Mental Care - Parenting Practice Loving Caring owner Johanna Bakker is excited to show the community the new space at 7 Argyle St. South in Renfrew. (Sherry Haaima photo)
May was Mental Health Month, but one local therapist believes that there’s no bad time to address the impacts of trauma.
Johanna Bakker, founder of the Mental Care clinic in Renfrew, says that it’s especially important to explore trauma response in children, where unravelling the emotional response to stressful events and their underlying symptoms becomes even more complex when their caregivers become the source of their pain.
Traumatic situations in the home can be felt well after childhood, affecting a person’s ability in the classroom, at work, in social settings, or even performing daily tasks well into adulthood if not addressed.
Bakker says that it’s important for a therapist to not only provide a safe space for young clients to explore their emotions but also to include the parent, who might themselves be struggling with certain intolerances or triggers that could negatively impact their children.
People seeking therapy can reach out to Bakker at her office at 7 Argyle Street South and online.
(written by Kasey Egan)
