Child & Teen Therapy Services: What to Expect

At Mills Gosse Psychology, we are dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of children, teens, and their families. Our team provides thoughtful, individualized assessment and therapy services to help young people navigate challenges, build skills, and feel more confident in themselves. Seeking support for your child or teen can feel like a big step. This page is designed to help you understand what to expect and how the therapy process works for younger children and teenagers.

How Therapy for Young People is Different

Therapy with children and teens looks different from therapy with adults

Younger clients are still developing the ability to understand, express, and manage their thoughts and emotions. Because of this, therapy may include creative and interactive approaches, such as conversation, play, games, or activities, to help them communicate in ways that feel natural and comfortable. 

Our goal is to create a space where young people feel safe, understood, and supported as they learn to: 

• Express their thoughts and feelings 

• Better understand themselves 

• Manage emotions and behaviours 

• Build coping and problem-solving skills

Creating a Supportive Environment 

Starting therapy can feel like a big step for both young people and their parents. Our goal is to make the experience welcoming, comfortable, and supportive from the beginning. We take the time to understand each child or teen's individual needs and circumstances, while creating a space where they can feel heard, understood, and safe to share their experiences at their own pace. 

Creating a Positive Start

The first steps in therapy are an opportunity to get to know the child or teen, understand what brings them to therapy, and begin building a trusting relationship. Parents and caregivers are also supported throughout the process so they understand what to expect and how best to support their child's therapy journey.

When talking to your child about therapy, it can help to:

• Describe therapy as a safe and supportive place where they can talk about things that may be difficult.

• Emphasize that therapy is about helping, not fixing or punishing.

• Use simple, age-appropriate language to explain what therapy is and why they are going.

• Reassure them that there is nothing "wrong" with them and that asking for help is a positive step.

• For younger children: You might explain that the therapist is someone who listens, helps with feelings, and helps make difficult things easier to understand.

• For teens: Teens often appreciate more openness. You can talk about how therapy works, what it is for, and invite their questions. If a teen asks to go to therapy, responding with openness and support can be especially meaningful.

Therapy Services for Children

What to Expect: The Child Therapy Process

Parent Intake Session

We typically begin by meeting with parents or caregivers first. This is usually a full 50-minute session that gives us time to listen, gather important information, and understand how we can best support your child. The parent intake session is not a delay in getting started with your child. It is an important part of effective care and allows parents to speak openly without their child present. This session allows us to:

• Gather important background information

• Better understand your child's circumstances and family environment

• Discuss your concerns and answer questions

• Begin developing an appropriate treatment plan

Child Sessions

After the parent intake, your child will begin meeting with their therapist.

• Younger children may initially have a parent present until they feel comfortable

• Over time, most children attend sessions independently

• As children get older, having their own space in therapy becomes increasingly important

Follow-Up Parent Sessions

After a few sessions, typically three or more, we may recommend another parent-only meeting. This is optional and will depend on your child's age, needs, and individual circumstances. Parents may also request a parent session if they have concerns or would like additional guidance. A follow-up parent session can provide an opportunity to:

• Discuss early impressions

• Talk about progress or concerns

• Review strategies for supporting your child at home

• Plan next steps in treatment

Ongoing Parent Communication

Parent involvement is important, but so is giving children appropriate space and independence. At the beginning of treatment, we will discuss how communication between parents and the therapist will work. Depending on the child's age and circumstances, this may include:

• Brief check-ins for parents at the beginning or end of sessions

• Occasional parent meetings

• Messages or email updates when appropriate

Parents should be aware that therapists may have limited time or ability to communicate outside of scheduled treatment sessions. If additional time is needed to discuss concerns or treatment, an additional parent session can be arranged where appropriate.

Ongoing Care & Duration

The duration of therapy is unique to each child and is regularly reviewed with their clinician. Some children may benefit from short-term support, while others may need longer-term care. Treatment can continue for as long as it is considered helpful and appropriate for the child's needs.

Privacy & Consent for Children

Understanding Privacy in Child Therapy

Privacy and confidentiality can sometimes be difficult for parents and children to understand, particularly when a parent is responsible for consenting to treatment.

When a child cannot provide their own informed consent, a parent, legal guardian, or other legally authorized person provides consent for psychological services. No single age automatically makes a young person capable of consenting to treatment. Capacity is considered based on the individual's ability to understand information relevant to the treatment and appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of their decision.

For younger children, parents will generally make decisions about whether treatment begins and provide consent on their child's behalf. As children develop and become more able to understand and participate in decisions about their care, their views and wishes become increasingly important. At the same time, children need a safe and private space where they can express themselves openly. Our goal is to find an appropriate balance between keeping parents informed and involved while giving children enough privacy to build trust and feel comfortable with their therapist.

As described above, we typically begin with a parent intake session and then involve parents throughout treatment as appropriate to the child's age, needs, and treatment plan.

How Parents Can Support Privacy and Trust

Parents can support a positive therapy experience by:

• Talking openly and positively about therapy.

• Giving their child space and avoiding pressure to share every detail of their sessions.

• Staying available and supportive when their child needs them.

• Requesting a meeting with the therapist if they have concerns about their child's well-being or the therapy process.

• Discussing a communication plan with the therapist, such as brief check-ins at the beginning or end of sessions, or scheduled parent meetings.

Parents should understand that the therapist may provide updates about treatment, progress, recommendations, or concerns, but will not necessarily share everything discussed during therapy. Protecting appropriate privacy helps children feel safe enough to be honest, build trust, and engage meaningfully in treatment.

Who Can Provide Consent?

When a child cannot provide their own informed consent, consent for psychological services must be provided by a parent, legal guardian, or another person who is legally authorized to make healthcare decisions for the child.

