Naomi Woolverton
Master of Education (M.Ed)
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Here's what I believe.
I believe children, youth, and their families are doing their best every day.
I believe in the power of play, relationship, connection.
I believe in safety, feeling seen and heard, and co-regulation.
Kids have big emotions and behaviours in situations that are too much for their brains, bodies and nervous systems. My approach focuses on building a relationship with your child while my presence offers co-regulation and creates a space where they can use self-expression through right-brain approaches. Working with your child also means working with you! I believe in the power of us working together to support the development of your child's securely attached self.
Why I Care.
Sometimes childhood is interrupted by things that are messy and difficult and this can lead to big emotions and big behaviours from kids. I care because a space for children to explore their feelings, to be as they are, and to be curious can make a real difference for them! I am passionate about how play, art, and expressive approaches can help kids explore their inner world and understand themselves. As a child-centred counsellor, I make an effort to be present and embodied while they learn how to be connected to their thoughts, emotions, and bodies and develop a social emotional toolkit.
My Education & Credentials.
CREDENTIALS:
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Registered Clinical Counsellor
CLIENT FOCUS:
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Children and Youth
COUNSELLING FOCUS:
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Play therapy
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Creative-arts therapy
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Child-centered therapy
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Narrative therapy
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Relational
RECENT TRAINING:
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Play Therapy: Innovated Attachment-Centered Interventions to Treat Trauma, Emotional Dysregulation, and Behavioural Challenges
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When Love Hurts (Intimate Partner Violence)
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Nature Based Therapy
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Working with Autistic Clients: Foundations of a Neuro-Affirming Practice
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Strength-based Interventions toThrive with ADHD from Childhood to Adulthood (In Progress)
Why People Work With Me
My experience with children and youth comes from working in the social sector since 2020. As a psychotherapist that focuses on children and youth, my aim is to meet them where they are at, and I typically do this with play and creative-arts therapies. These approaches are not like the typical talk therapy sessions as you know them. Play and creative-arts speak to the brains of kids and youth; it allows them to learn about themselves and express feelings and thoughts through right-brain methods. I have seen play and creative-arts strategies help children and youth process difficult things in their lives, express themselves with confidence, increase their self-esteem, and learn to understand their bodies and emotions. The approaches I use bring information into their awareness over time. I am committed to learning different ways to connect to children and youth: supervision, additional training, peer consultation with my colleagues at MindWise, or feedback directly from my clients about what works best for them.
I also see an importance in sharing that I am a cisgender, white female with European ancestries who was born and raised in Kamloops, BC, and I make an ongoing effort to challenge my Western biases and privileges.
I aim to always show my humanity as I work to see and understand the child or youth in the room with me. It is important to me that I continue to do my best to be an ally to the Pride community, make an ongoing effort to decolonize my ways of thinking, and continue to learn about other cultures. I love learning from my clients and I believe that children and youth have many wonderful things to teach us.