The Play to Heal Program is a play-based program designed to support children’s social and emotional development. The goal is to support children in identifying emotions, communicating how they feel, and learn to regulate their emotions and behaviour. This is a personalized program, offering 1-1 support to children and families. This program is offered for children 2- 16 years old.

The objectives of the Play to Heal Program are:

🐞to help children understand the loss or change they are experiencing and how to journey through the grief process (death, divorce, new baby, move to a new home/school)
🐞to help children develop skills for emotional recognition, emotional expression and coping strategies for managing difficult life transitions/events
🐞to help children develop strategies for self-regulation in order to change difficult behaviours such as tantrums, aggression, and defiance
🐞to help children to develop coping strategies when a child or family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness

At Children’s Healing Studio, Ltd. we provide one-on-one teen coaching that aims to foster meaningful conversations with teens about what’s important to them. Teen coaching helps teens to improve their interpersonal skills, self-awareness, self-esteem, problem-solving skills, and decision-making abilities. Sessions are offered in-Studio, online, or in the family home.
During a session, Dr. Elena Merenda takes the teen’s lead, actively listening to what supports they require, and working together to develop goals. Dr. Merenda offers strategies and support that fosters communication, coping skills, confidence, and decision making.

Dr. Merenda works with teens as a team to develop mutually agreed upon goals. Typically, the larger goal is to understand themselves, build autonomy, and navigate their dynamic world , which is achieved through the application of smaller goals like improving communication, providing suggestions and guidance in meeting their needs, improving problem solving strategies, fostering confidence, and developing solution-focused thinking.
Teen coaching can help with a multitude of issues including (but not limited to):
Confidence building
Time management skills
Coping strategies for stress
Navigation peer relationships
Developing problem-solving skills
Social media awareness and balance
Body image
Healthy eating and movement
Mindfulness