The Positive Kids child therapy program begins by understanding what a child and family need. It is not one identical course or technique for every client. Depending on age, concerns, goals, professional scope, and availability, a family may be matched with individual counselling, psychotherapy, a skills-based program, parent support, a group, coaching, educational services, or another appropriate pathway.
Services are generally designed for children and teens from approximately ages 4 to 18. Intake confirms age fit and whether Positive Kids has a provider or program suited to the concern. When another type or level of care is needed, families may be directed to an external healthcare professional, emergency service, specialist, or community resource.
Start with a parent or caregiver intake conversation.
Clarify the child's strengths, concerns, context, and goals.
Match the family with an appropriate service and clinician.
Agree on appointment format, expectations, and next steps.
Review progress and adjust recommendations when needed.
Step one
Assessment and intake
Intake gathers enough information to understand the request, explain the available services, and identify an appropriate starting point. A parent or caregiver may be asked about the child's development, strengths, current concerns, school experience, friendships, routines, health considerations, family circumstances, previous supports, goals, scheduling needs, and preferred appointment format.
An intake conversation is not automatically a psychological assessment or diagnosis. When diagnostic clarification, psychoeducational testing, medical evaluation, or another formal assessment is appropriate, the team will explain whether that service is available through Positive Kids or should be arranged with another qualified professional.
Before the first session
Families receive information about service scope, clinician credentials, consent, privacy, fees, scheduling, cancellation terms, and virtual or in-person availability.
Goals and fit
Intake considers what the child and family want to change, what has already been tried, and whether the proposed service matches those goals.
Safety and urgency
Positive Kids is not an emergency service. Urgent or high-risk concerns may require crisis, hospital, medical, or specialist support.
Finding the right fit
Matching families with clinicians
Matching is based on more than an available appointment. The intake team considers the child's age, presenting concerns, goals, the professional's credentials and scope, therapeutic experience, service format, schedule, and other fit factors shared by the family. Availability can change, so no specific clinician is guaranteed until intake confirms the match.
Positive Kids' broader team includes registered psychotherapists, social workers, counsellors, psychologists, occupational therapists, educators, coaches, tutors, and other trained professionals. The credential and role should match the service being delivered. Families are encouraged to ask who will provide care, what their professional designation means, and how the recommended service relates to the child's needs.
Parents and caregivers are often important partners, especially for younger children. Participation is tailored to the child's age, goals, privacy, consent, safety, and the clinician's professional responsibilities.
Provide background information and observations from home or school.
Help identify practical goals and priorities.
Participate in caregiver-only or joint sessions when appropriate.
Learn strategies that can reinforce skills between appointments.
Attend periodic check-ins about themes, progress, and next steps.
Respect the child's therapeutic privacy within legal and safety limits.
For families needing more direct guidance with routines, communication, boundaries, or challenging behaviour, parenting coaching and parent programs may be recommended alongside or instead of child sessions.
Individualized care
Therapeutic approaches
There is no single method used with every child. Depending on the clinician's training, professional scope, and the child's needs, care may draw from approaches such as cognitive behavioural strategies, solution-focused work, play-informed activities, person-centred therapy, narrative approaches, acceptance and commitment strategies, dialectical-behaviour skills, mindfulness, psychoeducation, trauma-informed care, parent consultation, or social-emotional skill development.
The clinician should explain the proposed approach in clear language, why it may fit the goals, what sessions may involve, and how progress will be reviewed. Mentioning an approach does not mean it is offered by every Positive Kids provider or appropriate for every concern.
Virtual appointments may be available when online care is appropriate for the child's age, privacy, attention, comfort, risk level, goals, and the clinician's professional judgment. In-person availability depends on the service, clinician, current schedule, and operating location. Families should confirm the exact location before planning travel.
This program page does not promise that every service, credential, or appointment format is available in every city. Intake will confirm the current options, fees, clinician, and expected start time.
The family journey
What families can expect
Inquiry: Share the child's age, main concerns, goals, preferred format, and scheduling needs.
Intake: Discuss history, strengths, daily impact, previous support, urgency, scope, and service fit.
Recommendation: Receive an explanation of the proposed clinician or program, credentials, format, fees, and next steps.
Early appointments: Build comfort, clarify goals, and learn what sessions will involve.
Ongoing work: Practise age-appropriate strategies during and, when appropriate, between sessions.
Review: Revisit goals, participation, progress, barriers, and whether the plan should continue, change, or conclude.
Progress is individual and no specific result is guaranteed. A good service plan should remain understandable, collaborative, and responsive to the child's changing needs.
Frequently asked questions
Does every child receive therapy?
No. Intake may recommend counselling, psychotherapy, coaching, parent support, a group, tutoring, assessment, another Positive Kids service, or an external provider.
Will my child receive a diagnosis?
Not from a standard intake or from every clinician. Diagnosis and formal assessment depend on the professional's regulated scope and the service arranged.
How long does the program take?
Frequency and duration vary according to the child's needs, goals, progress, family circumstances, clinician recommendation, and service format. Intake should not promise a fixed outcome or timeline.
Are fees covered by insurance?
Coverage depends on the family's plan and the provider's credential. Families should confirm the clinician's designation, receipt details, and their insurer's requirements before assuming reimbursement.
What if my child needs urgent help?
Positive Kids is not an emergency service. If there is immediate danger or a mental-health emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In Canada, call or text 988 for suicide crisis support.
Looking for a child psychologist in Mississauga?
The dedicated location page explains psychologist-related services, concerns supported, appointment options, and Mississauga availability. Use that page when your question is where to find a child psychologist rather than how the broader Positive Kids program operates.
Tell Positive Kids about your child's age, strengths, concerns, daily impact, goals, preferred format, and scheduling needs. Intake will explain which service may fit, who may provide it, and what the family can expect next.
A deposit is required to ensure your accepted participation in the Social Skills Group with Positive Kids.
Withdrawal of your participation must be submitted in writing to Positive Kids at intake@positivekids.ca 5 days before the start of the group in order to receive a refund of your deposit.
A cancellation fee of $250 will be applied if Participant withdraws from the program after the start of the group.
