Expressive Minds

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Orillia, ON
Expressive Minds

Helping children and youth overcome challenges, feel good about themselves, experience a fulfilling life and develop resilient and secure relationships.

Empowering, supporting and promoting emotional wellbeing, through individual and family sessions, working with children, youth and their parents to overcome challenges and realize their potential. Helping parents in their journey, providing strategies and reflecting on what works for their family, to support themselves and their children. I am registered psychotherapist in Ontario, specializing in working with trauma and adverse childhood experiences, anxiety, emotional regulation, attachment and relational difficulties, grief and loss, divorce and separation. I bring authenticity and deep connection along with playfulness and creativity in my work with kiddos and their families. Through the Expressive Minds page, we will strive to promote emotional wellbeing of parents and children and advocate the importance of play and mindfulness in everyone’s lives. We will be posting easy to follow resources, tips and creative strategies to support kiddos and their families.

01/26/2026

My heart goes out to all the families I have had the privilege of working with over the last nine years, and I want to express my gratitude to those who show up and allow me to bear witness to their courage in embracing vulnerability. As Brené Brown states, "Courage requires the willingness to lean into uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure."

I firmly believe that magic happens when we share our stories and experiences with people who have earned the right to be witnesses to them. Thank you for trusting me with your narratives.

As the owner of Expressive Minds Therapy, my vision is to provide tailored and developmentally appropriate services taking into consideration the uniqueness of each child and the uniqueness of their family. My passion for the parents to access the most fitting information and support for their family as early as possible and for children to build their confidence and resilience to manage the ups and downs of life.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect or reconnect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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01/21/2026

Have you or your child ever felt overwhelmed? Jon Kabat-Zinn describes this feeling as "our lives are somehow unfolding faster than the human nervous system and psyche can manage well." When overwhelmed, the typical response is to work or think harder, but Kabat-Zinn suggests that taking a "no-doing" break is the antidote.

Taking a mindful break—to do nothing or engage in a playful or mindful activity—helps our cognitive capacity reset and allows our emotional state to ground. Research shows that when we are overwhelmed, our ability to process information accurately and make sound decisions is compromised.

Here are ways we can help children manage overwhelm:

- Foster an attitude of taking breaks and model the process of taking a break when overwhelmed
- Explain how the brain works and why "doing nothing" is necessary to reset when overwhelmed
- Practice together and notice when your child becomes overwhelmed and take a break with them
- Define with them "Doing Nothing"; decide together what this looks like for them. It could be literally doing nothing for five to ten minutes, going for a quick walk, engaging in a playful activity, coloring etc..

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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01/19/2026

One of the best ways to start the week is seeing Pepper sleeping peacefully in her cute "croissant" position. It's a wonderful reminder that we can manage the ups and downs of life with a little peace and perspective.

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01/14/2026

We often focus on our physical immune system, especially this time of year, but how much attention do we give to our emotional and relational immune systems? This internal system is just as crucial to our well-being.

In my work with parents, I've observed the significant effort and investment they make in their children’s emotional and relational health, often putting their own needs second. I believe using the following principles, initially posed by Dr. Karen Treisman at Safe Hands and Thinking Minds Psychological Services, could offer a valuable shift in perspective:

1. Am I caring or rescuing?
2. Am I holding space or holding everything?
3. Am I listening or absorbing?

I am wondering if these questions would create a helpful framework for assessing emotional and relational health at any given time.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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01/12/2026

If you've worked with me or seen my posts, you may have noticed my references to Dr. Becky Kennedy and her book, Good Inside.

Recently, while walking, I was reminded of her metaphor of "sitting on the bench" with children and youth when they are experiencing big feelings. It can be difficult and uncomfortable to sit with discomfort, and observing a child struggle is often painful. However, the meaningful impact of being fully present with them truly resonates with me.

I encourage you to consider this: When you were last feeling sad, stressed, embarrassed, or overwhelmed, what was the most impactful thing someone did for you? For me, it was having someone simply be there, listen, and offer the space to express my feelings to a trusted connection.

While we naturally want children to feel better, offering our calm, compassionate, and accepting presence allows them to feel better and, crucially, teaches them to cultivate those same qualities for themselves as they navigate challenging moments and difficult emotions throughout their lives.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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01/07/2026

Have you ever experienced a sense of disconnection between your body and mind, or felt lost trying to understand your feelings? We often get stuck in our thoughts, overlooking the important signals from our bodies. By practicing identifying and naming what we are experiencing, we significantly improve our ability to recognize what we truly need.

“Listening to My Body" by Gabi Garcia is a wonderful resource that helps children build emotional vocabulary, connect body sensations with their emotions, and trust their bodies as a source of self-identification.

