Child Counselling in Port Coquitlam

What Parents Are Often Noticing

Most parents reach out to Sunny Spot not because anything is “wrong,” but because something feels different. Maybe bedtime has become a battle, mornings before school end in tears, or your once-easygoing kiddo is suddenly quick to anger or quiet in a way that worries you. You might be seeing more meltdowns, more tummy aches, more clinginess, or friendships that feel harder than they used to.

Children don’t always have the words for what they’re carrying, so they show us instead, through their bodies, their play, and their behaviour. Working with a warm, experienced counsellor here in Port Coquitlam can give your child a safe place to be understood, and give you a steadier sense of how to help.

How Relationship-First Counselling Works

At Sunny Spot, the relationship comes first, always. Before any strategy or skill, your child needs to feel genuinely safe, accepted, and liked exactly as they are. That connection is not a warm-up to “the real work.” It is the work. When a child feels that safety, their nervous system settles enough that new coping skills and emotional regulation can actually take root.

Sessions are led by Sheila Aini, MC, RCC, a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Sheila’s approach is trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming, meaning your child is met as a whole person, never as a problem to be fixed.

How Play, Narrative and Behaviour Experience May Support the Work

Because children communicate through play, much of our work together may unfold through play-based counselling, art, sand, miniatures, and imaginative play that let a child explore hard feelings at a comfortable distance.

Sheila may also draw on narrative therapy, which helps a child separate themselves from a problem (“the Worry Monster” rather than “I’m a worrier”), and on her years of experience in behaviour intervention, which offers a curious, respectful way of understanding what a child’s behaviour may be trying to communicate. Her naturalistic behaviour intervention experience brings that behaviour support into everyday play and routines, while CBT-informed tools and emotion-focused principles may be woven in when they fit a child’s age and needs. These are lenses we blend thoughtfully, never a one-size-fits-all program.

Counselling may support children who are working through:

• Anxiety and worries, including school anxiety and separation anxiety
• Big feelings, meltdowns, and emotional regulation
• Behaviour concerns, frustration, and defiance
• Life changes like moving, divorce, grief, or a new sibling
• Self-esteem, confidence, and friendship struggles
• Neurodivergent experiences, including ADHD and autism

For more focused reading, we also have pages on emotional dysregulation, growing social skills, and building secure attachment. You can also browse every area of support in one place, or read the main FAQ for fees, availability and what to expect. For a parent’s perspective on what change can look like, our article on what progress in child counselling can actually look like may help.

What a First Step Looks Like

Getting started is gentle. We usually begin with a caregiver intake so Sheila can hear your story, your hopes, and what you’re noticing at home. From there, your child is welcomed into the playroom at a pace that feels safe for them. There’s no pressure to perform, talk, or “get it right”. The first goal is simply for your child to feel comfortable. If you’d like a sense of what to expect, our FAQ answers many common questions.

When Parents Are Part of the Work

You are your child’s most important relationship, so caregiver collaboration is woven throughout. Depending on your child’s age and needs, this can look like regular check-ins, gentle coaching, and practical ideas you can carry home. For families who want more focused support, parent coaching is also available, and older kids may be a better fit for youth counselling. When useful, support can also extend to your child’s school and educators. We honour your child’s privacy while keeping you informed and involved in a way that respects everyone.

Child counselling is available in person at Sunny Spot’s Port Coquitlam office for families from Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Port Moody and across the Tri-Cities.