Below you will find answers to frequently asked questions about our specialized child counselling services.
- All
- Careers
- Fees, Referrals & Insurance
- Getting started
- Group counselling
- How therapy works and what it feels like
- Inclusion
- Privacy
Our clinic director, co-founder, and Certified Play Therapist Natalie Bergman explains:
“Play therapy is how kids work through feelings using small and big toys.
Kids often express themselves through play more easily than words. Play therapy uses games, art, storytelling, and imagination to help kids explore emotions, solve problems, and feel more in control. It’s fun, but it’s also powerful.”
—Natalie Bergman, DCP, RPsych, CPT
You can learn more about play and play therapy on our resources blog page. Here are a few to get you started:
Booking an appointment with us is easy.
- Are you a new client? Welcome! To book an appointment, please reach out to our friendly Intake Team at 403 815 0271 or fill out our contact form. They will walk you through the intake process, match your child with the right therapist, answer all your questions (even the ones you forgot to ask).
- Already set up on our system? Great! Current clients can contact our Intake Team as well, OR you can quickly and easily book an appointment online, directly on our Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group’s Jane App booking page.
We offer a free 15-minute phone or video consultation so you can connect with one of our child psychologists, child therapists, or play therapists, and ask them questions about their approach, qualifications, and experience.
The free consultation is NOT a therapy session, but a chance for you to get a feel for whether it’s the right fit for your child or adolescent and your family. You can ask the therapist about their training and what to expect if you decide to move forward with therapy.
To book your free consult, just contact our intake team. They will be happy to walk you through the intake process and help you book a free 15-minute consultation.
No, our private practice child psychology services at Kids Reconnect are not covered by Alberta Health Services (AHS).
This is because psychological services provided in private practice, including therapy for children and families, are not currently funded by Alberta Health Services. AHS typically covers mental health support delivered through hospitals, primary care networks, and community-based programs.
Private clinics like ours operate independently; our psychological services are typically covered through extended health benefits, such as employee insurance.
Yes, we do offer direct billing to some insurance providers, including Alberta Blue Cross and Green Shield, plus a few others, depending on your plan.
If your provider isn’t on our list, no worries. We will give you a detailed receipt after each session that you can submit for reimbursement.
We know life, especially with with kids, can be unpredictable. That’s why we try to be flexible, but also fair to our therapists’ time.
We ask that you provide at least 48 hours’ (or two business days’) notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your session. Cancellations with less than 48 hours’ notice, or missed appointments, will be charged the full session fee.
Need to cancel due to illness or an emergency? Let us know as soon as you can and we will do our best to work with you.
Yes, our client data is stored securely. We use Jane App, a trusted Canadian platform, to manage and store client information securely. Jane App stores all data in regional data centres based on the clinic’s location.
For us at Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group (the parent company for Kids Reconnect), based in Calgary, that means your data is stored securely in Montreal, Quebec.
Here’s how we protect your privacy:
- Two-step authentication is required for staff, so no one outside of our clinic can access your files.
- Jane App is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified, which means it meets some of the highest industry standards for data privacy and security.
You can learn more about Jane App’s privacy and security measures here: Security and Trust – Jane App
Still have questions? We are happy to chat.
Absolutely. Your family’s story stays safe with us. We follow all professional guidelines to keep client information private and confidential.
We will not willingly disclose your information without your consent, except in the following circumstances, in which therapists are required to do so by law, including:
a. if what you share in session suggests abuse or neglect of children or dependent adults,
b. if you state that you are going to harm yourself or someone else,
c. if you disclose that a regulated health professional has engaged in sexual abuse or misconduct with their patient, and
d. if you are involved in a legal issue and your client file is subpoenaed by a judge.
What parents share with the therapist stays can also be shared if we have their permission to share it with another professional (like a doctor or teacher). In addition, in circumstances in which your counselling account is unpaid and outstanding, Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group Inc. will disclose details pertaining to your debt to a collection agency, including service dates and the amount to be collected.
If you ever have questions about privacy and confidentiality, we are happy to walk you through how it all works.
Yes, we can provide you a referral to a pediatrician.
