Healing starts with the courage to ask for help

Initial Consultation

In your first appointment, we'll take 90 minutes to get to know you and your unique situation. We'll talk about the challenges you or your child are facing, explore possible causes, review existing support, and highlight your strengths. This conversation helps us understand your needs, set meaningful goals, and recommend the best next steps.

Individual Psychotherapy

We are here to support your child, teen, or young adult in developing the skills and strategies needed to manage sadness, anxiety, anger, social difficulties, and challenges with planning and organizing tasks. We also address specific issues, including OCD and tics.

We believe that involving caregivers in their child’s journey to mental wellness is essential. We are committed to maintaining confidentiality while keeping caregivers as informed as possible about the issues we discuss and the strategies we encourage the young person to learn and practice.

If you're a young adult seeking therapy, you might be feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, doubting yourself because of OCD, or feeling stuck in a low mood that keeps you from staying active and engaged in your life. Perhaps you're struggling to resolve conflicts with friends or family, or you want to build new friendships but aren’t sure how to take the first step. Whatever you're facing, we're here to support you.

Our approach is integrative and collaborative, drawing from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical-Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Emotion-Focused interventions such as Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT).

Our goal is to help you better understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours so you can make meaningful changes that align with your goals and values. Let’s work together to navigate these challenges and find a path forward.

Parent Consultation and Coaching Sessions

When children struggle with their mood or behavior, it can be overwhelming for their caregivers. It's often challenging to know if you're doing the right things or if it's "enough." You might feel stuck or unsure about how to navigate the situation. Should you allow them to avoid overwhelming experiences, or encourage them to face their fears? With so much parenting advice available from experts and social media, it’s natural to feel uncertain. Remember, parenting was never meant to be done alone. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and we’re here to be part of your village.

We believe that caregivers can be a child’s strongest allies and biggest cheerleaders, and we aim to be your partners in this journey. We offer parent consultation sessions rooted in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Attachment Theory, Positive Parenting Strategies, and the latest research on child development and neuroscience. We can help you understand and respond effectively to your child's emotions and behaviours.

These consultation/coaching sessions can be especially helpful for parents of highly sensitive youth who are easily affected by and reactive to their environment and emotions. These children may show more emotional outbursts, oppositional behaviour, or distancing from family. The sessions aim to equip caregivers with effective strategies, strengthen the parent-child bond, boost parenting confidence, and ultimately improve the youth's emotional intelligence and regulation.

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Group Therapy

MindSteps offers engaging online group sessions for teens and adults, including the PEERS Program for Teens, a social skills program aimed at enhancing interpersonal skills and fostering friendships. Additionally, there's a Caregiver Consultation Group for parents to gain insights and strategies while connecting with others, and Mindfulness drop-in sessions for adults to cultivate awareness and reduce reactivity in everyday life.

If you are interested in joining a future group, please let us know. We are compiling a list of individuals who have expressed interest, and once we have enough participants, we will schedule the group sessions.

Family Therapy

Dr. Sol Pound offers family therapy for older teens/young adults and their families. This form of psychotherapy enhances family dynamics by providing a safe space for open communication, understanding, and relationship improvement. Dr. Pound's collaborative approach focuses on strengthening relationships, improving communication, resolving conflicts, and developing strategies to cope with family challenges.

How We Can Help

We provide evidence-based therapy for a range of concerns, including but not limited to:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves intrusive and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) that trigger intense distress, along with behaviours performed in an attempt to reduce that distress (compulsions). When the cycle of obsessions and compulsions becomes time-consuming, causes significant distress, and/or interferes with important areas of daily functioning, it is important to seek treatment.

At our clinic, we offer Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the first-line, evidence-based treatment for OCD. We may also integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help individuals develop a different relationship with their OCD while engaging in actions that align with their values.

We also offer parent coaching that empowers caregivers to become active recovery allies by providing them with practical strategies to help their child learn to boss back their OCD.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition affecting children and adolescents. It is important to seek treatment when anxiety persists and begins to interfere with a child's or teen's daily life, leading them to avoid important activities.

Anxiety can present in many different ways, including excessive worry, nervousness, headaches and stomachaches, avoidance, and emotional outbursts. Children and teens may experience anxiety about a wide range of concerns, such as separating from parents, social interactions, new situations, academic performance, their own well-being, or the well-being of loved ones.

At our clinic, we offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the first-line psychological treatment for anxiety. CBT helps children, teens, and young adults gradually face their fears, build confidence, and reduce avoidance. When appropriate, we also integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients relate differently to their anxious thoughts while taking actions that align with their core values. We also provide parent coaching, equipping caregivers with practical strategies to support their child's recovery and build resilience.

Anger Regulation

Anger can be difficult for children and youth to manage, and it can also be challenging for parents and caregivers to know how to respond. From young children's temper tantrums to teenage outbursts, anger is a normal emotion. However, some children and youth need support in developing the skills to manage it in healthy, effective ways. Likewise, caregivers sometimes benefit from learning strategies to respond more effectively.

At our clinic, we offer individual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for anger, aggression, and irritability. Children and youth are taught evidence-based emotion regulation and social problem-solving skills that help reduce the frequency and intensity of angry and aggressive behaviours while improving their ability to navigate social conflict effectively.

We also offer parent consultation sessions focused on helping caregivers respond effectively when their child is experiencing intense frustration or anger. Following an Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) approach, caregivers learn strategies to support their child's emotional regulation through co-regulation and emotion validation while fostering the development of healthy coping skills and adaptive behaviours.

