Children’s Mental Health Kitchener Waterloo

At Qualia we’re passionate about improving children’s mental health in Kitchener Waterloo, Brantford, Oshweken and surrounding areas! We know that courage and confidence, resilience and coping, happiness and joy. These expressions and skills can be taught, just like anything else.

 

Children and adolescents are in the perfect time of their lives to learn about themselves and understand their emotions. Qualia’s Waterloo clinic is specifically focused on child and youth programs, and youth services are also available in all three other clinics in Southern Ontario.

 

“They come out of these programs a lot happier, more confident, with less worries,” Fleming says. “They’re really equipped with the tools that they need for everyday struggles — the heightened anxiety right now — and for success in the future.”

 

 

Mental Health Services – Kitchener Waterloo

Our Waterloo clinic includes floor-to-ceiling whiteboards for kids and teens to express themselves fully with words, drawings and art. Clinicians are trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as play therapy, and have countless resources — including virtual games, treatment manuals and reward programs — geared toward younger learners.

 

Summer day camps are another engaging, social option for children, catering to each unique child. The Stress Busters camp, for instance, helps nervous children get creative with challenging their fears, while SuperFly works with hyper kids to gain better focus and impulse control. There are four other camps to choose from as well, with spaces still available for July — and camp is free for Indigenous kids.

 

We’ve really integrated working with youth into all of our clinics and we really love supporting children, adolescents and their families. We also train other clinicians — specifically to treat children and adolescents — through one of the most unique programs with Wilfrid Laurier University.”

 

Coping Skills for Kids

Learning the skills and tools to handle life’s challenges at a younger age is a major investment in a child’s future.

 

In childhood and adolescence, there are a lot of things that are out of a child’s control. There’s a lot of anxiety that surfaces that can later turn into more severe mental health problems as well, if left treated. It can turn into more severe anxiety, but also depression as an adult — as well as suicidal thinking, eating disorders.

 

Qualia clinicians can even work with caregivers instead of children, teaching CBT principles and illustrating how it helps kids. There are proven benefits even without youth in attendance.

 

There’s a number of studies that show caregivers and parents getting therapy to help their kids with anxiety problems can be up to 90 per cent effective.

 

Even simple and fun ideas, such as creating a Calm Down Corner at home, are effective for children during stressful times. The COVID-19 pandemic has created health anxiety for many children, as well as uncertainty about the future.

 

While working with children on mental wellbeing reduces risk later in adulthood, it also helps kids right now — enjoying school, understanding themselves, adapting socially.

 

We see kids happier, more relaxed, more able to concentrate on the things that are important for their development, like school and personal strength. We see increased courage when it comes to anxiety. It really is an increase in confidence and joy.

 

Happy kids means happy families. When a child is anxious or fearful, it often impacts the rest of the family — and relief is well within reach!

 

We spend a lot of time with children and adolescents. We have many resources — libraries of games, therapy techniques, resources that parents can take home. We are really innovative with it.

 

If you’d like more information about our children’s mental health services in Kitchener Waterloo, Brantford or Oshweken, please feel free to contact us to ask any questions you may have!