Sound Youth Counselling

02/27/2026

👋 meet Anne, a counsellor who is passionate about helping individuals tap into their resources to find the strength in their voice, and to take responsibility in living a more full and authentic life.

Anne is a Registered Social Worker (MSW) and offers virtual counselling to young people, parents, and families. She also offers her experience as a clinical supervisor for those looking to increase their skills, knowledge, and confidence as they grow in their practice.

We are so fortunate to have Anne on the SYC team!

You can learn more about Anne here 👉 soundyouthcounselling.ca/anne

02/25/2026

✨We are so proud of the Mental Health Symposium - a day of learning and connection in Muskoka-Parry Sound - and it's back for the third year! ✨

It started as a mission to bring affordable, accessible, community education and professional development to the Parry Sound-Muskoka community.

This event is for parents, caregivers, professionals, agency staff, and community members who want to learn more about mental health (from a variety of perspectives!).

EARLY BIRD registration is open until February 28th.

We hope you will join this uplifting event and share in a day of learning and networking with others from across the region.

details at soundyouthcounselling.ca/symposium

Mind-Aid Muskoka DOC ROB

02/23/2026

👋 meet Melissa, a teacher, white water canoe guide, and now therapist who loves creative approaches to make your counselling meaningful.

Melissa is a Registered Psychotherapist who provides in-person counselling at SYC-Huntsville and virtual counselling across Ontario.

Want to learn more? visit soundyouthcounselling.ca/melissa

02/20/2026

🔊 Exception Seekers - Raising resilient kids in an anxious world with Amanda Lamb 🔊

💭 Anxiety isn’t a problem to “fix” - it’s a skill that develops over time.

In this episode, Colleen chats with Amanda Lamb from Pine River Institute about helping kids and teens build resilience, manage anxiety, and grow emotional strength. 🌱

From co-regulation and transitional objects to chores as confidence-builders, this conversation reframes anxiety as a capacity, not a failure. Parents, educators, and anyone supporting young people will walk away with practical, compassionate guidance.

✨ Listen now to learn how we can help youth (and ourselves!) thrive under stress: https://tinyurl.com/42827s89

Even better, give us a LIKE and SHARE with a friend 🙏

Pine River Institute

02/18/2026

✨ New offering: Clinical supervision ✨

Clinical supervision is so important for therapists - especially those in private practice - and it is a priority of our practice at SYC. Supervision gives us the opportunity to ask questions, get new ideas, and explore our perspectives.

We are now offering supervision for licensed mental health professionals focusing on strengthening clinical skills, ethical decision-making, professional identity, and self-reflection, all while prioritizing client care and therapist well-being.

Our supervision sessions offer a space to:
👉 discuss clinical cases and treatment planning
👉 explore therapeutic approaches and interventions
👉 navigate ethical dilemmas and professional challenges
👉 build confidence as a clinician
👉 reflect on countertransference, boundaries, and self-care

Interested? Learn more at soundyouthcounselling.ca/what-we-do or email info@soundyouthcounselling.ca

02/16/2026

Beyond "Be Calm:" Building co-regulation skills with intention and interaction
🗓 February 24, 6-7pm
💲Free & Online
🎤 presented by Colleen McLean, social worker and owner of Sound Youth Counselling

Most people think of co-regulation as the need to be calm in the face of big emotions - we’re told to “take deep breathes,” and “regulate our nervous system” - but how do we do that and what if there’s more to it?
This webinar invites you to explore an alternative evidence-informed understanding of co-regulation and ideas on how to build opportunities for creating new skills at home and at school.

Register at soundyouthcounselling.ca/events-education

02/13/2026

✨ PROGRAM HELP NEEDED ✨

We are looking for individuals to support childcare during the spring Connected Families program.

Here's what you need to know:
🕔 5:00-8:30pm
🗓 Monday group, April 6-May 11
🗓 Thursday group, April 9-May 14
👉 both positions needed for each group (but it doesn't have to be the same people - if you're only available for one, let us know!)
🍽 dinner is provided
1️⃣ Childcare Lead - $420 per group
2️⃣ Volunteer - eligible volunteer hours for highschool students

Interested? Know someone who might be? Please help us spread the word!

