What We Do & Why: A Selcouth Therapy Approach
​
In Practice
​​
-
We center consent, collaboration, and curiosity as the foundation of meaningful therapeutic work.
-
We prioritize autonomy, honouring the child’s sensory, communication, and regulation needs.
-
We welcome stimming, movement, scripting, and alternative communication as valid and meaningful.
-
We hold space for children to show us how they understand the world.
-
We actively center lived experience by learning from neurodivergent adults, professionals, and communities.
-
We support parents in unlearning internalized ableism - navigating the tension between advocacy and acceptance.
At Selcouth, therapy is never something we do to a child - it’s something we do with them. We are grounded in neurodivergent-affirming, evidence-based practices that support safety, relationship, and meaningful growth at each child’s pace. We draw from a range of research-backed frameworks that emphasize connection, autonomy, and developmentally respectful support.
Foundations: What Informs Our Work
Dr. Ross Greene
Collaborative &
Proactive Solutions
We support children in identifying what’s hard and guide them in building meaningful, achievable solutions. This approach helps reduce power struggles by focusing on unmet needs and lagging skills, rather than behaviour alone. We approach challenges as opportunities to build trust, flexibility, and problem-solving skills over time.
Dr. Stephen Porges
Polyvagal Theory
We support children’s nervous systems with sensory strategies, predictability, and safety-first relationships. We pay close attention to cues of dysregulation and adjust our pace, tone, and environment to reduce threat. Regulation is a shared experience - we focus on helping children feel safe in connection (co-regulation) before expecting independence.
Dr. Russell Barkley
Executive Function & ADHD
We use visuals, routines, and external supports to build skills while reducing shame and frustration. Our work emphasizes structure, clarity, and gentle repetition to support working memory, impulse control, and follow-through. We help children and caregivers understand ADHD as a difference in regulation and create systems that work with the brain, not against it.
Dr. Dan Siegel
Interpersonal Neurobiology
We use connection and reflection to support emotional growth, integration, and relationship-based learning. We help children understand their internal states and experiences through gentle, developmentally attuned conversations. We support the ability to notice feelings, thoughts, and needs with curiosity rather than shame.
Dr. Stanley Greenspan
DIR/Floortime
We follow each child’s lead through play, adapting support to their developmental profile and emotional needs. Sessions are grounded in joyful connection, where shared attention and emotional engagement lay the foundation for growth. We join children in their world first then gently expand their capacity for interaction, flexibility, and communication from there.
Dr. Bruce Perry
We build therapeutic relationships that model trust, consistency, and emotional safety.
Our sessions focus on attunement - noticing and responding to a child’s cues with warmth and responsiveness. We support caregivers in becoming secure bases for their children, helping them co-regulate, repair ruptures, and deepen connection over time.