Family Kinnections

02/10/2026

Today is a teaching day! Looking forward to guest lecturing at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute on engaging parents in child and youth psychotherapy.

I hear often from parents that they have experienced judgment from their child's therapist, they have been cut out of the process, and they have been framed as a problem to be solved. Honestly, I've experienced some of this as a parent seeking support for my kiddos.

If you've ever felt judged by your child's therapist... If you've felt like you're being "handled" instead of partnered with... If you've left a session feeling more like the problem than part of the solution...
That wasn't about you. That was about a gap in how we train therapists.

Most of us therapists learned beautiful skills for working with children. We can track play themes, create safety, build trust. But many programs never explicitly taught us how to genuinely engage with parents.

Not just to give you handouts or homework. But to really SEE parents. To honour that parents know their children in ways we never will. To hold space for parents' worries and their wisdom. To navigate the hard moments with parents.

Many therapists feel underprepared for this work. We know it matters—the research shows parent engagement is one of the strongest predictors of lasting change—but we were never taught HOW to do it well.

So tonight, I'm teaching on this. We're going to talk about the real challenges (because parent work can be vulnerable and messy), and we're going to explore what it looks like to truly partner with families.

Your child sees us for 50 minutes a week. They see you every day. You're the one who tucks them in, shows up at breakfast, and navigates the hard moments. You are their first and forever therapist.

Our job isn't to fix your child while you wait in the lobby. Our job is to walk alongside you, to help you trust your instincts, to support you in becoming the healing presence your child needs.

Parents: You belong in this work. Not as a bystander, but as the most essential partner.

Therapists: Let's do this better. Our families deserve it.

02/05/2026

Had to hop on the trend. AI's depiction of me (Meghan) and the work I do.

01/31/2026

I’m often asked how I support families with *behaviour* if I don’t do “behaviour therapy.”

The short answer?
I don’t start with behaviour — I start with **understanding**.

Behaviour is communication.
It tells us something about what a child is experiencing, not what they’re “failing” at.

When a child is struggling, I’m curious about:
• What the behaviour is communicating
• How it’s functioning for the child
• What’s happening internally — emotionally, cognitively, and in their nervous system

I’m not interested in compliance.
I’m not interested in simply extinguishing behaviour so things look better on the outside.

I *am* interested in:
• Who this child is
• What stressors they’re navigating
• What strengths they already have
• What skills are still developing — and how we can support those gently and effectively

And to be clear — no shade to behaviour therapists.
We often operate from different lenses, training, and philosophies, and many families find behavioural approaches helpful and appropriate.

My work simply comes from a relational, developmental, and nervous-system-informed perspective — where support is rooted in connection, safety, and understanding, not control.

Because kids don’t need to be fixed.
They need to be understood. ✨

-Meghan

01/20/2026

I want to take a moment to acknowledge something many parents don’t hear often enough.

The pressure is real.
The constant movement between work, school, appointments, therapies, lessons, and home.
The financial strain of trying to access the right supports.
The emotional labour of parenting while also carrying the imprints of your own upbringing — the beliefs, worries, and patterns you’re actively trying to do differently.

It’s a lot to hold, and most days it can feel like you’re just trying to keep everything from dropping.

In my work with children, I’m often reminded of something grounding when I listen to what they say about therapy.

They don’t talk about progress charts or techniques.
They say:

“I like coming here because you play with me.”

“This helps me because you understand me.”

“You help my parent understand me.”

“Your office feels calm.”

What children are noticing — and responding to — are simple but powerful experiences: being seen, respected, and met with genuine care.

That’s the heart of the work I do with families. Not to add more expectations or demand perfection, but to create spaces where attunement, curiosity, and connection can grow — even in the midst of busy, complicated lives.

If you’re feeling stretched thin but wanting support that honours both you and your child, I’m always happy to start with a conversation.

Sometimes that’s the most meaningful first step.

01/19/2026

Over the past year, I’ve been doing some very intentional — and very vulnerable — work around un-masking.

Letting go of some of the protective layers that helped me be socially accepted. Allowing myself to be more instinctual, more authentic, and less pre-edited. And learning to tolerate the discomfort that comes with the possibility of rejection.