02/11/2026

👋 hello! here's a little more about us ☺️

We're a value-driven practice, committed to our mission of ✨empowering young people, strengthening families, and building communities ✨

Human connection is the most powerful foundation for growth.

"...people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Maya Angelou)

We hope that everyone who enters our space and interacts with us feels welcomed, celebrated, respected, and supported.

02/11/2026

We'll be at The Drop, Parry Sound tomorrow - come say hi and let's talk anxiety!

Join us from 4-6 PM this Thursday, February 12th, for a special workshop with Sound Youth Counselling on managing anxiety!
- Evidence-informed, age-appropriate information about anxiety
- Guided discussion and interactive activities
- Learn practical coping skills!

02/10/2026

Parry Sound youth - check out what our friends at Outloud North Bay and Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca are doing in town this June!

and Outloud North Bay, in collaboration with are launching something we’re really excited about:

FREE Peer Support Training as part of our community's Youth Ambassador Program.

This is a two-day, in-person training designed for youth who want to support others, use their lived experience in a meaningful way, and build real-life skills around mental health, substance use, and wellness.

What’s included:
• Core peer support training (BIPS – a 5-module program)
• Extra training on supporting people in distress or crisis
• Learning how our beliefs, culture, and experiences shape how we see the world
• FREE lunch & snacks
• FREE workbook, swag bag, and certificate
• 14 volunteer hours (school forms can be signed on site!)

When & where (9:00 am – 4:00 pm):
• March 7 & 8 – North Bay (North Bay Friendship Centre)
• June 6 & 7 – Parry Sound (The Drop)
• September 26 & 27 – Sundridge (CMHA Office)
• December 5 & 6 – Sturgeon Falls (West Nipissing Health Centre – The Lighthouse)

Who can attend:
• Youth ages 12–18 who are able to attend both full

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=halbQ572dE24v3ia2_NnYi7-VVgoT0RIo_5x4Wrym1BUNDFXRFAwU1FZOUJHNFJZQVA2Tkw1OTlMWC4u&route=shorturl

02/09/2026

✨ a NEW GROUP: Connected Families, an attachment-based program for parents & caregivers ✨

This is a special program parents and caregivers with children ages 0-16 years-old, who are looking for support and strategies to strengthen their family.

We will talk about:
🫶 ways to build emotional connection
🫶 how to provide support for behaviour while building connections
🫶 challenges of caring for challenging children
🫶 the importance of self-care (and what this actually means and looks like for busy families)
🫶 how our experiences as children and how we were parented impact our parenting

🗓 Monday group, 5:30-8:30pm, 6-weeks starting April 6 (until May 11)
🗓 Thursday group, 5:30-8:30pm, 6-weeks starting April 9 (until May 14)
🏛 downtown Parry Sound
💲 this program is funded by a Bell Let's Talk grant, so registration is FREE
🍽 dinner is provided
👶 childcare is available during the program
🙏 to recognize the commitment needed for this program - it is 6 weeks after all - we will acknowledge your time with a gift card for each family at the completion of the 6 weeks.

For more details and to register, visit soundyouthcounselling.ca/events-education

02/06/2026

🔊 Exception Seekers - Language, legacy, and the courage to act with Alhan Rahimi 🔊

This special episode features an in-depth conversation with Alhan Rahimi - a language professional with over twenty years of experience as a translator and more than ten years working specifically as a community & medical interpreter. In this episode, Alhan shares about her personal and professional journey across languages, cultures, and countries, and how her passion for languages led her from translation into interpreting, and eventually into community-building through YouTube, courses, and children’s books.

She discusses the realities of interpreting work, especially the differences between consecutive and conference interpreting, and the isolation that can come with freelance language work. To address gaps in interpreter education (particularly Arabic–English), she began creating real-life interpreting content online and is now developing formal courses to support interpreters at different stages of their careers.

Have some time? Have a listen 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2sm7chrr

Even better, give us a LIKE and SHARE with a friend 🙏

.rahimi