Child & Family Therapy

At Upstream Counselling, our goal is to provide flexible, developmentally informed care that supports the needs of the child while also recognizing the important role of the family.

Therapy involving or concerning children aged 15 years or younger is guided by our Child and Family Therapy policy. This means our approach to working with children takes into consideration their context within the family system.

We believe child and family therapy is most effective when custodial parties (i.e. parents / guardians) share a general agreement concerning the purpose of therapy, the goals of therapy, and the role of the therapist. Your therapist will insist on alignment before therapy can begin (or continue).

Please note: Upstream therapists do not act as mediator, investigator, assessor, or expert witness; neither do we provide legal documentation of any kind for use in family court.

Initial Consultation

Your initial consultation is an opportunity to meet the therapist, discuss presenting concerns, share context, ask questions, and review the process.

Your child is welcome to join the video call at the beginning or end of the meeting for an introductory interaction. However, the primary value of the consultation is to establish rapport among the adults.

First Session

Similarly, we ask that your child(ren) not attend the first session.

Experience has taught us the importance of ensuring the custodial parties and the therapist build a mutual understanding of the child’s needs prior to involving the child directly so that therapy can be informed by your unique family dynamic.

Both custodial parents (or legal guardians with decision-making authority) are expected to attend the initial child and family therapy session.

If one custodial parent is unable to participate due to exceptional circumstances (for example, incarceration, serious illness, a court order restricting contact), please discuss this with our clinic in advance so we can determine how therapy may proceed.

Before Therapy Proceeds

Depending on your family circumstances, Upstream Counselling may require certain information to support informed consent, appropriate care, and administrative clarity. This may include:

• Confirmation that all custodial parties (who are reasonably available to consent) are aware their child will be attending sessions at Upstream Counselling
• Disclosure of custody agreements, parenting arrangements, decision-making authority, and / or any other court order relevant to psychotherapy
• Disclosure of any ongoing or anticipated legal proceedings that may affect your family’s involvement in psychotherapy
• Confirmation of financial responsibility for services, including fees for sessions, late cancellations, and no-shows.

Therapeutic Alignment

Child and family therapy is most effective when custodial parties participate collaboratively in support of the wellbeing of the child(ren).

This includes:

• Agreement on the goals of therapy
• Willingness to participate actively in psychotherapy
• Acceptance that the therapist’s role is to support the therapeutic process in a neutral and clinically appropriate way
• Acceptance that psychotherapy is for therapeutic support only, and is not intended to serve or advance any legal purpose

Ongoing participation in therapy depends on the ability to maintain sufficient agreement between custodial parties to support the child and family’s therapeutic needs. Should a disagreement arise, your therapist will require a session with the custodial parties (without the child present) to clarify concerns and re-establish shared agreement on the purpose and goals of the therapeutic process. If this agreement cannot be re-established, the therapist will recommend adjusting the focus or suspending therapy.

Communication Between Sessions

At Upstream Counselling we understand that you may want to reach out to your therapist between sessions. While we welcome your correspondence, please note your therapist will not respond to clinical matters by email. Therapy-related questions, concerns, and reflections are best addressed in session so that your therapist can respond with the care, context, and attention required.

If something is urgent or time-sensitive, please reach out to our administrative team.

In an emergency, please contact emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.

Termination Criteria

Child and family therapy may be paused or suspended when, in the therapist’s assessment,  any of the following conditions are present:

• Conflict between custodial parties significantly interferes with the child’s ability to benefit from therapy
• Financial, administrative, or consent issues prevent the clinic from continuing services ethically
• The therapist is unable to maintain a neutral and clinically focused role in supporting the child
• Therapy is being leveraged primarily for legal purposes rather than therapeutic purposes

Where legal proceedings or court-related matters are concerned:

• Psychotherapy may be adjusted, paused, or discontinued to preserve therapeutic neutrality
• Psychotherapy may be adjusted, paused, or discontinued if the clinical focus of treatment cannot be maintained

Session Fees

All child and family therapy sessions are billed at the family therapy rate, regardless of how many family members attend.

Documentation & Disclosure

You have a right to access your / your child’s clinical record.

Session notes are clinical records created to support continuity of care. They are not legal, forensic, or standalone interpretive documents.

When you request information, Upstream Counselling will consider your input regarding what and how information is shared. Depending on the purpose of the request and what is clinically appropriate, we may release the full record or provide a clinical summary.

Intake Policy (Ages 16–17)

If your child is aged 16 or 17, they have the autonomy to opt for private, individual therapy. However, your child will nevertheless be matched with a clinician from our child and family team who will still encourage your child to be open to parental involvement, where appropriate. This helps ensure your child is connected with a therapist who can provide both individual therapy and collaborative family involvement as treatment evolves.