Help for your child's ages and stages...
Health psychology focuses on the integration of physical and psychological health by considering the dynamic ways in which medical, physical, psychological, and socio-cultural factors impact health and illness.
A pediatric health psychologist understands how medical complexity and needs can impact the individual child and broader family system, as well as the child’s ongoing development and emergent mental health.
Consultations Services & Workhops
Consultation services available. Consultation services can be individual or group-based (e.g., presentation to medical clinic)
Talks and full or half-day workshops available on varied topics (e.g., psychosocial contributors to acute and chronic illness, psychological barriers to treatment adherence, adopting a trauma-informed care, pediatric health psychology strategies)
Services can be provided in-person and online.
Supervision
Supervised services available to advanced practicum students and Psychologists in Supervised Practice seeking exposure to paediatric health psychology
Supervision services also offered to autonomous Child Clinical Psychologists who are seeking to extend their practice to include a health psychology competency (upon approval form the College of Psychologists of Ontario)
Assessment & Intervention
We provide evidence-based treatment for issues related to medical and health conditions and their management. Virtual services are offered across Ontario.
Pediatric health psychology services offered at Step Stone Psychology include:
- Addressing treatment adherence barriers and needs
- Coping with diagnosis and/or prognosis
- Functional disability and interference
- Health anxiety
- Health psychology assessments
- Medical trauma and difficult medical experiences
- Needlephobia
- Parent support in context of child medical concerns
- Psychological strategies for chronic pain and ongoing symptom management
- Psychosocial support for acute and chronic illness
- Treatment of co-morbid mental health disorders including mood and anxiety
- Somatization and somatic disorders
- Quality of life and supporting re-engagement in academic, social, and family domains
Therapeutic modalities include:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
Across psychological services, an empathic, trauma-informed, and developmentally sensitive approach to care is adopted.