Our psychologists at Kids Reconnect are registered professionals within Alberta and are equipped to collaborate with your child’s healthcare team. While psychologists in Alberta do not have the authority to prescribe medications, they can discuss general aspects of medications related to clinical concerns and refer to a specialist like pediatrician or child neurologist.
No. We do not currently offer psychoeducational or diagnostic assessments at Kids Reconnect. However, we work closely with trusted registered psychologists in the community who specialize in these services, and we are happy to provide referrals based on your child’s needs.
While we don’t conduct formal assessments, we can share our clinical observations and therapeutic impressions with your assessment provider, after obtaining your consent. This often helps inform the overall picture of your child’s strengths, challenges, and support needs.
Yes, and we completely understand.
The relationship between your child and their therapist is one of the most important parts of therapy.
If something is not clicking, please tell us. We’ll talk it through and help you find someone who might be a better match. No awkward feelings. We want what is best for your child.
We offer therapy modalities that resonate and make sense for kids and adolescents.
This includes: Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Art Therapy, Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP). AutPlay Therapy, Art Therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Talk Therapy, family sessions, parts work (Internal Family Systems, also called IFS), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a psychotherapy technique used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related issues),
We customize a treatment plan and approach that fits your child’s age, needs, and style, and that fits your family dynamics. We also work with parents, because connection starts at home.
Please visit our Services page for details, or call our friendly Intake Team, who will be happy to answer your questions about our services: 403 815 0271.
No, you do not need a referral to access a psychologist. You can book directly with us.
Just reach out to our Intake Team and we’ll get things started.
Yes, we do offer online sessions for kids.
Virtual sessions can be a great fit for older kids and teens, and sometimes for younger kids too, especially if they’ve already built a strong connection in person.
We use games, drawing tools, and other creative ways to keep online sessions engaging and effective. Not sure if virtual is right for your child? Let’s chat. We’ll help you decide.
Check out the video on our Services page to see what play therapy might look like for your child.
That’s a really important question, and the short answer is that we keep your child’s sessions private and confidential, with care and intention.
Why? Because confidentiality is necessary to build and maintain the trust that is essential in a therapeutic relationship.
For your child to open up, they need to know that what they share with their therapist stays between them, unless safety concerns are in place.
Here is when we will share information:
- If your child shares something that puts them or someone else at risk.
- If we have your child’s permission to share.
- If we believe there is something you need to know to better support them.
Parents are included in check-ins about progress, themes (e.g., anxiety, emotional regulation, friendships), and ways to support your child at home. We will keep the big picture clear, without breaking the trust we are building with your child or adolescent.
If you ever have questions about privacy and confidentiality, we are happy to walk you through how it all works.
Psychologists and social workers are both amazing.
All our child therapists at Kids Reconnect are trained, supervised, and passionate about helping kids grow and thrive.
We will help match you with someone based on your child’s needs, not just their title.
To find out more details about the difference between a Registered Psychologist and a Registered Social Worker, check out our blog post.
Yes, we are happy to collaborate with your child’s school team if it supports your child’s progress.
Sometimes teachers see things we don’t. Sometimes your child’s therapist can help educators better understand what’s going on under the surface, like anxiety, sensory needs, or emotional regulation challenges. But here’s the most important part: we will never reach out to the school without written consent to release/receive information. Parents are always in the loop, and we’ll work together to decide what would be helpful to share.
The role of parents in their child’s therapy is a big one. At Kids Reconnect, we see parents as partners.
Parents know their child best. Your presence, support, and consistency are key for them to grow and thrive.
Our child counselling process starts with a parent-only session to set the stage. Throughout your child’s therapy, we check in with parents regularly, offer strategies to try at home, and help you make sense of what is happening beneath the surface so you can best support them.
Child therapy is not just “drop off the child and hope for the best”. It’s teamwork.
We keep parents in the loop, without breaking the child’s trust.
Our therapists offer regular parent check-ins (either by phone, video, or in person), where we share general themes and tools you can use at home to support your child.
Think of us like a bridge, connecting what’s happening in the child therapy room to the real world where your child lives.
Yes, we offer family therapy, as well as counselling for kids and teens. Sometimes it’s not just the child who needs support, it’s the family system.
Where needed, Kids Reconnect offers parent coaching, family therapy sessions, and joint parent-child sessions, as well as couples counselling through our Couples Reconnect branch.
