About Me
Sarah White
MA, Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist & EMDR Child & Parent-Child Attachment Specialist
If it feels heavy maybe it’s not meant to be carried alone
As a child therapist evolved into a family therapist, what drives my passion is helping families have space for healing in order to ensure their little ones experience a deep sense of belonging and of being seen for the wildly capable humans they are always becoming.
As a child, I did not know what to do with my feelings and had no safe sense of community or support services to help express and feel validated living with my struggles. It left me feeling like something had to be wrong deep down inside of me. I felt separate and unlovable. However, when I was able to connect with others and share my story through community and my own personal counselling, it showed me I wasn’t alone.
My personal experiences, as well as my extensive clinical training informs the work I do today.
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To support you and your family my qualifications include:
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Registered Clinical Counsellor and Canadian Certified Counsellor
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Certified Synergetic Play Therapist
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Bachelors in Child & Youth Care,
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Masters In Counselling Psychology
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Certificate in Expressive Arts Play Therapy
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Brainstory Certification - Neurobiology of Trauma
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Supervision in Sandtray Therapy
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Filial Family Play Therapist
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Theraplay Family Play Therapy
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Interpersonal Neurobiology Year-long Intensive
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EMDR - Child Trauma Specialist & Parent-Child Attachment Specialist
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EMDR – N.E.S.T Neuroaffective Embodied Self Therapies
Examples of child/teen/adult & family challenges I work with include:
Emotional-Regulation - including the management of anger and aggression, anxiety, excessive fear and worry, sadness, depression, and self-harm, as well as neurodiversity & ASD.
Sensory Processing - information and strategies to reduce the impact sensory difficulties/differences can have on children and family’s daily lives.
Communication Skills - including learning to effectively communicate feelings and thoughts to themselves and others and building emotional literacy.
Social Skills - including learning to interact with peers, increasing self-awareness and social thinking concepts while playing and practicing cooperation. Specific programs for children with autism and neurodivergence.
Difficult Transitions - including death of a loved one, being removed from primary caregiver, as well as separation and divorce.
Complex Family Attachment Dynamics - including having a loved one with a mental illness and/or addiction, having a loved one who is incarcerated, children in care, blend(ing)ed families, and the complexities that continue through intergenerational trauma.
Trauma - including illness, accidents, death or loss, witnessing traumatic events, experiencing violence or abuse.
Attachment Trauma - the experience of deficient nurturance from loving caregivers, often coupled with inadequate protection from dangerous situations or people. Growing up within an environment of fear, chaos, or rejection, intrusiveness or abandonment.
Parenting - help parents improve felt safety for and with their child, gain effective parent resources, address any parenting stress, gain a better understanding of their child’s needs at each developmental stage and learn how to support and comfort their child. Identify and process underlying issues that may impact parenting.
I also have extensive experience working with children/teens in care and children/teens of First Nations, Metis, Aboriginal and/or Indigenous descent.