Sarah Laye
BA (Hon) - Psychology, MSW, Registered Social Worker

*Serving Clients in Ontario*

You (or your child) may be someone with big emotions - wearing them on your sleeve and feeling them deep down. It can be difficult to manage with so much on your plate and the stress of life exhausting of all your energy. You may notice unhelpful patterns emerging. You and/or your child may feel stuck, confused, frustrated, or misunderstood. It may seem that you are losing control of the life you had envisioned for yourself, your child, and your family. You are trying hard to be the best you you can be. And yet it feels your efforts are not enough!

Making the decision to reach out for support takes courage. If you or your child are struggling — this is where I come in! It is not easy to understand and control thoughts, feelings, and behaviours so they align with what’s most important to you! However, you can learn to experience big emotions in a healthy way, turn down the dial on emotions, communicate compassionately and effectively, care for yourself no matter what you are facing, and, overall, navigate life’s challenges well. There are strategies for self-care and for showing up in your relationships that don’t take extra time from your day! I will help you to gain the skills needed to experience the changes you desire in your life.

For family matters, I help children learn strategies to reduce behavioural difficulties and to communicate better with their family, teachers, and peers. I help parents reduce their stress and better respond to their child’s difficulties in order to foster lasting change.

In a compassionate, non-judgemental, and collaborative space I will help you discover and reinforce your strengths. I will work with you as a team to identify and set goals and then to find the approaches that best help you and/or your child and family to improve your health and well-being.

If you think we might be a good fit and would like to give working together a try, please hit the Get Started Now button to contact our Intake Coordinator and ask for me (Sarah). I look forward to hearing from you!

Clinical Background and Interests

• Registered Social Worker, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

• Master of Social Work (MSW), clinical focus, specializing in children, youth, and families.

• Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons.) Psychology

• I have worked with children, youth, adults and families for many years in different settings.

• My work includes helping individuals with:

  • Emotional intelligence and emotional regulation

  • Behavioural challenges, including school avoidance and anger management

  • Anxiety and uncertainty

  • Neurodiversities (e.g., autism, ADHD, learning disabilities)

  • Stress management

  • Balancing values and priorities (e.g., work, school, family, hobbies, etc.)

  • Life transitions

  • Relationship difficulties, family conflict, and parenting challenges

  • Body image

  • Depression, suicidal ideation

  • Trauma and grief

  • Chronic pain

• As a holistic therapist with an integrative approach, I draw from several therapeutic modalities, including:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

  • Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Mindfulness and Compassion-based Therapy

  • Strengths-based Therapy

  • Anti-Oppressive, Trauma-Informed Approaches

• I work with children (age 5+), tweens, teens, adults, parents, and families.

• My hobbies and interests include: singing, cooking, playing board games with family and friends, and the outdoors doing fun, exciting, or relaxing activities such as picnics, reading, hiking, and kayaking. I absolutely love animals, and I enjoy searching for wildlife while out in nature. I’m curious to know what your hobbies and interests are, if you’d like to share in our sessions together!

I invite you to hit the Get Started Now button, ask for me (Sarah) to begin our work together.