Whether it’s navigating big feelings, sibling dynamics, single parenthood, or co-parenting stress, we are here for the grown-ups too. Because when parents feel supported, kids feel safer.
Yes, we sure do. We understand that the neurodivergent brains of kids simply work a little differently than those of neurotypical ones; they are not better or worse. Each child has different needs, challenges—and Superpowers!
For example, in the case of ADHD, we appreciate that sitting still isn’t always the goal, and we are okay with that. Our child therapists are trained to help with focus, self-regulation, and managing big emotions in fun, active, EmPOWERing ways.
When a child is struggling, to grow and thrive and overcome challenges, a child with a neurodivergent brain (or a neurotypical one!) needs tools, trust, and the expertise of a therapist who truly gets them and can help.
We are here for your kiddo.
Yes. Anxiety is one of the most common challenges that kids experience, and we can definitely help.
Whether it’s school stress, sleep struggles, social worries, or “my tummy hurts” big feelings before drop-off, we help kids learn to understand their anxiety, name it, and feel more in control.
One of our kiddos came up with a great metaphor about big feelings:
“Feelings are like a fart, you can’t hold it inside.”
Both individual child counselling and group counselling are powerful, but each offers different advantages for kids.
- Group therapy for kids is great for growing and practicing social skills in real time, building confidence and teamwork, and normalizing struggles (“Oh… other kids feel that too!””). In a small group setting, the child therapist can observe kids’ social behaviour and guide the group towards growth.
- Individual therapy for a child is great for going deeper into a their personal experiences, processing big emotions or trauma.
Many families do both, starting with one and adding the other as needed. We can help you choose the right path for your child.
To learn more about our child counselling groups for kids, please visit our Groups page, or call us at 403-815-0271.
Yes, parents are welcome to join your child in their child counselling session.
We understand that often, parents want to be sure that play therapy is right for their child, and would like to be present in a session. This can be most productive at the beginning of young children’s counselling journey, so parents can better understand our approach and experience how it helps your child.
Teens tend to prefer independent sessions, without a parent present.
In the case of the Feelings and Friends Groups, parents have their own special parent-only sessions, one at the beginning of the group, and one at the end. Parents do not attend the child-only group sessions, and kids do not attend the parents-only sessions.
We work with different kinds of brains and bodies. Whether your child needs visuals, movement breaks, extra time to warm up, or a quieter space, we’ve got them. Our therapists can adapt sessions to your child’s pace, needs, and style.
In some cases, kids who have physical or developmental disabilities can benefit from our services.
The building where we are located incorporates some basic accessibility needs. However, kids with complex support needs require a level of services beyond what we can provide. For more information on whether our services are right for your child, please reach out to our Intake Specialist.
In Alberta, licenced psychologists cannot prescribe any medications. If you require a medication prescription, you need to talk to a doctor or psychiatrist.
Our child psychology clinic is centrally located in Calgary. Our address is:
1716 16 Ave NW
Suites 400, 420, and 450
Calgary, Alberta T2M 0L7
We are open on weekdays, Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM and on Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
We offer appointments Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 8 PM to fit your family’s schedule, including evenings and some weekends.
Got a tricky schedule? Just let us know and we’ll do our best to find a time that works for you.
Child sessions and parenting sessions are 50 minutes. Other types of sessions (family, couples) are usually 90 minutes.
Feelings & Friends Group for Kids group sessions are 90 minutes.
Please bring your consent forms which are provided to you in your welcome package. As part of the intake process, our Intake Specialist will advise you on the documents you will need to bring to your first session, based on your unique situation and whether you have sole custody or joint custody.
We accept cash, major credit cards (except Amex), and Interac e-transfer as methods of payment. Please contact our Intake Team for details on using Interac e-transfers via your bank.
This can vary widely depending on the difficulties that your child is facing. It takes some time for most kids to feel safe and begin expressing themselves openly with their therapist. In most cases, parents will notice progress in their child after 3 to 5 sessions. In cases where the objective of therapy is to alleviate minor behavioural issues, this can usually be achieved after 4 months to a year of weekly or bi-weekly sessions.
To begin counselling, the first session is always a parents-only session.
