Jessica Cummings
MA, MSW, DCP(c), RSW, Psychotherapist
Child Therapy in Midtown Toronto
In-person therapy for children, with parents involved in the way that fits your child’s age and situation, and a real waiting room where you sit close by.
Who this is for
Every word on this page speaks to the parent. The child is never the audience.
Big feelings that have outgrown their outlets
Meltdowns past the age they used to fade, fears that rule the household schedule, sadness that lingers.
Behaviour changes
A settled child who becomes explosive, a bold one who goes quiet, regression to younger behaviour. Sharp changes usually mean something needs saying that the child cannot yet say.
Separation and divorce
Children metabolize a family change slowly and sideways. Therapy gives them a place that is theirs (not one parent’s, not the other’s) to work it through.
Worries and fears
Sleep battles, separation anxiety, stomach aches with no medical cause, fears that do not respond to reassurance.
School and social struggles
Trouble landing in a friend group, a teacher raising a flag. When a school or paediatrician suggests support, it is a common way for families to arrive, and it is enough.
How it starts
Child therapy is psychotherapy adapted to how children actually process things: through play, drawing, stories, and conversation at their own pace, with a registered therapist trained for the age, and with parents involved as fits the child.
Browse the therapists
Look for child-focused training. Profiles show registration, age ranges, how they work, and fees when provided.
Find your therapistA parent reaches out
Describe what you are seeing, and mention the referral if a school or paediatrician suggested support; it helps the therapist understand what has already been observed. Not sure who to choose? Write to the centre and the Director will suggest therapists here who fit.
A parent intake
A conversation before your child’s first visit: history, concerns, ground rules, and what the first sessions will look like.
Your child’s sessions begin
At their pace, in their language, with you in the waiting room close by, or in the room if your child asks for that, and kept informed as agreed.
What to expect
How parents are involved
It depends on the situation and on your child’s age and stage: the younger the child, the more parents are involved. You are not handing your child to a stranger and waiting outside the process. Each therapist explains their own structure: an intake conversation with parents before the first visit; agreed ground rules on consent and how you are updated; and practical suggestions for home as the work develops.
What sessions look like
At this age, therapy often looks like play, because play is where children do their processing. Depending on the therapist and the child: play, drawing, stories, and conversation in child-sized pieces. Each therapist’s profile describes their way of working. Method is always described; outcomes are never promised.
The setting
A warm, private room, and a real waiting area where you sit close by. Sessions take place at Suite 401, 801 Eglinton Avenue West, directly across from Forest Hill station. Children already get plenty of screen time; in a room there are fewer distractions and more real engagement, and parents are close by.
Fees
Each therapist sets their own fees. Posting a rate is each therapist’s choice, so a fee is not always shown; where it is not, ask when you reach out. Many extended health plans cover dependents for Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers; check your plan’s wording. Psychotherapy delivered by registered providers is HST-exempt in Canada, so no tax is added. You receive a receipt for every session.
Common questions
It depends on the situation and on your child’s age and stage; the younger the child, the more involved parents usually are. Expect a conversation before the first visit, agreed updates, and practical suggestions for home. The waiting room is close, and so are you.
It varies by therapist, and each profile shows the range. If you are unsure who fits, start with the profile whose focus areas sound like your child.
Simply and honestly: a grown-up whose job is helping kids with big feelings, and they can play while they talk, or instead of talking. Your therapist will help you find words that fit your child.
With any profile that fits what the school described, mentioning the referral when you reach out. A parent intake conversation is the first step either way.
Therapy is not a diagnosis machine. Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers work with what your child is experiencing; if a formal assessment ever seems useful, your therapist will discuss it with you first.
There are laws about consent that your therapist can explain for your family’s situation, and there are therapeutic considerations too. Ideally, the therapist has contact with both parents, together or separately.
Yes, many do, for times when meeting in person is not possible. The centre is built around in-person care, but ask the therapist you choose whether they also offer online or phone sessions.
Next step
Browse the independent registered therapists who work with children, and reach out as a parent. The first conversation is with you, before your child's first visit.
Therapists who work with children
Independent registered professionals with child-focused training and age ranges shown on their profile. Credentials are shown exactly as registered; contact each practitioner directly.
No therapists match that search.
Try a different name or focus area, or see everyone.
Standard of care
A standard you can verify
Every therapist at the centre is registered, independent, and accountable to a regulatory college. That accountability protects the quality of your care. Confidentiality is set by law, and your therapist explains its limits at the start.
Privacy & Confidentiality
What you share in therapy is confidential, within limits set out by law. Your therapist explains those limits at the start, and if you have concerns, you are encouraged to ask about them.
Registered Professionals
Every therapist is a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker in good standing in Ontario.
In-Person Connection
Care here happens face to face, in a warm, private room built for confidential conversation.