Meet the Creator of Bloom Stacey Coene

Website: have learned so much from and who have always encouraged me. They showed me that we are all capable of more than we give ourselves credit for. I wouldn’t have started my own practice if it hadn’t been for the confidence I gained through those relationships.

Why did you decide to start Bloom?

I have a masters degree in social work and have been providing counselling therapy to kids and their parents for the past 18 years. During this time I have worked in many publicly funded settings including mental health agencies, hospitals, and schools. Due to many funding and resource constraints, myself and many other clinicians in the system often found ourselves stuck having to use a reactive, or ‘band aid’ approach, in our interventions, rather than proactively helping kids and teens establish good mental health before they go into crisis. Wanting to break that cycle, I decided to start my own practice to help meet the needs of the Lakeshore community in more proactive ways. I also had many amazing mentors during my career who I

What ages can benefit from Bloom?

Bloom is a counselling clinic specializing in children and teens, offering a variety of services to promote positive mental health. We provide child therapy sessions (ages 6-11 yrs); Teen therapy sessions (ages 12-21); and parent consultations. We offer these both in-person and virtual. We are also looking to run groups in the future!

While planning Bloom, where did you draw inspiration? What did you want to incorporate?

1 in 5 youth experience a mental health difficulty and the data has shown an increase in these concerns during the pandemic. More and more, mental health is becoming a parent’s biggest concern. The research shows that adulthood, and yet wait lists for mental health services for kids in Ontario have more than doubled in the last five years. Only those kids who are at risk are being seen in a timely manner, leaving many others waiting for help until they go into crisis. Because of this, more and more families with access to extended health benefits are choosing to use private counselling services. This is where we come in. We are filling that gap by providing effective psychotherapy to address many common mental depression, anxiety, academic stress, ADHD, friendship troubles, grief/loss, etc. My vision health concerns including is to create a community where all children and youth have the skills to understand and navigate emotions to live their best life without stigma. We offer a non-judgemental and confidential space to engage in mental health literacy and social emotional learning skills through evidence based therapeutic interactions. All of our Bloom therapists are highly trained and qualified to use these interventions, but we provide this in a very laid back and comfortable atmosphere. When planning the space, I wanted people to have the same feeling as hanging out in their living room, not like at a doctor’s office. For families who are curious about what our space looks like, we have a video preview on our website. When coming up with a name for the practice, the bloom analogy perfectly captured what I wish for kids. Walking into our front doors the first words you see on the wall are: sively in counselling for children and youth. We also have Juno, our therapy dog, that sometimes joins in on sessions to help serve as a calming, engaging, and comforting ally in exploring emotions and solving problems.

What are some tools or advice you can offer someone that is struggling or feeling stuck?

When they come to Bloom, children and parents will be drawn in by our welcoming environment and will leave with strong roots for dealing with life’s adversities. We believe providing youth with small opportunities for growth can lead to big changes! When taking the steps to start my practice, I gained a lot from the advice and experience of other successful local entrepreneurs, including Brandon and Krista at Kersey’s Kickboxing. Not only do they motivate their members in reaching fitness goals, but they also encourage other entrepreneurs and genuinely want to see them succeed.

Was there something special that you included that other centres may not?

We are the only private practice in the area that specializes exclu-

Lean in. Don’t be afraid of big emotions. We have evolved to have feelings for a reason. They are there to give us signals about what we need. So when you notice you are experiencing a big emotion, be curious about it! What is it trying to tell you? You don’t have to like it or agree with it to accept it. And remember, feelings are just visitors. They come and go. They are temporary. If we spend all of our energy avoiding or distracting ourselves from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, we have less time to move towards what is truly important to us and we get stuck. Therapy is a great opportunity to set time aside to focus on what you need and come up with actions to live your best life. Parents can model this for their kids and create opportunities for them to lean into their emotions by encouraging them to be mindful and curious.

What is your favourite aspect of Bloom?

The best thing about Bloom is our physical space and our therapists. Youth who come to Bloom after attending other places have commented that our offices are much more inviting and comfortable. They also say that our therapists make them feel valued and heard. I am inspired by the daily interactions I have with kids and their parents. It’s so amazing to see people taking a proactive approach with their mental health and to witness how resilient kids are! I feel honoured to be a part of kids’ journeys towards living their best life!

What misconception would you clear up or what do you want people to know? Anything else you want people to know?

Mental health IS health! Going to therapy should be as normal as going to the dentist. At the end of the day we are inviting kids and families to join us in ending the stigma around getting mental health treatment, and we want to normalize using therapy as a part of self care. We have daytime, evening, and weekend appointments. Parents who have questions can call us at 519-5679067 or go to our website to book an appointment.

Location

Lakeshore Oasis Town Centre 120-486 Advance Blvd.

Tecumseh, ON (on the corner

Patillo Road and County Road 22)