At 101 Psychotherapy, children and teenagers from Toronto and North York get help with worry, big emotions, school stress and changes at home, and parents stay part of the process. You meet clinicians experienced with this age group, either face to face at Steeles and Dufferin, a few minutes past the Toronto boundary, or in a video session from home anywhere in Ontario.
- Free 30-minute assessment
- Sessions from $120
- Clinicians registered with CRPO and OAMHP
What Sessions Look Like for Children From Toronto
Most children cannot explain in a sentence why school mornings end in tears, or why one small change at home set off a week of meltdowns. Therapy works inside that gap. With younger children, sessions mix short conversations with drawing, building and other activities suited to their age. Preteens can do more of the work in words, learning to catch a feeling early and try a different response to it.
Most Toronto parents call about a problem that crept up over several weeks: anxiety in children starting to shape each day, attention and homework fights tied to childhood ADHD, anger boiling over at home, or grief after a family loss. You can simply describe what you are seeing. There is no need to put a name to it first.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern among Canadian children and teens, and the Canadian Paediatric Society, in its position statement on managing anxiety in children and youth, recommends psychotherapy with a trained therapist as the first-line treatment.
How Child Therapy Works for Toronto and North York Families
Parents are part of every step, from the first conversation to regular check-ins on how things are going.
- Free 30-minute consultation. Tell us what home and school look like right now, raise whatever worries you, and we will name the clinician we think suits your child.
- First appointment. Some families start with parents alone, some with the child, some with everyone together. Your child’s age usually decides. We hear the background, the strategies you have tried, and the change you are hoping for.
- Sessions with your child. Held at the Steeles clinic or on video, at a speed that suits your child. Methods come from each clinician’s own training, which includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), DBT skills and mindfulness.
- Regular check-ins with you. Progress updates, plus concrete things to try at home before the next visit. Some parents book parenting support sessions for themselves as well.
Medication is never raised without you. Where a child’s needs call for it, the psychiatry team at 101 Medical Centre, in the same building, provides child and adolescent psychiatry. Appointments there need a referral. For a fuller look at how sessions work with younger children, including practical ways parents can help at home, read about child therapy at our Vaughan clinic.
101 Psychotherapy – Always caring, always here
Teen Therapy and Counselling for Toronto and North York Teenagers
Preteens and teenagers come to us from across North York and the rest of Toronto with school pressure, friendship trouble, low mood, or worry that has started to cost them sleep. Before teenage counselling begins, the clinician explains to both of you what stays private and what a parent would be told, so nobody is caught off guard later.
Some teens find it easier to talk from their own room, so teen sessions often run online. For more on how we work with this age group, including what to do when a teenager refuses to come, read about teen therapy at our Vaughan clinic.
What Child Therapy Costs for Toronto Families
Child and teen appointments at 101 Psychotherapy begin at $120. The first 30-minute consultation is free, there is nothing to sign after it, and you can book without a doctor’s note. Sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist are not covered by OHIP. Many parents claim their child’s sessions through a workplace benefits plan that lists the child as a dependant. Plans differ on which credentials they accept, so check yours before the first appointment. You receive a receipt after every visit.
Book a Free ConsultationGetting to Our Steeles Avenue Clinic From Toronto and North York
You will find us at 1520 Steeles Avenue West, Unit 101A, where Dufferin meets Steeles on the Vaughan side, so for a lot of North York the drive is shorter than a trip downtown. The lot has free parking.
Typical weekday drive times, depending on traffic:
- Bathurst and Finch or Keele and Finch: about 10 to 20 minutes
- Yonge and Sheppard: about 15 to 40 minutes
- Yorkdale: about 15 to 35 minutes, via Allen Road
- Downtown Toronto: about 30 to 50 minutes in the morning, and often over an hour in the afternoon
By TTC from downtown Toronto, ride Line 1 north to Sheppard West Station and take the Dufferin North bus to Dufferin and Steeles, a short walk from the clinic. Allow about an hour. From the Yonge Street side of North York, ride Line 1 to Finch Station and take the Steeles West bus to Dufferin.
Online Child and Teen Therapy Across Ontario
When the drive does not fit your week, virtual child therapy works from home, using the same secure video set-up as our online therapy across Ontario. In its position statement on managing anxiety in children and youth, the Canadian Paediatric Society notes that CBT can be delivered to children, to parents or to both together, and in person or virtually. With younger children, the clinician may suggest starting in person, where drawing and hands-on activities are easier to use.
Meet Your Therapists at 101 Psychotherapy
101 Psychotherapy has clinicians who work with children and teens, and at the free consultation we suggest the one who best fits your child. Natalie Besharat works with young children, teenagers and their parents, and her profile includes separation anxiety, school refusal and childhood depression. Alex Kazmin, a Registered Psychotherapist, sees preteens and teens, and lists self-esteem, peer relationships and school issues.
Natalie Besharat
Clinician, Pediatric Care and Addictions Specialist, MSc, CCAC, CICAPP Candidate
Full profile
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find child therapy in Toronto?
Toronto families can choose between publicly funded programs and private clinics. The Canadian Paediatric Society notes that where publicly funded resources are limited, families may need to seek out private options. 101 Psychotherapy is one of those private options, sitting just past the Toronto boundary. You book with us yourself, with no referral, beginning with a free 30-minute consultation. Fees start at $120, and sessions happen in our office or over secure video within Ontario.
Should parents be involved in their child's therapy?
Yes. Parents are part of the work at every age, although the shape of that involvement changes as children get older. For Toronto families, parent check-ins can often happen by video, which saves a trip up to Steeles. With teenagers, some sessions stay private, and the clinician explains those limits to you both at the start.
How far is your clinic from North York?
Close for most of North York. From Bathurst and Finch or Keele and Finch it is about a 9-minute drive, and from Yonge and Sheppard about 17 minutes. The clinic sits at Dufferin and Steeles, and parking is free.
Can a young child do therapy online?
Sometimes. Video can work for some children, particularly with a parent close by. With younger children, the clinician may suggest meeting in person, where drawing and hands-on activities are easier to bring into the session. We talk through both options with you at the free consultation.
Do you see teenagers from Toronto?
Yes. Preteens and teens come to us from North York and across Toronto, either in person or online from anywhere in Ontario. Confidentiality is explained to the teen and the parent together before sessions begin.
Talk to a Child Therapist Serving Toronto
Start with a free 30-minute consultation, and decide afterwards whether it feels right for your family.
