Find a Counsellor/Psychologist

Child Counselling

Child Play-based counselling, youth counselling, and parent support

Northern Focus Counselling provides child and youth counselling in Whitehorse for families who want practical, compassionate support. We help kids and teens build coping skills, confidence, and emotional regulation—while supporting parents/caregivers with clear strategies at home and at school.

We aim to make access simple. In many cases, families can connect with a clinician within about a week.

Who we support 

  • Children (elementary age)

  • Youth/teens

  • Parents/caregivers seeking guidance and support

  • Families navigating transitions or stress

What we can help with

Families commonly reach out for support with:

  • Anxiety, worries, and school stress

  • Big emotions, meltdowns, and emotion regulation

  • Behavioural concerns and coping skills

  • Social challenges, friendships, and confidence

  • Family transitions (separation/divorce, blended families, moves)

  • Grief and loss

  • Trauma and difficult experiences

  • ADHD/Autism-informed support (strength-based and practical)

  • Parent support and coaching to reinforce progress at home

What counselling looks like

For children, sessions are often play-based and developmentally appropriate. We use play, creative activities, and skills-building to help kids express themselves and learn tools they can actually use.

For teens, sessions are typically more conversation- and skills-based, focused on coping strategies, emotional regulation, identity, relationships, motivation, and school stress.

For parents/caregivers, we can incorporate parent sessions or coaching when helpful—so the work in therapy translates into day-to-day life.

A note on ADHD/Autism support

We offer ADHD- and Autism-informed counselling and parent support. This can include emotion regulation, routines, school-related stress, social challenges, and practical strategies at home. (We are not a diagnostic clinic, but we can support families with coaching and counselling.)

Getting started

The easiest way to begin is through our intake form. We’ll match your child with a clinician based on age, needs, schedule, and fit.

Sara Galbraith

MC, Registered Psychologist

Sara grew up in Whitehorse and began her journey in the helping profession over fifteen years ago. She has begun working on her doctorate in clinical psychology and has been a registered psychologist through the College of Alberta Psychologists for 6 years.

Sara works with children, youth, adults and families and common presenting issues have included complex trauma, attachment and relationships, addictions, mental health, neurodiversity, life transitions, grief and the frequent overlap of some of these challenges. While a client-centred approach is at the core of her practice, Sara is trained in and employs a in a variety of therapeutic modalities including: expressive arts and therapeutic play, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavioral approach, solution-focused approach, narrative, acceptance and commitment therapy, and family based interventions (i.e. Filial therapy, Theraplay, and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy). She is trained in assessment and has and experience in providing clinical supervision to other counsellors.

Sara is passionate about helping individuals to explore the possible, to reconnect with themselves in a healthy and meaningful way and to support them in recognizing their natural gifts and purpose. In her spare time, she loves spending time with loved ones and being active and playing outside.

Laura Peers

Clinical Intern

Laura’s creative approach to therapy is informed by her work in Yukon education settings. She employs a trauma-informed approach in her therapy sessions to assist individuals, young and old, coping with trauma, family transitions, grief, and loss.In her therapeutic work, Laura cultivates a warm, accepting environment. Drawing from narrative therapy, IFS, CBT, and attachment-focused therapy, she crafts personalized strategies to meet her clients’ unique needs.

Laura’s interest in working with multicultural populations stems from her experiences living abroad, as well as spending several years working in a rural Yukon Indigenous community. She maintains her dedication to deepening her understanding of Indigenous culture and passionately supports working with different cultures and diverse individuals on their therapeutic journey toward healing and growth.

Laura firmly believes in the resilience of every individual to overcome challenging life experiences and in the transformative power of therapy. Laura understands the complexities and hardships that accompany personal growth and healing. She aims to employ empathy and compassion to help guide her clients along their paths to healing.

Sara Macdonald

Clinical Intern

Recognizing life’s inherent challenges, Sara firmly believes in individuals; strengths and resilience to overcome obstacles. She fosters a warm and compassionate environment, passionately working to create a supportive space for children, youth, adults, and families to navigate vulnerabilities while leveraging strengths. Sara is a committed and empathic counsellor,  primarily employing a person-centered approach, supporting clients through cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, biopsychosocial, and trauma-informed lenses tailored to each client’s unique needs.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Sara is a music enthusiast who finds joy in playing and writing music for self-expression. Sara values an active lifestyle with her family and dogs’ contagious energy. Through her multifaceted experiences and genuine warmth, Sara is dedicated to supporting others on their personal growth journeys. With Sara’s experience in Yukon Education, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into her practice

Vishnu Kolothumkattil

MA, C.C.C.

A lifelong resident passionate about uplifting the community he calls home, Vishnu Kolothumkattil has steadfastly devoted himself to guiding individuals through their personal challenges. With nearly a decade in the Social Service Sector, Vishnu’s credentials are a testament to his dedication: a Master’s in Counselling Psychology, a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and recognition as a Canadian Certified Counsellor (C.C.C).

From a young age, Vishnu felt an innate calling to assist others in understanding and navigating their personal challenges. This led to his development of a client-centered counseling approach, deeply influenced by narrative therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), positive psychology, and a strength-based approach. His methods move beyond mere reflective listening to employ a spectrum of therapeutic interventions, each tailored to resonate with an individual’s unique needs.

