“Every child deserves a space where they feel truly heard.”
A warm place for children and teens to feel understood, build confidence and grow.
Creative, collaborative and evidence-informed counselling with Sian Trombley, Canadian Certified Counsellor and Certified Teacher.
Meet Sian
I believe children do best when they feel genuinely seen — not judged, rushed or treated as a problem to be fixed.
Sian Trombley
Canadian Certified Counsellor
I'm Sian Trombley, a Canadian Certified Counsellor working with children, adolescents and their families in Nanaimo. Before I sat in a therapy room, I spent more than twenty years inside schools — as an elementary teacher, a school counsellor, an administrator and an educational consultant.
That background shapes everything about how I practise. I know what a Tuesday morning actually looks like for a nine-year-old who is anxious about walking into class. I know the difference between a strategy that sounds good in a session and one a family can genuinely use on a hard week.
I am also the founder of Thrive Family Company, where I write parenting education and design resources for families beyond the therapy room. Both parts of my work come from the same conviction: children grow best when the adults around them feel supported too.
20+ years with children & families
B.Ed., MACP, C.C.C.
Canadian Certified Counsellor
“Healing doesn't happen through fixing — it happens through connection.”
How I support children, teens & families
Every family arrives with a different story. These are the areas that come up most often in this practice.
- 01
Anxiety & persistent worry
Understanding what worry is doing, and practising ways to face it that feel possible rather than overwhelming.
- 02
ADHD & executive functioning
Support with organisation, transitions, focus and self-understanding — without framing a child as the problem.
- 03
Emotional regulation
Noticing feelings earlier, naming them accurately and building a wider range of ways to respond.
- 04
School stress & school avoidance
Exploring what makes school hard, and developing gradual, realistic steps back toward it.
- 05
Confidence & self-esteem
Strengthening a young person's sense of who they are, what they value and what they are capable of.
- 06
Friendship & peer challenges
Practising social problem-solving, boundaries and repair after conflict.
- 07
Family relationships
Working with parents and children together to reduce friction and rebuild connection.
- 08
Grief & difficult transitions
Space to process loss, separation, moves and change at a pace that belongs to the child.
- 09
Parenting support
Consultation for caregivers who want practical, developmentally appropriate strategies.
- 10
Adolescent mental health
Collaborative, respectful support for teens navigating pressure, identity and low mood.
“The strongest families aren't perfect — they keep learning, growing and reconnecting.”
A curated therapeutic approach.
Approaches are chosen collaboratively and adapted to each young person. Therapy supports understanding and skill-building; it does not promise a particular outcome.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Helping young people notice and accept difficult emotions, stay connected to what matters to them, and build flexible thinking in the face of challenges.
Mindfulness-based art & play
Encouraging self-expression, emotional exploration and stress reduction through creative activities and mindful play.
Brick-based (LEGO®) therapy
Developmental play
Using structured building play to support communication, teamwork, emotional regulation and problem-solving in a way that feels engaging rather than clinical.
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Rather than treating challenging behaviour as intentional, this approach starts from a simple idea: kids do well if they can. We work together to identify what is getting in the way.
Satir-informed sand tray
A symbolic, sensory approach in which children and teens arrange miniature figures in a sand tray to explore feelings, family dynamics, identity and inner resources. Grounded in Virginia Satir's family-systems work, it lets the client lead while the therapist asks curious, respectful questions that make experience visible and workable.
Therapeutic photography
Visual narrativeHelping young people see their world — and themselves — through a new lens, using image-making as a tool for reflection, expression and insight.
Positive psychology
Focusing on what is strong, not only what is wrong — weaving resilience, gratitude, growth mindset and hope through the therapeutic process.
The practical details
- Ages served
- Children, adolescents and their parents or caregivers
- Session format
- In-person sessions at the Nanaimo office, by appointment
- Location
- Old City Quarter, Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Session length
- 60 minutes
- Current fee
- $150 per one-hour session
- Parent consultations
- Available as standalone sessions or alongside a child's ongoing work
- Availability
- Tuesday to Thursday, 3:30 – 7:30 PM
- Payment
- An email invoice is sent four to five days before the session and also serves as a reminder.
- Cancellation
- Sessions can be cancelled more than 48 hours in advance.
- How to enquire
- Send a short message through the form below, or email info@thrivefamily.co.
All services are provided by appointment. The full office address is shared once an appointment is confirmed.
Support beyond the therapy room
I also created Thrive Family Company, a growing library of therapist-written parenting education, practical tools and thoughtful resources for families.
Thoughtful support, delivered gently
Receive selected Thrive Journal articles, practical parenting insights and therapist-written resources.
Begin the conversation
You are welcome to reach out with a brief description of the support you are seeking and whether the enquiry is for a child, teen, parent or family.
- info@thrivefamily.co
- Practice hours
- Tuesday to Thursday, 3:30 – 7:30 PM
- Location
- Old City Quarter, Nanaimo, BC
This contact form and email are not monitored as emergency or crisis services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Intake forms for parents
These forms help us use our first session well. Please download, complete and return them before we meet. If anything feels unclear, you are welcome to leave it blank and we can go through it together.
- Download PDF
Child & Teen Intake Form (Ages 5–18)
Fillable intake form covering background, concerns and goals for your child or teen.
- Download PDF
Consent to Counselling
Informed consent, confidentiality and limits for the therapeutic work.
- Download PDF
Payment & Practice Policies
Fees, cancellation, payment and privacy policies for the practice.
Printed copies are also available at the office. Forms are reviewed privately and stored according to practice privacy policies.