In many situations, one parent can provide consent on their own. However, this can depend on the family's legal circumstances, including any separation agreements, court orders, or other arrangements affecting decision-making authority.

When providing consent, the parent or guardian must confirm that they are legally authorized to consent to treatment and that there are no legal restrictions that would prevent them from doing so.

If both parents, multiple guardians, or another person is legally required to provide consent, please let the treating clinician know before services begin. Additional consent may be required.

Therapy Services for Teens

How Teen Therapy Is Different

Therapy with teenagers can be quite different from therapy with younger children.

While parents may be the ones who initiate services, schedule appointments, and pay for treatment, a teenager may be capable of making their own healthcare decisions and consenting to their own treatment.

There is no specific age at which a young person automatically gains this authority. Instead, capacity is considered based on whether the young person can understand the relevant information and appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of the decision.

When a teen is capable of providing informed consent, they have significant control over their treatment and personal health information. This can sometimes feel challenging for parents, particularly when they are concerned about their teen's well-being. We understand that this can be an adjustment, and we encourage parents and teens to discuss expectations around privacy and parental involvement at the beginning of treatment.

Supporting Your Teen

We encourage parents to:

• Give their teen space and freedom to work independently with their therapist

• Be open and honest with their teen about concerns that have led to therapy

• Let their teen know about any information they have shared with the therapist

• Discuss how often sessions will take place and how long treatment can reasonably be funded

• Avoid pressuring their teen to share details they are not ready to discuss

• Understand that therapy takes time and that progress may not always be immediately visible

What to Expect: The Teen Therapy Process

Optional Parent Intake Session

A parent intake session can be helpful at the beginning of therapy, but it is optional.

Parents are often the ones who initiate therapy and may have important concerns about their teen's well-being, behaviour, relationships, or functioning that would be helpful for the clinician to understand.

A parent-only session provides an opportunity to share this information privately and may help reduce potential embarrassment or shame for the teen.

However, it is important that teens know about the parent session in advance and understand that it is taking place. Parents should also be aware that information they provide to the therapist may not necessarily remain private from the teen, if the teen has a right to access that information.

If a parent session would cause a teen to feel uncomfortable or make it more difficult for them to engage in therapy, parents may wish to forgo this option. A parent meeting can also be considered later if the teen agrees to parental involvement.

Teen Sessions

Teens typically meet one-on-one with their therapist for 50-minute sessions.

The frequency of sessions and treatment goals are discussed with the teen and, where appropriate, their parents.

Ongoing Communication with Parents

Because a capable teen may consent to their own psychological treatment, parents may have limited access to information about their teen's treatment and cannot assume that they can regularly discuss treatment with the therapist.

At the beginning of treatment, the therapist and teen can discuss what level of parental involvement feels appropriate. In many cases, teens are comfortable with some parental involvement, such as allowing a parent to share concerns with the therapist or receiving occasional updates about general treatment progress.

Where parents provide information to the therapist, the teen will generally be made aware of that information as appropriate.

Safety is an important exception to confidentiality. If the therapist becomes concerned about a serious risk to the teen's life, safety, or health, information may need to be shared with parents or others who can help protect the teen, even when the teen has otherwise consented to their own care.

Privacy, Consent & Confidentiality for Teens

Understanding Teen Consent

There is no specific age in Ontario at which a young person automatically becomes capable of consenting to psychological treatment. Instead, capacity is assessed based on the individual's ability to understand the information relevant to treatment and appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of the decision.

In practice, many teenagers may be capable of providing informed consent, although this is not automatic and each young person's circumstances must be considered.

Once a teen is considered capable of providing informed consent:

• The teen decides whether they wish to participate in treatment

• The teen has significant control over decisions about their care

• Parent access to the teen's personal health information and clinical records may require the teen’s consent.

• Parental involvement in treatment generally requires the teen's agreement.

We will explain consent and confidentiality clearly at the beginning of treatment so that both teens and parents understand how privacy will work.

Building Trust While Keeping Parents Involved

The goal is not to exclude parents from their teen's care. When appropriate, we encourage parents and teens to work together to establish a level of parental involvement that feels comfortable and supportive.

A teen may choose to allow their parents to:

• Share concerns with the therapist

• Participate in occasional parent meetings

• Receive general updates about treatment

• Help support strategies or recommendations at home

The specific arrangements will depend on the teen, their circumstances, and what they agree to with their clinician.

Ongoing Care & Duration

The duration of therapy is unique to each teenager and is regularly reviewed with their clinician. Some teens may benefit from short-term support, while others may choose to continue therapy for a longer period. Treatment will continue for as long as it is considered helpful and appropriate, with the teen's goals and preferences taken into account.

Family Law, Separation & Custody Matters

Parents should be aware that Mills Gosse Psychology does not provide services for the purposes of legal separation, divorce, custody and access, or parenting capacity matters. Should services be provided to a child, or to parents, where such legal matters have been initiated, we decline to provide evidence or clinical information for such family law matters, even if relevant to the proceedings. Given that we have not been retained for such services, and have not assessed or evaluated all involved parties, or sought to address relevant separation, parenting, or custody and access concerns, we are not able to provide valid evidence in such contexts. We do not have a relevant clinical opinion, and only those appropriately retained, with the requisite experience and training, who have appropriately evaluated all relevant information and parties in the matter, should provide any information or services in this context. Should any party wish to have a psychological provider assist with their legal proceedings, we recommend they seek another service provider.

Final Thoughts

Every child and teen is different, and therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. Our role is to create a supportive and respectful space for young people while also partnering with parents in a thoughtful and balanced way. Clear communication about privacy, consent, and parental involvement is an important part of creating a successful therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about therapy for your child or teen, we are here to help.