Lately, that discomfort has been loud.

In the past few days, I’ve been told I’m too loud, too much, and that my instinctive responses are weird. I’ve been misunderstood, mischaracterized, and held to standards that don’t seem to apply equally to others. Each moment stirred a familiar pull to retreat — to put the mask back on and make myself smaller again.

And honestly, it’s been a powerful reminder of why we learn to mask in the first place.

Masking isn’t a failure. It’s adaptive. It’s protective. It often develops in environments where authenticity isn’t safe or welcomed — especially for sensitive, intense, neurodivergent, or deeply feeling people.

As a therapist, this matters deeply to me.

Because my hope for the children and teens I work with is that they grow up knowing their worth is not dependent on being quieter, easier, or more “acceptable.” That they don’t internalize the idea that who they are needs to be managed, muted, or fixed in order to belong.

I want them to experience affirmation of their being — alongside support for regulation, reflection, and growth — without shame.

For parents raising neurodivergent children, this often starts small:

• Separating regulation from identity — supporting a child to find steadiness without telling them who they are is the problem.
• Normalizing difference at home — making space for intensity, stimming, big feelings, quiet, curiosity, and rest without commentary or correction.
• Getting curious instead of corrective — asking “What’s going on for you?” rather than “Why are you like this?”
• Allowing masking to be a choice, not a requirement — helping children understand when it may be useful, and where they get to be fully themselves.
• Modeling self-compassion — letting children see adults reflect, repair, and speak kindly about their own nervous systems.

Un-masking isn’t about ignoring social context or other people’s needs. It’s about learning where it’s safe to be fully yourself — and knowing you don’t lose your worth when you’re misunderstood.

This is tender work. And when it feels hard, it’s often because it is — not because you’re doing it wrong.

01/10/2026

Calling all neurodivergent teens 13-17!

Not Your Typical Teen Group — Now in Welland!

For neurodivergent teens (13–17)
Many neurodivergent teens want connection, community, and a place where they don’t have to mask —
but typical therapy environments feel overwhelming, demand-heavy, or simply “not for them.”
Some teens shut down with direct questioning.
Some feel judged or misunderstood.
Some don’t want a clinical-feeling space — they want something real, relational, and youth-led.
This group was created for them.

💛 A Therapy Group Designed for Teens Who Need Connection — On Their Terms
This is a low-demand, youth-driven psychotherapy group that blends play, conversation, and shared activities to support:
✔ Social connection and belonging
✔ Identity exploration
✔ Coping and communication skills
✔ Reducing masking and increasing authenticity
✔ Emotional regulation through safe, supported peer interaction
✔ Confidence and comfort in group spaces
✔ Navigating friendships and everyday teen stressors
If your teen wants connection without the pressure, this is the gentle on-ramp they’ve been asking for.

🌈 What Makes This Group Different?
Neurodiversity Affirming
We support each teen’s natural way of thinking, feeling, and engaging. No pressure to be “more typical.” Ever.
Youth Driven
Teens tell us what works for them. Activities and conversations follow their lead, not a rigid curriculum.
Low Demand, High Acceptance
Participation is flexible.
They can talk or listen. Join a game or hang back.
Therapeutic work happens through connection, not pressure.
Therapeutic Goals — Delivered in a Natural, Relational Way
Support for coping, emotional regulation, communication skills, and identity development is woven into play, conversation, and shared experiences — not worksheets or forced sharing.
Facilitated by a Registered Psychotherapist
This is clinical group therapy, delivered in a way that feels safe, relaxed, and youth-led.
OAP funding eligible and may be covered by extended health benefits.

🎮 What We Do Together
Play games and collaborate
Hang out, decompress, eat snacks
Practice communication, problem-solving, coping, and social skills in a natural, low-pressure way
Talk about life, stress, identity, and friendships
Build real connections with peers who “get it”
Therapeutic goals are met through supported social interaction, not demands.