Vishnu’s commitment goes beyond methodology; it’s rooted in the belief that every individual deserves a life filled with joy, peace, and personal growth. By providing a safe and empathetic space, he offers more than counseling; he provides an environment where personal narratives are honored, challenges addressed, and strengths celebrated. In partnering with Vishnu, clients find both an ally and a guide, ensuring that their journey towards a brighter future is a shared endeavor

Ryan Lane

MACP, Counsellor

Ryan is passionate about working with youth, adults, families, and couples. He works with common presenting issues such as addiction, grief, anxiety, depression, and the overlap of mental health issues. Ryan provides empathetic understanding and mental clarity for clients to explore issues they face with thoughtfulness, kindness, and compassion. Outside of work, you can find Ryan on the Takhini ball fields or the Mount Mac tennis courts most weekends in the summer or enjoying basketball at the Canada Games Center and local rec Filipino and Men’s leagues during the winter.

Ryan grew up in Tagish, Yukon until his family relocated to Whitehorse. He began his career in private group homes working primarily with persons with intellectual and physical disabilities, which led to working in the Intensive Treatment Program for 5 years as a support worker for people struggling with substance use issues. Through professional and personal experience, Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding towards the unique issues surrounding life in the North.

Hailey Birnie

MACP, CCC

Hailey is a certified counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Hailey works with adults, couples, and youth ages 12+.

Hailey was born and raised in the Yukon and after living down south for several years she returned to the Yukon in 2017. She has enjoyed working in Hollywood and has a passion for creating through film, television, and music. She also enjoys spending time outdoors on personal adventures, and professionally while supporting groups and youth.

Hailey has experience and professional training in trauma, addictions, sexual assault, grief/loss, self-harm, abuse, domestic violence, life transitions, separation/divorce, therapeutic recreation activity, wilderness therapy, physical health and wellness, outpatient disordered eating, and workplace and family issues.

Kaitlin Stephens

MA, RCC

Kaitlin completed her Masters of Counselling to become a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Prior to her graduate studies, Kaitlin graduated from Simon Fraser University in Health Sciences with a minor in counselling.

Kaitlin attends to your experiences and emotions by using a combination of approaches. Kaitlin believes that you deserve to fall in love with all of you, managing the highs and lows of life with more self compassion and understanding. She works together with her clients in a collaborative way, holding the space to support and assist with untangling experiences and narratives that need to be explored. This makes room for you to get back on the same team as mind and body. She provides a simple, step-by-step process that can be applied and used.

Therapy modalities that Kaitlin leverages from: Internal Family Systems, EFT, Somatic work, Alderian, CBT, Depth Psychology, Gottman Method

She works with individuals and couples

Kat Roberts

MA, B.ED, MACP, CCC Registered Provisional Psychologist, Canadian Clinical Counsellor

Kat works collaboratively with her clients to help them identify and map out goals to improve relationships, to understand and manage mental health, and to optimize health. She is dedicated to developing person oriented, culturally sensitive and nonjudgemental working alliances.

Kat works with youth, adults, couples and families to support well being through attention to psychological, physical, social and emotional variables that influence how people are able to cope and manage.

Her theoretical approach is eclectic and person centred and her work with clients is influenced by culturally informed, attachment based, psychodynamic, bio-psychosocial, cognitive behavioural, solution focused and trauma informed practices.

Kat has completed a master’s degree in Anthropology through the University of Victoria, a B.Ed degree through the University of British Columbia, and a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology through Yorkville University. She is a registered provisional Psychologist with the Alberta College of Psychologists.

Kat is passionate about travel, outdoor experiences and time with family and friends. She is curious, enthusiastic about learning and supporting others to feel better.

Tayo Adamek

MA, Registered Provisional Psychologist

Tayo is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and has experience working with all ages. Tayo has experience and training in various modalities including Trauma Informed Therapy, EMDR, Attachment-Focused Therapy, CBT, and Mindfulness and Somatic-Based approaches and has experience working with many areas including trauma and PTSD, dissociation, anxiety, depression, attachment, and suicide. Tayo is a Yukoner who draws on his diverse community experience in his clinical work in Whitehorse and northern rural areas.

He believes we hold the ability to heal, improve our lives and find meaning and is honoured to be a part of his client’s journey on this path. Tayo provides an open, safe, collaborative and welcoming space and prioritizes the very important relationship between client and counsellor in his work to tailor his services to meet your specific needs. As a therapist, he works with people in a deeply meaningful and impactful way.

Joseph St.Paul Graham

MC:AT, CCC, RCAT

Joseph Graham is a Canadian Certified Counsellor and Registered Art Therapist who has worked in the Yukon since 2001, originally Scottish and Innu First Nation Ancestry from Eastern Canada.  Joseph helps people and families of all ages to communicate difficult issues and to face their challenges in an inspired and creative way.

Joseph has professional training and experience with individual, couples, group and family counselling on a range of issues including trauma, grief and loss, relationships, transitions, attachment, addictions and meaning making. With compassion and creativity, Joseph offers professional problem solving for people wanting efficient, positive change.