What I also appreciate about this book are the practical activities integrated with the text, allowing children, parents, caregivers, and siblings to practice these skills together in real-time.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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01/05/2026

I recently used a metaphor to help me understand a challenging communication situation, and I wanted to share it with you.

Imagine that each of us is a planet in a solar system. While we are all unique and part of the same system, would we expect each planet to automatically know how to communicate with every other planet? Yet, as humans, we often assume our communication is clear and that the other person is automatically open and receptive to our message.

The planet metaphor made me realize the need to intentionally establish communication. If I were a planet, I would need to:

-Identify the unique traits of the planet (e.g. needs, strengths, difficulties)
-Identify the other planet’s communication channel
- Confirm if those channels are open to receive the message (e.g., Is their airport open for receiving the goods? is their "airport" under construction?)
- Consider any obstacles that might be blocking the communication (e.g., another planet getting in the way, my planet being overloaded or my airport being under construction)
- Determine if a different medium, like a "telescope" is needed to reach a faraway planet etc.

I am wondering if this could be a useful image for parents when they feel their children aren't listening to them. What obstacles prevent the "two planets" from cooperating? Is it the child's focus on the present moment, a desire for independence, or simply that the communication channel has not been properly established and lacks connection?

How can we help these planets build the connecting bridge for easier cooperation?

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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12/24/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Our office will be closed from December 24th to January 2nd!
We are looking forward to connecting or reconnecting with you in the New Year!

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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12/22/2025

We want to express our deepest appreciation for the hard work each family is investing in their healing journey. Thank you for entrusting Expressive Minds to be a part of such a significant and personal process. Your dedication is truly inspiring.

We are also profoundly grateful for the continued support from our community. Your referrals and willingness to spread the word about our services have been instrumental in our growth, and we couldn't do it without you.

As the year draws to a close, I've been reflecting on the growth and journey of Expressive Minds. I am incredibly grateful to share that my practice has steadily expanded, allowing me to now dedicate my full attention to it. This exciting development means I am able to offer more in-person sessions, particularly within the Simcoe Muskoka area.

Thank you once again for being an integral part of the Expressive Minds family.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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12/17/2025

As the year draws to a close, I've been reflecting on the growth of my practice. I'm grateful to have steadily expanded my business and am now able to focus on it full-time, offering more in-person sessions in the Simcoe Muskoka area.

This reflection has also led me to consider the growth I've witnessed in the children and families I work with. I want to highlight the small, meaningful changes that can sometimes go unnoticed in our busy lives, rather than focusing on the larger personal transformations.

These successes include:
- The smiles we see when children walk through the door.
-A parent expressing confidence in their skills.
- A child inviting me to play together after previously engaging in solitary play.
- A child who rarely chooses a toy coming in one day and clearly outlining their plan for the session.
-A child who shares making a new friend.
- A child stating that they feel calm or that the therapy room is their calm place.

These moments confirm that the relationship we build with our clients is the true core of therapy, acting as the primary agent of change and healing.

These are the meaningful successes of our work, and I am grateful to have walked alongside our community families for the last three years.

We are here for you whenever you are ready to connect. Reach out to us to learn more about our services www.expressive-minds.com

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12/15/2025

Some thoughts about the new year approaching soon by Grant Snider in the book ‘The art of Living’

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12/10/2025

I recently watched the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood episode "Daniel plays in a gentle way," and it sparked some interesting reflections on the pace of a child's development.

The scene where Daniel pushes his younger sister to move faster through an obstacle course—causing both of them distress—highlighted a common challenge: the tendency to rush a child's natural process of growth. We often wish for children to reach certain social, cognitive, emotional, or physical milestones by a specific age, but this isn't always realistic or necessary if we trust in their individual pace.

In therapy, I often use the metaphor of a child's growth process being like cooking a slow-cooked, homemade meal versus ordering fast food. While I enjoy fast food, I prefer the deliciousness and lasting impact of the slow-cooked dish.

The challenge with the slow-cooked meal is that it requires patience. We gather the ingredients, understand the recipe, and wait for the cooking to finish under a closed lid, often without visual confirmation of the progress inside. This mirrors the work in the therapy room: the growth happens internally, and visible change may not be immediate.

We know we are on the right track when the "aroma of the meal" begins to emerge, but we must still wait until the food is ready and then a bit longer until it is ready to be served. Trusting this slow process ensures that the resulting "meal"—the child’s internal growth—will stay with them for a long time, often permanently.

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Address

53 Andrew Street S
Orillia, ON
L3V5J2

Website

https://expressive-minds.com/

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