📍 Program Details
Due to increasing interest across ages and genders we are now offering 2 day/time options: Mondays OR Wednesdays 5-7pm

Where: 80 King Street, Welland
Cost: $190/week • registration in 6-week blocks
Facilitator: Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO)
Funding: OAP eligible; extended benefits may apply

💬 Why Parents Choose This Group
- Your teen needs connection but shuts down in traditional therapy.
-They want friends, but social groups at school are overwhelming.
-Masking all day leaves them drained — they need a space where they can just be.
-We’ve tried other groups. They were too structured or too talk-heavy.
-My teen needs therapeutic support, but in a way that feels safe, not clinical.
This group blends therapeutic support with a format that feels human, responsive, and grounded in relationship.
✨ Ready to Register?
We keep groups intentionally small to honour sensory needs and promote safety.
Spaces are limited.
👉 DM to register
👉 Email: admin@familykinnections.ca
👉 Call/Text: 888-530-8682
Your teen deserves a place where support feels easy — and where they never have to mask who they are.

01/02/2026

We have 2 remaining spaces in this group, starting Wednesday January 7th! Participants have decided that 5-7pm is a better time, so that is when we will run. Looking forward to evenings of low-key connection through board games, group activities, video games, snacks and crafts. There is still time to register for this block!

🌟 Not Your Typical Teen Group — Now in Welland!

Wednesdays • 6–8pm • Starts January 7, 2025
For neurodivergent teens (13–17)

Many neurodivergent teens want connection, community, and a place where they don’t have to mask —
but typical therapy environments feel overwhelming, demand-heavy, or simply “not for them.”

Some teens shut down with direct questioning.
Some feel judged or misunderstood.
Some don’t want a clinical-feeling space — they want something real, relational, and youth-led.

This group was created for them.

💛 A Therapy Group Designed for Teens Who Need Connection — On Their Terms

This is a low-demand, youth-driven psychotherapy group that blends play, conversation, and shared activities to support:

✔ Social connection and belonging
✔ Identity exploration
✔ Coping and communication skills
✔ Reducing masking and increasing authenticity
✔ Emotional regulation through safe, supported peer interaction
✔ Confidence and comfort in group spaces
✔ Navigating friendships and everyday teen stressors

If your teen wants connection without the pressure, this is the gentle on-ramp they’ve been asking for.

🌈 What Makes This Group Different?
Neurodiversity Affirming

We support each teen’s natural way of thinking, feeling, and engaging. No pressure to be “more typical.” Ever.

Youth Driven

Teens tell us what works for them. Activities and conversations follow their lead, not a rigid curriculum.

Low Demand, High Acceptance

Participation is flexible.
They can talk or listen. Join a game or hang back.
Therapeutic work happens through connection, not pressure.

Therapeutic Goals — Delivered in a Natural, Relational Way

Support for coping, emotional regulation, communication skills, and identity development is woven into play, conversation, and shared experiences — not worksheets or forced sharing.

Facilitated by a Registered Psychotherapist

This is clinical group therapy, delivered in a way that feels safe, relaxed, and youth-led.
OAP funding eligible and may be covered by extended health benefits.

🎮 What We Do Together

Play games and collaborate

Hang out, decompress, eat snacks

Practice communication, problem-solving, coping, and social skills in a natural, low-pressure way

Talk about life, stress, identity, and friendships

Build real connections with peers who “get it”

Therapeutic goals are met through supported social interaction, not demands.

📍 Program Details

When: Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Starts: January 7, 2025
Where: Welland, ON
Cost: $190/week • registration in 6-week blocks
Facilitator: Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO)
Funding: OAP eligible; extended benefits may apply

💬 Why Parents Choose This Group

- Your teen needs connection but shuts down in traditional therapy.
-They want friends, but social groups at school are overwhelming.
-Masking all day leaves them drained — they need a space where they can just be.
-We’ve tried other groups. They were too structured or too talk-heavy.
-My teen needs therapeutic support, but in a way that feels safe, not clinical.

This group blends therapeutic support with a format that feels human, responsive, and grounded in relationship.

✨ Ready to Register?

We keep groups intentionally small to honour sensory needs and promote safety.
Spaces are limited.

👉 DM to register
👉 Email: admin@familykinnections.ca

👉 Call/Text: 888-530-8682

Your teen deserves a place where support feels easy — and where they never have to mask who they are.

12/05/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17ctPEQCnQ/

12/02/2025

🌟 Not Your Typical Teen Group — Now in Welland!