As their parent, you know your child best and we want to hear your story before we meet them and set the stage to warmly welcome them.
To a child, meeting their therapist for the first time should feel like a soft, engaging landing. For us to meet your child with the care they deserve and understand your child’s inner world, in the parents-only session parents help us map out what they feel is going on emotionally, socially, and developmentally.
This first parents-only session is also a chance to discuss confidentiality and its limits, ask questions about how therapy works, and set goals together for your child’s growth and well-being.
Your child’s first counselling adventure session happens after the parents-only session.
For their first session, kids are welcomed to EmPOWERland by our Intake Specialist, and they select their choice of snack, beverage, or sticker. Then, their specialized child therapist greets them in person for the first time.
Your child’s first session is a welcoming introduction, where we establish assent (permission from your child to work with them) and connection. We begin sessions with your child at their pace, using play, storytelling, creativity, and conversation to connect with them at their level. We follow their lead, build trust, and we keep parents in the loop.
Your child will not be present in the last 10 minutes of the first session, which will be a short conversation with parents where we discuss our observations and offer suggestions. If further conversations are needed, we can schedule update sessions for parents.
We specialize in working with kids from 2 to 12 years old and teenagers up to 17 years old.
We see children as young as 2 to 3 years old—yes, really!
Therapy at for toddlers looks a little different. It’s not about talking through problems. It’s about play, connection, and helping little ones feel safe in their world. For toddlers and preschoolers, we often work closely with parents, using play-based approaches and co-regulation tools to support big feelings, sleep, separation, tantrums, and more.
As children grow (ages 5+), we can begin more direct work through:
- Play therapy
- Storytelling
- Art
If you’re not sure whether your child is “old enough,” please reach out. We can help you decide what kind of support makes the most sense for their age and needs.
Your health and safety are our priority.
COVID-19 Update: June 23, 2022
Per directive from the College of Alberta Psychologists, as of June 24th, 2022, COVID-19 pre-screening is no longer required. Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation, as these requirements may evolve over time. We will issue updates as needed and will update our websites to reflect any new developments.
Kids Reconnect follows all active public health orders set forth by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, including mandatory mask requirements.
For in-person sessions, here is what we are doing to help limit the spread of infection and keep you safe during your visit:
• Hand sanitizer is available throughout the clinic
• We continuously encourage all clients and staff members to practice regular handwashing and hand sanitization
• We have increased our daily cleaning and disinfection of common areas and surfaces
• Each therapy room is sanitized every hour after a session takes place
• Clients are pre-screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before scheduling appointments and upon arrival
• Appointments are scheduled considering adequate intervals to reduce contact between clients in the hallways and waiting areas
• Furniture is amply spaced so clients and staff can sit and play at a safe distance during sessions
• We provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when the minimum safe distance cannot be maintained
Please ask about our Telepsychology (videoconferencing or phone) Counselling Sessions. Watch our KR – Telepsychology video to experience what online therapy will look like for your child.
We are pleased to offer you free onsite parking behind the building at the time of your child’s session.
- To park at the free 90-minute visitor parking behind the building, please register your licence plate. Using your smartphone, scan the QR code on the poster located inside the building, across from the elevator (not the posters outside) and follow the prompted process.
- Street parking is also available: 1-hour parking on 17th Avenue and 2-hour parking on 17th Street.
Check out our Instagram parking story highlight for quick visual guide.
Firstly, the sooner a child can feel better, the better.
In terms of school, feeling stressed impairs a child’s ability to learn. Even more deeply, when a child is not doing well in school, it hinders their sense of worth or self-esteem.
Their emotional struggles affect how a child feels about school and impact how well they can do in school. A sudden drop in school performance is often a signal that something big is going on in a child’s emotional world that requires or could greatly benefit from specialized help.
In therapy, children manage and process their “big feelings” so that the impacts of going through whatever is troubling them do not carry through for weeks, months, or even years into adolescence and adulthood. Kids need to feel better to do better.
Kids need to feel better
to do better.
This way, therapy can be viewed as a way to support your child’s success in school, even when they’re not in school during the session. Therapy can help your child improve their learning, their sense of engagement in their class, their friendships at school, and their sibling relationships.