Depression

Common signs of depression in children include sadness or irritability, low energy, feelings of worthlessness, and losing interest in activities they once enjoyed. Although depression often begins during adolescence, young children can also experience it.

At our clinic, we offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), one of the most effective treatments for depression. It helps children and youth learn to identify unhelpful thinking patterns, develop effective coping skills, and engage in pleasurable and mastery-based activities that foster positive emotions and a sense of accomplishment. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) can also help individuals learn to regulate intense emotions and build skills for coping with distress. Furthermore, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be integrated to help with accepting difficult emotions and engaging in meaningful actions. We also provide parent coaching, equipping caregivers with practical strategies to support their child's recovery and build resilience.

Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect executive functioning, including attention, organization, planning, impulse control, and self-regulation. Many individuals with ADHD also experience heightened emotional sensitivity and reactivity.

At our clinic, we offer two primary approaches. One involves supporting caregivers. We help parents learn effective ways to interact with their children and teens that encourage positive behaviours, reduce challenging behaviours, and promote emotion regulation, all while strengthening the parent-child relationship and helping their child feel understood and supported.

The other approach involves working collaboratively with children, teens, and young adults to develop practical strategies for improving organization, task completion, planning, and time management, while also building social skills and emotion regulation skills.

Selective Mutism

Children with selective mutism (SM) are talkative at home but unable to speak in more public settings, including school. They may also have difficulty speaking to
neighbours, distant relatives, or unfamiliar adults. Children with SM are extremely anxious and can’t talk, even when they want to.

At our clinic, we offer Behavioral and Cognitive-behavioral (CBT) strategies to address SM. Behavioral therapy prompts speech and reinforces successful speaking experiences in new settings, during new activities and with new people. This careful progression helps children gain confidence and prepares them for experiences that get progressively more challenging.

For children age 7 and older, we offer cognitive strategies that help children recognize body symptoms of anxiety, identify and challenge anxious predictions, and develop a coping plan to deal with distress.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that influences how a person experiences and interacts with the world. Autistic individuals may communicate, socialize, process sensory information, and think in ways that differ from non-autistic individuals. They may also have strong interests, a preference for routines or predictability, and engage in repetitive behaviours that support self-regulation or enjoyment. Because autism is a spectrum, every autistic person has a unique profile of strengths, differences, support needs, and experiences.

We support autistic children, teens, young adults, and their families in better understanding their unique strengths and needs while navigating challenges related to social communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and daily life. Our collaborative, neuroaffirming, and evidence-based approach is individualized to each person's goals, helping clients build skills, confidence, self-understanding, and meaningful participation in the areas of life that matter most to them.

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs)

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), such as hair pulling (trichotillomania) and skin picking (excoriation disorder), involve repetitive behaviours that can be difficult to control and may result in physical injury, emotional distress, or interference with daily life. These behaviours often serve a function, such as helping to regulate emotions or provide sensory stimulation.

At our clinic, we provide evidence-based treatment to help children, teens, and young adults better understand the factors that maintain these behaviours and develop effective strategies to reduce them. The approaches we offer include Reversal Training (HRT) and Comprehensive Behavioral (ComB) Treatment. We also integrate Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and emotion regulation strategies, depending on each individual's needs.

We work collaboratively with clients and their families to support lasting change in a compassionate and non-judgmental environment.

Tics & Tourette Syndrome

Tics are sudden, rapid, recurrent movements or vocalizations that occur involuntarily. Some individuals experience a single tic for a short period of time, while others have multiple motor and vocal tics that persist over time, as seen in Tourette Syndrome. Tics often change in type, frequency, and intensity, and may become more noticeable during times of stress, excitement, fatigue, or anxiety.

At our clinic, we help children, teens, and young adults better understand their tics and develop practical strategies to manage them when they are distressing or interfere with daily life. We offer evidence-based treatments, including Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), while also addressing co-occurring concerns such as anxiety, OCD, ADHD, or emotion regulation difficulties when appropriate.

We work collaboratively with clients and their families to increase understanding, reduce stigma, build confidence, and support participation in school, social activities, and everyday life.

Psycho-Educational Assessments

Psycho-Educational assessments are comprehensive assessments of an individual's cognitive, academic, developmental, and mental health functioning. This type of assessment is needed for the assessment of learning disabilities and intellectual developmental disorder and is often recommended for the assessment of other neuro-developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These assessments include interviews, questionnaires, a review of available documentation, testing, and a summary report with recommendations.

Diagnostic Assessments

Diagnostic assessments evaluate how a person is feeling and functioning in their everyday lives to determine if they meet criteria for specific clinical conditions, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and trauma-related disorders.

Diagnostic assessments include interviews, questionnaires, and a letter summarizing findings (if desired).

Please note that for the diagnosis of some neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a comprehensive psychological assessment might be required.

Interested in Online Therapy?

After the initial consultation, your clinician will determine if online therapy is indicated for your case. Online therapy is incredibly convenient, especially for those with mobility issues, those living remotely, or those leading busy lives. You can schedule sessions flexibly without the hassle of travel, saving you time and energy. Being in the comfort of your own home fosters openness and familiarity. Plus, digital tools make the experience engaging with tailored resources and interactive exercises. Whether you're moving or traveling, you can still maintain your therapy sessions seamlessly. At MindSteps Psychology, your privacy is ensured, and our clinicians are available in real-time to support you.