Wednesdays • 6–8pm • Starts January 7, 2025
For neurodivergent teens (13–17)

Many neurodivergent teens want connection, community, and a place where they don’t have to mask —
but typical therapy environments feel overwhelming, demand-heavy, or simply “not for them.”

Some teens shut down with direct questioning.
Some feel judged or misunderstood.
Some don’t want a clinical-feeling space — they want something real, relational, and youth-led.

This group was created for them.

💛 A Therapy Group Designed for Teens Who Need Connection — On Their Terms

This is a low-demand, youth-driven psychotherapy group that blends play, conversation, and shared activities to support:

✔ Social connection and belonging
✔ Identity exploration
✔ Coping and communication skills
✔ Reducing masking and increasing authenticity
✔ Emotional regulation through safe, supported peer interaction
✔ Confidence and comfort in group spaces
✔ Navigating friendships and everyday teen stressors

If your teen wants connection without the pressure, this is the gentle on-ramp they’ve been asking for.

🌈 What Makes This Group Different?
Neurodiversity Affirming

We support each teen’s natural way of thinking, feeling, and engaging. No pressure to be “more typical.” Ever.

Youth Driven

Teens tell us what works for them. Activities and conversations follow their lead, not a rigid curriculum.

Low Demand, High Acceptance

Participation is flexible.
They can talk or listen. Join a game or hang back.
Therapeutic work happens through connection, not pressure.

Therapeutic Goals — Delivered in a Natural, Relational Way

Support for coping, emotional regulation, communication skills, and identity development is woven into play, conversation, and shared experiences — not worksheets or forced sharing.

Facilitated by a Registered Psychotherapist

This is clinical group therapy, delivered in a way that feels safe, relaxed, and youth-led.
OAP funding eligible and may be covered by extended health benefits.

🎮 What We Do Together

Play games and collaborate

Hang out, decompress, eat snacks

Practice communication, problem-solving, coping, and social skills in a natural, low-pressure way

Talk about life, stress, identity, and friendships

Build real connections with peers who “get it”

Therapeutic goals are met through supported social interaction, not demands.

📍 Program Details

When: Wednesdays, 6–8pm
Starts: January 7, 2025
Where: Welland, ON
Cost: $190/week • registration in 6-week blocks
Facilitator: Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO)
Funding: OAP eligible; extended benefits may apply

💬 Why Parents Choose This Group

- Your teen needs connection but shuts down in traditional therapy.
-They want friends, but social groups at school are overwhelming.
-Masking all day leaves them drained — they need a space where they can just be.
-We’ve tried other groups. They were too structured or too talk-heavy.
-My teen needs therapeutic support, but in a way that feels safe, not clinical.

This group blends therapeutic support with a format that feels human, responsive, and grounded in relationship.

✨ Ready to Register?

We keep groups intentionally small to honour sensory needs and promote safety.
Spaces are limited.

👉 DM to register
👉 Email: admin@familykinnections.ca

👉 Call/Text: 888-530-8682

Your teen deserves a place where support feels easy — and where they never have to mask who they are.

11/25/2025

Still some space in this supervision group. An opportunity to learn about PDA in a relaxed atmosphere, guided by your needs as a professional. Ask questions, discuss cases, review the research, learn from lived experience..

Pathological Demand Avoidance. Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. PDA.

If you work with children and youth, you may have come across these terms.

PDA is an emerging conceptualization for understanding extreme demand avoidance in children and youth.

Did you know:
PDA is linked to extreme, anxiety-driven avoidance of everyday demands — even those the person wants to do.
It’s often mislabelled as ODD, “defiance,” or poor parenting.

Traditional behaviour strategies can backfire with PDA profiles, increasing distress and eroding trust.

Can show up as chronic irritability, agitation, anger, and aggression.

Can also present as shut-downs, people pleasing, depression and anxiety.

Join us for an 4-week supervision group that aims to deepen our understanding of PDA and support clinicians in effectively supporting children and families.

Through education, discussion, and case presentations this group will support you in understanding the PDA profile and effectively supporting families to navigate their needs.
From a nervous-system, attachment, and trauma-informed lens participants will:
Explore the research on PDA
Learn to spot PDA
Learn strategies that help families (and understand what can make things worse)
Talk through cases and discuss support plans

Supervisor:
In addition to a registered psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and PhD candidate, I'm a neurodivergent parent raising kids with a PDA profile.

