Derek Bassey

Maybe your little one is wrestling with big feelings they do not have words for yet, or you are an adult quietly white knuckling your way through anxiety, stress, or something heavier you have carried for a while. Either way, you are in the right place. I am a counselor and registered play therapist who works with kids as young as three, as well as teens and adults. I know it takes real courage to show up, and I feel privileged to walk alongside people as they move toward feeling whole again.

With young kids, I lean on play therapy and parent child interaction therapy, because play is how children make sense of their world, and parents are partners in the work, not bystanders. With teens and adults, I often use EMDR to reach the places talking alone cannot, paired with a warm, down to earth style. There is no one size fits all plan. I am inspired by the effort my clients bring each week, and my job is to help that effort truly count.

First sessions can feel a bit awkward, and that is completely normal. Nobody arrives knowing exactly what to say. With younger kids, we usually ease in through play while we get to know each other. With adults, we talk through what is going on and what you are hoping for, with no pressure to share everything on day one. If we trade movie recommendations along the way, even better. We go at your pace, and we figure it out together.