Thriving Young Minds

Rachel Richardson, Registered Psychologist | Thriving Young Minds Clinic Perhaps the biggest difference in neuroaffirming practice isn't what we do. It's the questions we ask. For many years, psychological intervention was often driven by questions such as: "How do we stop this behaviour?" "How do we increase compliance?" "How do we reduce autistic traits?" "How do we help this child fit in?" While these questions usually came from good intentions, they sometimes overlooked something...

Parents and teachers regularly find themselves trying to make sense of emotional reactions that feel out of proportion to what just happened. In the classroom, this could look like a simple correction or redirection. On the playground, a disagreement on what game to play, or a task that doesn’t go as expected, can quickly escalate into distress, shutdown, or refusal. For children with ADHD, these responses are not random or attention-seeking. They reflect how their brain processes emotion in...

Many people come into therapy believing that being hard on themselves will help them improve. It shows up in subtle but consistent ways; pushing through exhaustion, replaying mistakes, comparing themselves to others, or feeling like they “should be doing better.” This is especially common in those struggling with anxiety, motivation, or negative self-talk. On the surface, it makes sense. If we apply more pressure, we’ll get better results. From a neuroscience perspective, this is where things...