ElevateMinds Collaborative Practice

Today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour the children who never returned home, survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

Today is an opportunity to listen, learn, reflect, and remember that reconciliation is an ongoing responsibility.

ElevateMinds is located in Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.

Every Child Matters. 🧡

Parents/guardians and educators: Give yourselves some grace!!

Sometimes, you can know exactly what to do…and still find it really hard to do it.

You can understand emotional regulation, behaviour, ADHD, anxiety, connection, boundaries, co-regulation, and all the strategies that are "supposed" to help and still have moments where you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, unsure, or completely out of ideas.

We know this professionally, but we also know it personally.

We are parents too.

We know what it is like to have the knowledge and still struggle to use it in the moment. To know that staying calm would help, but feel yourself getting frustrated. To understand why a behaviour is happening and still feel exhausted by it. To have good intentions and still fall into patterns that are hard to change.

Knowing what to do and being able to do it consistently are two very different things.

These tricky situations happens in real life, everyday - including when we are tired, stressed, worried, busy or carrying a dozen other things at the same time.

Getting support does not mean you don’t know how, it sometimes simply means these things are hard.

We are so happy to welcome Christine (RCT-C) to the ElevateMinds team!

Christine brings 15 years of counselling experience supporting children, adolescents, and young adults through many of life’s challenges. She offers a warm, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where young people can feel heard, understood, and supported.

Her areas of focus include ADHD, anxiety, grief, life transitions, executive functioning, and emotional regulation.

She works collaboratively with youth to help them better understand themselves, develop practical coping strategies, recognize their strengths, and feel more confident navigating challenges.

Christine believes that growth is possible for everyone, and that having the right support at the right time can make a meaningful difference.

We’re thrilled to have her joining our team at ElevateMinds!!

Call (902) 500-1601 or email ([email protected]) for more information on connecting your child with Christine.

A new school year means new teachers, new routines, more expectations, earlier mornings, social pressures and (the dreaded) homework.

For some children and teens, those changes might show up as:

• more irritability or emotional outbursts
• trouble falling asleep or getting up in the morning
• headaches or stomach aches
• increased worry or reassurance seeking
• shutting down after school
• difficulty getting started on homework
• more conflict at home

A little extra stress during the first few weeks can be completely understandable (for parents and for our kids). Everyone is adjusting to a lot of change.

But if your child seems overwhelmed, increasingly anxious, persistently unhappy, or just not quite like themselves, it may be worth checking in a little more closely.

Sometimes they need time or maybe a few changes at home or school. Sometimes they need another safe adult to help them sort through what is going on.

At ElevateMinds, our team supports children, teens and families with anxiety, stress, mood, emotional regulation, school challenges, social relationships and more.

Tutoring Openings

ElevateMinds currently has a few openings for tutoring support for elementary and middle school students.

Support is individualized to each student and may include:

• Academic skill development and tutoring
• Organization and time management
• Planning and breaking larger assignments into manageable steps
• Study skills and test preparation
• Executive functioning strategies
• Developing more effective learning habits
• Building independence and confidence as a learner

For some students, the challenge isn’t necessarily understanding the material, but figuring out how to get started, stay organized, manage their time, remember what needs to be done, or approach schoolwork effectively. Learning strategist support can help students develop practical strategies that work for the way they learn.

A limited number of openings are currently available for elementary and middle school students for the upcoming school year.

Contact out team at ElevateMinds ([email protected]) to learn more or to find out whether this support might be a good fit for your child.

Openings Available at ElevateMinds

As we head into the fall, we currently have a few openings available for new and returning clients at ElevateMinds.

Our team offers support for children, adolescents, adults, and families in a number of areas, including:

• ADHD and psychoeducational assessment
• Therapy and counselling
• Parent consultation and support
• Executive functioning support
• Support related to ADHD, learning, anxiety, emotional regulation, and other areas of concern

Whether you are looking for a better understanding of how you or your child learns, wondering whether an assessment may be helpful, looking for therapeutic support, or simply unsure of the best next step, we are happy to help you determine what might be a good fit.

A limited number of appointments are currently available.

To inquire about services or availability, please contact ElevateMinds through our website or reach out to our office directly ([email protected] or 902-500-1601).

We look forward to supporting individuals and families in our community.

A New School Year: Helping Students Find Their Voice

As another school year begins, there is often a lot of focus on supplies, schedules, new teachers, and getting back into routines. It is also a great time to think about something that can make a real difference for students at school: learning how to advocate for themselves.

Self-advocacy doesn’t mean expecting students to figure things out on their own. It means helping them start to understand how they learn, recognize when they need support, and become more comfortable communicating what they need (which can change year to year).

Parents can help build these skills through everyday conversations. You might want to ask your child:

• What helps you focus when something is hard or boring?
• How can you tell when you’re starting to feel overwhelmed?
• What helps you understand or remember something better?
• What could you do if you don’t understand what your teacher is asking?
• What do you wish your teacher knew about you and how you learn?

It can also be helpful to practice some simple phrases children can use at school:

• “Can you explain that another way?”
• “Can you show me an example?”
• “I’m not sure where to start. Can you help me?”
• “I need a minute to get organized.”
• “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next.”

For children with ADHD, learning disorders/disabilities, anxiety, or other learning differences, understanding their own strengths and challenges can be especially important. When developmentally appropriate, students should be included in conversations about how they learn and the strategies and supports that help them do their best.

Self-advocacy doesn’t happen overnight. Younger children will still need their parents to do much of the advocating for them. As they get older, we can gradually give them a bigger role in conversations with teachers and school teams.

The goal is not for our kids to manage everything independently. It’s for them to begin developing the confidence to say, “I know what helps me, and it’s okay to ask for what I need.”

As we head into another school year, helping kids find their voice may be one of the most valuable things we can teach them.

- ElevateMinds

Thank you!

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out to work with us. Thanks to your support, all of our available summer assessment appointments with our psychologists are now fully booked.

We are currently booking limited September and October appointments for assessments, including:

• ADHD Assessments
• Psychoeducational Assessments
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessments

Assessments are available for children, adolescents, and adults.

If you would like to book an assessment or have questions about our services, please contact our Office Manager, Shauna, who would be happy to help you find the appointment that best meets your needs.

email: [email protected]
phone 902-500-1601

Thank you again for your continued trust and support! We look forward to working with you.

Send a message to learn more

Our psychologists have openings for assessments including for ADHD, Autism and psychoeducational!

Appointments are limited and some are available as soon as September!!

Call or email today to learn more and secure your appointment:
[email protected]
902-500-1601

We currently have a few summer openings available with our psychologists for Psychoeducational Assessments and ADHD Assessments.

Asssessments may help identify:
• ADHD
• Learning Disabilities/Disorders
• Executive Functioning Challenges
• Academic Strengths and Needs to help inform programming

Appointments are limited and tend to fill quickly.

Please reach out if you would like additional information or would like to book an appointment.

email: [email protected]
phone 902-500-1601