Chelsey Ivanochko

If you’re here, there’s probably a reason.

Maybe you’re worried about your child. Maybe their emotions or behaviours have become harder to understand. Maybe you’ve tried everything you can think of and still find yourself wondering, What do they need from me? How do I help?

Or maybe you’re the one who needs support.

When I work with children, youth and families, I don’t see behaviour as something that needs to be “fixed.” I want to understand what is underneath it. What has happened? What is your child communicating? What are they experiencing in their relationships, their family and their world?

I believe our experiences shape how we view the world, and I believe we need to look at the whole picture when we’re trying to understand someone. That means considering relationships, attachment, family, systems and the experiences that have shaped us along the way.

I have more than eight years of experience working with children, youth and families, including extensive experience supporting children who have experienced complex, developmental and medical trauma. I also work closely with parents and caregivers because supporting a child often means supporting the people who love them, too.
Sometimes therapy looks like talking. Sometimes it looks like playing, creating, drawing, telling stories or finding another way to communicate when words are difficult. I draw from Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Narrative Therapy, CBT, DBT, ACT and Family Therapy, choosing approaches based on the person and family sitting in front of me rather than expecting everyone to fit the same model.

My work with trauma and attachment also led me to become a Trainer with the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. This work helps me understand how early experiences and adversity can affect development, regulation and relationships—and how we can create new experiences and connections that support healing and growth.

And if you’re a parent who has found yourself thinking, I just wish someone could help me understand what’s happening here, I want you to know that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

We can slow things down together.

We can get curious about what’s underneath the behaviour.

We can make space for your child’s experiences—and yours.

And we can find a way forward that makes sense for your family.