Individual Therapy

The associates at New Leaf Psychology Centre represent a diverse range of experience and expertise, working with clients throughout the lifespan.       New Leaf Psychology Centre provides therapy for clients across the lifespan. The approach to therapy accounts for this, with a greater emphasis on behavioral strategies for younger children, and a focus on both  cognitive and emotional based approaches for youth and adults. Therapy sessions also integrate the treatment approaches which have been shown in clinical research to be effective for your particular concerns. Although this philosophy guides the initial approach to therapy, therapy is always personalized and your therapist will account for your preferences, particular concerns, and treatment goals. At the conclusion of your first therapy session, you and your therapist will agree on your goals for therapy and a treatment plan. Our associates provide therapy for depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. Some other common concerns are listed below:

Executive Functioning Skills Coaching
for children and adults with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms

Executive Functioning Skills Coaches attend to their client’s unique academic, vocational, emotional, and interpersonal challenges related to difficulties with executive functioning. Coaches help their clients assess where they are now, identify where they want to be, and then determine how to reach their targets. This includes helping their clients with the practicalities of setting personal goals, building their motivation, maintaining their focus, and attaining their goals in a timely and organized manner.

Eight core executive functioning skills are targeted during coaching sessions.

Planning/Prioritization
Create roadmaps to reach your goals
Decide what to focus on, and what to let go of

Task Initiation
Begin projects without procrastinating
Increase efficiency

Time Management
Estimate your time and allocate it
Meet deadlines and hold limits

Organization of Workspace and Materials
Create and maintain systems to keep track of information and materials

Response Inhibition
Take time to evaluate the impact of behaviors and decisions
Think before you act

Working Memory
Follow multi-step directions and complete complex tasks

Sustained Attention
Attend to situations or tasks when they are tedious

Goal-Directed Persistence
Set goals and follow them through to completion

Coaching is a collaborative approach that facilitates self-reflection and self-discovery in meeting specific, meaningful, and personalized goals. Coaches provide support and encouragement, as well as feedback and practical suggestions. To keep clients accountable to their goals, coaching sessions are scheduled weekly for a predetermined period (typically 6 weeks). Individual sessions are used to set clear short- and long-term goals, review progress on these goals, reflect on the facilitators and barriers of change, and develop a plan to attain the next week’s goals. At the conclusion of the predetermined period, progress is reviewed, and next steps established (which may or may not include an additional predetermined block of coaching sessions).

Is Executive Functioning Skills or ADHD Skills Coaching for me?

A skills coach works with individuals who are struggling to complete tasks and attain specific goals. You or your child may particularly benefit from coaching if you struggle with ADHD or executive functioning difficulties. Clients with such difficulties often describe:

• Difficulties with task completion, including difficulties staying on task, procrastination, and uncertainty as to next steps
• Tendency to be late and underestimate the time needed to complete tasks
• Forgetfulness, including forgetting important dates or events, as well as misplacing important items such as phones, wallets, and clothing
• Disorganization as reflected in messy desks/workspaces and cluttered living spaces
• Generally struggling to be successful in attaining daily goals

Coaching can be particularly helpful for children and adults who have become discouraged about who they are or what they believe they can achieve. With coaching, and the experience of attaining goals, confidence will grow.

How is Executive Functioning Skills or ADHD Skills Coaching different from Tutoring?

Executive Functioning Skills or ADHD Skills Coaches specifically target executive function skills, with the goal of improving those skills directly. Practical strategies for daily living, school, home and work are taught with the goal of building habits for a healthy lifestyle. Educational Skills Coaches focus exclusively on executive functioning skills within the classroom or educational setting (they do not address these skills in work or relationship settings).

In contrast, tutoring is an individualized intervention that targets the teaching of academic skills (e.g., reading, writing, math) and/or content (related to a particular subject area).

New Leaf Psychology Centre offers Executive Functioning Skills Coaching in both individual (one-to-one) and group format.  

Tutoring is also available in all subject areas.

Services are available for children, teens, parents (to support their child), and adults (to work on their own personal goals).