Thank you for visiting Relanding Psychological Services!
My name is Val. I’m a registered psychologist in Ontario and the Owner of Relanding Psychological Services.
I’m originally from Blenheim, Ontario and completed my undergraduate degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Windsor. My husband and I moved to Calgary in 2011 so that I could complete my Master’s and PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. We moved back to Chatham-Kent in 2022 and I moved my private practice with me. I have experience in educational and clinical settings assessing and treating children from preschool-age to young adults in university and college. Throughout my clinical experiences, the bulk of my training has been in conducting psychological assessments for children and youth to better understand their needs.
On a personal note, I love spending time with my family, visiting cottage country in the summer, gardening, baking, and going for walks with our Goldendoodle pup.
My Approach
When working with children and youth, it is important to have a good understanding of what their strengths and weaknesses are so that I can help uncover how to best support them. I work towards developing a genuine relationship with children and consider it an honour and privilege to be able to provide recommendations for tools and strategies that may help them overcome barriers they are facing in school or in their everyday life.
I work under the foundation that children and youth don’t need to be changed; they are wonderful human beings just as they are. What needs to change is their environment (i.e. the tools and strategies used by themselves and other adults in their life). In the words of Alexander Den Heijer, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
About “Relanding”
The name “Relanding” comes from the two words that form the foundation of my practice: RELationships and understANDING. Relanding also means “to land again” or “to return to shore after having embarked.”
With this in mind, the name Relanding is a metaphor of your child finding the shore after weathering the storm, or persevering through and trying again after experiencing difficulty. I love getting to know the children I work with, creating trusting, fun, caring, and professional relationships with them, and highlighting their strengths. After learning more about your child through the assessment, counselling, or consultation process, my goal is that you will both walk away with more knowledge and potential tools to help them overcome obstacles that might be getting in the way. I want to help your child “reland!”
Thank you for your interest in Relanding Psychological Services. I look forward to supporting both you and your child!
