Edmonton Centre for Play Therapy
Jocelyn Nand, M.C., B.A
Director & Registered Psychologist
I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from The King’s University College in 2012. I completed my Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Trinity Western University in 2014. I am Registered Provisional Psychologist in good standing with the College of Alberta Psychologists. I have received additional training in sand tray therapy, sand play therapy play therapy, art based therapy, animal assisted play therapy (AAPT), animal assisted therapy (AAT), child parent relationship therapy (CPRT), circle of security parenting (COSP), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) level I training in pivotal response therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, and suicide assessment/prevention.
I enjoy working with children, adolescents, and adults. It’s always a privilege to meet with clients and hear their life stories. Each client is unique in the experiences they have had and the journey in which they are seeking support. It is my belief that therapy is both a dialogue and collaborative relationship between the therapist and their clients. I aim to establish a safe, trusting and encouraging environment for my clients; however, I also strive towards building resiliency, raising self-awareness and connecting my clients to a greater sense of community. My therapeutic approach is integrative and largely stems from existential analysis, attachment theory and a relational-cultural framework. I also integrate cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior interventions, emotion-focused therapy, mindfulness based practices, and systemic frameworks.
Over the years I have taken training in filial approaches that strengthen the parent-child relationship. This has enabled me to help parents shift or tweak their parenting approach and repairing ruptures that have taken place in their parent-child relationship. Often parents feel overwhelmed by the parenting advice offered online and struggle to understand what approaches to take with the concerns they are hoping to address. I work with parents to help them find an approach that is developmentally appropriate for their child but is grounded in the latest research in neuroscience and attachment. My work with parents is collaborative and fulfilling. Parents often gain an insight into their child’s needs while reflecting on their parenting approach. Parents also benefit from exploring how their own childhood experiences impact their parenting practices.
Many of my clients have often asked deep existential questions that are similar to the four existential fundamental motivations:
I exist-but can I be as a whole person? Do I have the necessary space, protection and support? We experience these when we feel accepted; which supports us in having an accepting attitude towards ourselves.
I am alive- do I like this? Do I experience fulfillment, affection, or an appreciation of values?
I am myself- but do I feel free to be myself?
This motivation examines whether there are experiences of justice, appreciation, esteem, respect, and self-worth. I am here- for what purpose? This motivation examines whether the present is part of a meaningful whole. Moreover, it asks what do you live for? We are not isolated beings and our relationships strongly influence how we develop and how we feel about ourselves.
Krister Temme, M.C., B.A
Registered Psychologist and Registered Play Therapist
Play is a remarkable part of humanity. Unique to mammals, it is inherently biologically tied into relationship, emotion, and adaptation—the cornerstone of what makes us human. It even has its own unique and selected biological circuitry in the brain. There is little in human experience that is more innate and natural than play.
Play is also the language of children. Whereas adults benefit from “talk therapy”, the “talk” of children is play itself, and so the best approach to working with children is through a specialized approach in which the therapist and your child “talk” about the struggles your child is going through. Through this more natural and spontaneous language that is closer to the problem—and the solution—in your child’s mind than “mere words” are, play therapy facilitates foundational changes in children. This is very important to engage in prior to adolescence when maladaptive ways of being can bring greater hurts and become a set pattern of interacting with others.
I am continually amazed by the outcomes of play therapy in helping children work through trauma, changes, and challenges that are new or have been there since the beginning.
Kim Sesink, M.C., B.A
Registered Psychologist and Registered Play Therapist
I have been working with children and their families in a therapeutic setting for many years. My training background pertinent to children is in Family Therapy and Play Therapy. I believe that play is the language that children use to express their thought and feelings, so I work to use their language in the therapeutic relationship. Working through play allows me to interact with the child in a natural way allowing them to take the lead in the process of change. I also believe that the family is the environment in which children grow and that changing and developing the family environment can provide a child with the factors that they need to flourish. I have extensive experience in play therapy through the Canadian Association for Child and Play Therapy.
Amanda Montey, M.Ed
Registered Psychologist
Hey there! My name is Amanda (they/them), and I'm passionate about supporting neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals from all walks of life by drawing on my professional training and my lived experience as a non-binary and neurodivergent therapist. I provide individual counselling to kids, teens, and adults. With kids and teens, I love working with a wide variety of concerns including ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, and more. Additionally, I work with adults with ADHD and/or Autism to help address their experience with these conditions among other things affecting them.
I am passionate about supporting children, teens, and adults as they embark on their unique mental health journeys. I enjoy working with neurodivergent individuals with diverse mental health experiences as they learn to understand and thrive with their diagnoses. In particular, I specialise in working with children, teens, and adults who have or suspect they have ADHD and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, I have experience and training in supporting 2SLGBTIQA+ individuals of all ages. When working with kids and teens, I offer them independence, while ensuring parents stay involved to a developmentally appropriate level.
Madison Duncan
Registered Provisional Psychologist
Hi! My name is Madison (she/her) and I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the
College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). I strive to provide a warm and supportive
counselling environment where individuals of all ages can feel empowered to achieve their
goals and explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Your counselling needs,
personal strengths, and goals will be emphasized during our time together. I understand
that counselling can be a nerve-wracking experience, so I strive to make counselling
sessions comfortable for clients.
My approach to counselling is client centered, collaborative, strengths-based and
compassionate. I integrate a variety of evidence-based therapeutic approaches in my work
including Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural
Therapy (DBT), and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). In my work with children, I mainly use
play-based interventions and an empathetic playful approach to match their
developmental level. I also enjoy collaborating with parents to provide parenting strategies
to help their child with behavioural or emotional concerns.
I look forward to working with you and being apart of your counselling journey.
Anusha Lalani
Registered Provisional Psychologist
I am a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. I have received training in Therapeutic Play Skills through the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute and have experience in working with children ages 4 and above.
I have a special interest in working with preschool and school-aged children (ages 4-18). I believe that children learn self-regulation, problem-solving skills, and resiliency as they experience safe and secure attachments. I take a client-centred approach to therapy, which also integrates play therapy, attachment theory, narrative therapy, somatic therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, Theraplay, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and family systems.
In addition to working individually with children, I also work collaboratively with parents and other caregivers. It is not only my passion, but my long-term goal to continue to work with children and their caregivers. I work with caregivers using my knowledge of circle of security and my understanding of interpersonal neurobiology to help gain insight into their child’s underlying areas of struggle and support them. My approach is primarily relationship focused. In addition, I understand that children exist within systems, and thus, I work with the systems as well to support my clients.