Many parents have advised that coming in with their child during the daytime allows them to support their child in these areas in a special way. Besides – how many times do you, as a parent, wish you could miss a boring work meeting during the workday?
Our session fees follow the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA) recommended fee schedule. For 2025, the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta recommends a rate of $235 per session.
Kids Reconnect child therapists, child psychologists, and play therapists are highly experienced and offer premium care, with session fees ranging from $240 to $260, depending on the therapist’s level of expertise, training, and qualifications.
The Feelings & Friends 90-minute child group counselling sessions are $200 each; please check our Groups page or call us at 403-815-0271 for details.
Insurance
If you have extended health benefits, your plan may cover part or all of the cost. We are happy to provide receipts for reimbursement and can help you navigate what your plan covers.
No. At this time we are not accepting practicum student applications. The Practicum Student position on our team has been filled for fall 2024-spring 2025.
We wish you “OWL” the best and hope that you soon find another wonderful place to complete your practicum hours and grow your experience as a therapist.
Yes, we do. At present, four of our therapists offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy:
You can learn more about their professional qualifications and expertise by reading their bios on our team page.
Call us at 403-815-0271 to get started with an EMDR Therapy appointment for you or your child.
Yes, we are hiring!
Our team is growing and we are typically reviewing applications for Registered Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, and Registered Provisional Psychologists.
At the moment (spring 2025) we are hiring Registered Provisional Psychologists.
You can find our current job postings on our Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group careers page.
Thank you for your interest in joining our team. We look forward to reviewing your application.
Starting something new can feel big for anyone, child, teen, or adult.
However, kids are often more naturally responsive to new experiences, like EMDR therapy, than adults.
A little preparation and trust will go a long way. You don’t need to explain the science; your therapist will do that in a child-friendly, age-appropriate way.
You could try saying something like this to your child:
- “Your Feelings Helper is going to help your brain feel better about some big feelings, kind of like cleaning up the inside of a messy drawer,” or
- “This is a special kind of therapy that helps your body and brain feel safer about things that are scary or confusing.”
Our team’s Rita Motta, Marggie Marks, Keisha Arshad and Marcella Galizia are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapists.
Rita recently wrote this blog post with tips to help parents prepare their child before EMDR therapy.
Ready to book an EMDR appointment for your child or adolescent kiddo – or for you?
Call our friendly Intake Team at 403-815-0271 to get started with an EMDR Therapy appointment for you, your child, or adolescent kiddo.
Yes, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-informed therapy that can be used to help children and adolescents, as well as adults.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movement) to help process traumatic memories in a safe and gentle way that does not involve talking in detail about traumatic experiences.
We offer EMDR therapy at Kids Reconnect, and we adapt it to fit your child’s age, developmental stage, and needs.
Our team’s Rita Motta, Marggie Marks, Keisha Arshad, and Marcella Galizia are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapists.
Rita recently wrote this blog post to answer this common question.
Ready to book an EMDR appointment?
Call our friendly Intake Team at 403-815-0271 to get started with an EMDR Therapy appointment for you, your child, or adolescent kiddo.
We offer seasonal child therapy groups for kids ages 6-8 and 9-12, grouped accordingly. Our Feelings and Friends Group helps kids with emotional regulation, friendship, and teamwork Superpower skills.
- Small group sizes (max 6–8 kids)
- Run by a trained child therapist
- No pressure to talk, just encouragement to try
Over 8 weeks, kids learn and gain practice in how to:
- Name and understand their feelings
- Speak up when something’s not okay
- Accept “no” without melting down
- Check in with others (“was that fun for everyone?”) and offer support
- Make decisions as a group, collaborating and considering others
Spots fill quickly. Contact our friendly Intake Team to register or join the waitlist.
Check out our Groups page for more details on the Feelings and Friends Group for Kids.
Some of our therapists speak multiple languages, including Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and Russian.
Additionally, some of our therapists have personal backgrounds and professional expertise in multiculturally sensitive therapy and are comfortably fluent in diverse cultural contexts and nuances.
Let us know what language and cultural context you or your child feel most comfortable in, and we will do our best to match you with the right fit.
Do you have a question that is not (yet!) answered here?
Please call our friendly Intake Team – we’d love to hear from you.
