Birchwood Psychology

12/19/2025

Holiday heads-up! 🎄

We’ll be closed starting Dec 20 to enjoy the holidays.
We’ll be back Dec 29 & 30, then closed again Dec 31 & Jan 1.

Thanks so much, and hope everyone has a great holiday season & a happy new year! 😊

12/10/2025

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Leanne has some limited availability for ADHD and psychoeducational assessments in the next bit. Reach out to Bailey at 902-304-5527 or info@birchwoodassessments.com if interested!

Report Card Season is Upon Us: Understanding Your Child Beyond the Grades

As report cards begin to come home, many children (and parents) experience a mix of pride, stress, and uncertainty.

Academic feedback can be helpful, but it often reflects only one piece of a child’s broader learning profile. When a child is struggling, appearing inconsistent, or feeling overwhelmed, it can leave families wondering why and what to do next.

A psychoeducational assessment can offer meaningful clarity. By exploring how your child’s brain processes information, where their strengths lie, and which challenges may be affecting their academic performance, families gain a deeper and more compassionate understanding of their child’s learning needs. This insight also helps to guide targeted supports, effective school strategies, and a plan that truly aligns with how your child learns best.

If you notice increased stress, frustration, or questions about your child’s progress this report card season, it may be an ideal time to consider an assessment.

Understanding your child’s unique learning profile can bring reassurance, direction, and a stronger pathway forward.

12/06/2025

We had a little early holiday celebration this week for our staff at Birchwood! We are very thankful for our awesome team ❤️ Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season!

11/17/2025

Do you have concerns about your child’s communication skills and/or how they pronounce their words? You may have been told to “wait and see”, but early action can make a world of difference!

Research consistently shows that the sooner a child with a communication difficulty receives professional support, the better their long-term outcomes. Early intervention helps build a strong foundation for clear communication, literacy, and social skills.

If you have concerns about your child’s ability to,

-be understood by unfamiliar listeners

-form specific sounds (pronunciation)

-use words to communicate needs

-follow simple directions,

then it is best to consult with a speech language pathologist.

At Birchwood Psychology we provide private SLP services to toddlers (18 months+), preschoolers, and school-aged children.

Call to book a consultation at 902 304 5527!

11/02/2025

You may have noticed a delay in us getting back to you this week but we should be back in action by Tuesday when our office manager Bailey will return from getting married!!

From all of our staff and clients, congratulations to Bailey and Spencer!

09/08/2025

🚸 Is Your Child Struggling to Attend School? You're Not Alone.

School Refusal — sometimes called School Avoidance or School Phobia — happens when a student finds it extremely difficult to attend or stay in school due to anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges.

This issue doesn’t just impact the student — it can affect the whole family. But there is a path forward.

🌟 Our specialized services are designed to support children and their families in understanding and overcoming school refusal through:

✅ Evidence-based assessment & therapy
✅ Collaborative work with parents, school staff, and the student
✅ Skill-building to reduce anxiety and emotional distress
✅ Practical strategies for re-engaging with school and learning
✅ Ongoing support and education for families

Our goal? To help students move from school refusal to school success — emotionally, socially, and academically.

📍 Now accepting referrals for students aged 8–12.
🤝 Parent/guardian involvement is a key part of this process.

📩 Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.

Send a message to learn more

08/22/2025

Is your child struggling with attention, learning, or behaviour at home or school?

We’re now booking ADHD & Psychoeducational Assessments into November 2025!

These assessments can help you:
Understand how your child learns best, identify underlying diagnoses, and access the right supports.

Let’s work together to give your child the tools they need to succeed.

Call Bailey to ask questions or to book your child's assessment at 902 304 5527.

Private psychology practice in Sydney, Nova Scotia, providing comprehensive assessments and intervention for children, adolescents, and young adults.

08/13/2025

Is your child having a tough time with talking, pronouncing words, or putting together sentences?

At Birchwood Psychology our Speech-Language Pathologist Danielle Criss works with children to make speech therapy fun, engaging, and confidence boosting.

Summer is a great time to work on these skills with your children to prepare for the coming school year!

Give us a call at 902-304-5527 or reach out by email at info@birchwoodassessments.com

07/04/2025

We’re happy to share that our Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), Danielle Criss, will be available throughout July and August to support clients currently receiving services and to take on new clients. With the addition of new days and time slots, there are immediate openings.

The summer months can be the perfect time to give your child’s speech and language skills a boost before starting school, or to avoid a regression in the skills that they worked on during the school year. Individualized goals and sessions will help make communication fun and progress attainable. Give Bailey a call at 902-304-5527 if you’d like more info!

07/03/2025

We'd like to officially welcome Heather Rudderham to the team at Birchwood! Heather is a registered psychologist with over 8 years of clinical experience. She works with clients aged 16+, providing mental health assessments (excluding ADHD, Autism, and Personality Disorders), assessments for Veterans Affairs Canada, as well as therapy focusing on areas such as relationship issues, trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), gender and sexual identity exploration, Depression and Anxiety, life transitions, grief and loss, and anger management. She has openings as early as this summer so please reach out to Bailey at 902-304-5527 if interested in booking!

05/26/2025

We've had July and August assessment spots open up (for psych-eds and ADHD assessments only)! If you're interested in moving your current assessment appointment ahead or if you'd like to get booked in, give Bailey a call at 902-304-5527 :)

05/25/2025

Since we've had so much change here at Birchwood, we thought it was a good time to re-introduce our clinicians! Starting with Danielle Criss, our speech language pathologist.

Danielle provides expert speech and language therapy tailored to your child’s unique needs. Through play-based, engaging, and evidence-based approaches, she helps children build confidence in their communication skills. She also helps parents/ guardians build confidence in their ability to foster their child’s speech and language development. Working with toddlers to school-agers, Danielle provides a wide range of assessment and therapy services.

She also has immediate openings so feel free to reach out to Bailey at the office to book your appointment now!