After using every strategy I learned over my 20+ year career in children's mental health with my own family, I faced the realization that everything seemed to be escalating the issue in my own home, rather than helping.

5 years ago I began to learn about PDA, first as a parent, then as a clinician. It made so much sense for understanding the children I was seeing in my practice. Kids who experienced frequent meltdowns, school refusal, and even refusal to leave the car to come into session. These parents tried everything!! Charts, incentives, consistent consequences, praise, schedules and routine (and much, much more). I learned what tools support PDA'ers and which ones don't. Moreover, I tried these tools out in my own home and in my own parenting. I learned first-hand and through my clients about the support that is needed.

In practice, I adopt a neurodiversity-affirming lens to supporting families. This means non-pathologizing and being focused on the lived experiences of those I support. I'm grounded in trauma-informed care, polyvagal theory, attachment theory, and neurobiologically informed interventions. I meet the criteria set out by CRPO for clinical supervision.
Supervision format: A blend of education, discussion, and case presentations.
📅 Starts December 2nd • Weekly, 2 hours -4 sessions total
💻 Online • Closed group (6–8 spots)
💵 $80/session -2 hours
✅ CRPO supervision hours eligible
📩 Reserve your spot — meghan@familykinnections.ca

11/21/2025

11/20/2025

🌱 What Collaborative, Best-Practice Engagement Looks Like in Children’s Psychotherapy

When you’re seeking support for your child, the approach matters just as much as the intervention. Families deserve care that is respectful, responsive, and grounded in evidence-informed practice — not outdated assumptions or compliance-focused methods.

Here are some signs that you’re in a collaborative, child-centred therapeutic relationship:

1. Your lived experience is valued

A best-practice clinician treats you as the expert on your child.
They listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and hold your insights as essential data.
You don’t have to “prove” your child’s needs or fight to be heard.

2. Cultural and contextual understanding

Good care never exists in a vacuum.
Your therapist should be asking about the unique culture of your family — including neurodivergence, homeschooling/unschooling values, sensory needs, communication styles, burnout, or anything else that shapes your daily life.

3. Emotional and psychological safety for the whole family

Safety is more than just being “nice.”
It means:

You’re not asked to re-tell distressing stories unnecessarily

Your child is not pushed beyond their nervous system’s capacity

You’re not judged for your parenting decisions, neurodivergent communication patterns, or advocacy needs

Accessibility needs are normalized and respected

There’s transparency around recommendations and next steps

If you feel dread, shame, confusion, or like you have to mask — that’s a sign something is off.

4. A shift from “compliance” to connection

Best-practice care is not about getting children to comply.
It’s about regulation, safety, relationship, and skill-building that honours the child’s autonomy and neurobiology.
Support should feel compassionate and collaborative — never coercive.

5. Shared planning and clear communication

You should have a voice in session goals, priorities, and pace.
Your therapist should:

Explain why they suggest certain approaches

Invite your feedback

Collaborate on home strategies that are realistic for your family

Be responsive when something isn’t working

You should never feel like decisions are made about your child without your involvement.

6. Evidence-informed, up-to-date practice

The field evolves. Best practice means:

Integrating trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming models

Recognizing when certain interventions (like CBT for PDA) may not be appropriate

Staying curious, humble, and open to learning

Using approaches that support emotional regulation, attachment, and connection

Curiosity is a clinical skill — and your therapist should have it.

🌿 When therapy is collaborative, it feels like…

Relief

Clarity

Being understood

A shared plan

Less shame, more connection

Your child being seen and honoured for who they are

If your family is looking for support that centres safety, relationship, and neurodiversity-affirming practice, we’re here.

You don’t have to navigate this alone.


Alt Text:
Yellow handwritten-style text on a white background reads, “Effective therapy isn’t done to a child — it’s built with the child and their family.” At the bottom right corner is the Family Kinnections logo: a simple yellow outline of a house with a heart incorporated into the roofline, beside the words “FAMILY KiNnections” in teal and green lettering.