centre’s in west Ottawa guiding principles for screen use in families. Learn how child therapy and teen therapy support healthy tech habits, connection, and mental wellness.

Discover how play therapy helps children express big feelings, process experiences, and build emotional resilience — especially when words fall short. Ottawa parents, here's what you need to know.

You already know that feeling exhausted, irritable, or emotionally overwhelmed has both physical and psychological causes and impacts. Here are specific examples grounded in common experiences for women as caregivers, employees, partners as well as straight up being human. 

As a parent and therapist, you might share the competing pressures I feel, including unpredictable March weather. Here are some practical, low-stress strategies for balancing screen time and creating memorable moments with your child.