Dr. Sarina Kot is pleased to provide a range of services to meet the needs of your child and family.
Services are offered in English, Mandarin & Cantonese.
我可以說廣東話和普通話
Areas of Practice
Child Behavior
Parenting Issues
Approaches Used
Adlerian Therapy
Adoption Counselling
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Play Therapy
Separation/Divorce
The whole family is affected by parents’ separation/divorce. While most children are resilient and adjust to the changes with parents’ support, some children need therapy in this transition. Therapy provides a neutral place for children to process their experiences and feelings. Dr. Kot would gain an understanding of your child/children, identify concerns and help your children cope. In some cases, therapy affirms your children’s healthy coping and reassures parents that the children are okay.
Anxiety
Anxious children are usually very observant and sensitive. It is like that they have an over-sensitive smoke detector that would go off when there is only some steam and no fire. Dr. Kot helps children practice effective tools to manage their worries and gain mastery. Parents are usually invited to participate for part of the session to learn the tools. Parents can then be the calming coaches in the child’s daily life.
Trauma
Unfortunately, terrible things sometimes happen in a child’s life. Tragedies such as the death of a parent and other traumatic event would call for child therapy and consultation for caregivers. Dr. Kot brings her 20 years' experience in BC Children’s Hospital working with traumatized children to provide sensitive and knowledgeable service. She creates an emotionally safe relationship for children to process the tragic event and regain a sense of safety. She also works with caregivers on talking to children about the tragedy and supporting children through the aftermath.
Adjustment to new country (Immigration)
Change is a part of family life. Some children act out (some other children withdraw) when they are struggling with adjustment to a new environment. Looking through the children’s eyes, moving to a new country (e.g. immigration to Canada) may result in a temporary loss of sense of belonging, security, and competence. Being an immigrant herself, Dr. Kot brings her bilingual and bicultural skills to her psychological treatment. Dr. Kot speaks Cantonese and Mandarin.
Through contracts with the Burnaby School District, Dr. Kot has designed and delivered programs to support refugee and immigrant children and their families. The program she designed has received an award from the Office of the Representative of Children and Youth in 2013.
Adoption
Some adoptive children have had a difficult early home environment with abuse and neglect issues. Children who have been abused have found creative ways to cope in a hurtful environment (e.g. being withdrawn to avoid being noticed and hurt). These "creative" ways are no longer necessary for survival in the adoptive family. Adoptive parents are sometimes frustrated and confused by these ineffective ways of coping. Having 20 years experience as a psychologist in the field of child abuse and neglect through her work at BC Children’s Hospital is an asset that Dr. Kot brings to the work with adoptive families. She provides parent consultation, therapy for the child, and child-parent relationship therapy to support healthy functioning in the forever family.