Child therapy for anxiety, anger and behaviour at school.

For children ages 3 to 12
Play therapy, art therapy and CBT
No waitlist, accepting new families
First session free, a full hour
Screen-free, year-round, indoors and out
On a farm property in Richmond Hill

Special offer: Your first session is free: a full hour to see the place, meet the therapist and decide.

Book your free first session 437-331-1006

Three children in winter coats out in the snow-covered meadow, treeline behind them. — First snow, December

Children in aprons at a long table, peeling limes and chopping vegetables in the indoor kitchen. — The cooking class, indoors

Three children in sun hats leaning on a fence, watching two horses graze in the meadow beyond. — The horses, July

What we offer

Therapy and sessions for children 3 to 12

Every session is led by a therapist who works with children, indoors in our activity rooms and outdoors on the property. Not sure which one fits? That is what the free first session is for.

Ways we work

Play therapy

For children who show you what is going on before they can tell you.
- Big feelings that arrive faster than words
- Too young to talk it through
- Something changed at home and it shows in behaviour
Art therapy

Making something is often easier than explaining it.
- Worry that is hard to put into words
- Prefers doing to talking
- Working through a change or a loss
Cognitive behavioural therapy

Practical tools for worry, and for thoughts that keep circling.
- Anxiety and worry that gets in the way
- Thoughts that will not settle at bedtime
- Trouble at school, or getting out the door to it
Screen addiction

For families where screens have taken over more than they want.
- On a screen every spare minute
- Meltdowns when the screen goes off
- Barely gets outside any more
Nature-based therapy

Sessions outdoors, for children who settle better on the move.
- Restless, and needs to move to think
- Settles better outside than sitting down
- Wants time away from screens and noise
Yoga & mindfulness

Movement and breathing, taught on site by a certified instructor.
- Winds up faster than they can wind down
- Difficulty settling the body
- You want a calmer end to the day at home
Cooking & practical skills

Real work with the hands: cooking, growing things, making things.
- Confidence that comes from doing something real
- Following steps and finishing what they started
- Working alongside other children

What you can book

One-to-one child therapy

Individual sessions, 50 minutes, indoors or outside.
- Anxiety, worry, or trouble at school
- Big feelings and meltdowns
- You are on a waiting list somewhere and it is months long
Group sessions

Five children at most, no screens, led by a therapist.
- Making friends has been harder than you expected
- Finds other children hard going
- Other classes or sports have not held their interest
Parent & family support

Sessions for parents and families, with or without your child.
- Bedtimes, transitions and screens have taken over the evening
- You and your partner handle the same behaviour two different ways
- You would like support for yourself, not just advice
Weekend nature sessions

Weekend time on the farm, with the same small groups.
- Weekends work better than weekdays
- You want a proper stretch of time off a screen
- You would like to try the group before taking a regular place

Our space

A look around

Every photograph here is of this place and of real sessions, across the year. Tap any one to see it larger.

Two bay ponies standing at a weathered timber fence, paddock stretching behind them.

Children climbing the ladder into the timber treehouse built between two trees.

Two white goats walking across the grass in front of the barn, children by the pen behind them.

Two children sitting at the edge of the pond, willow branches hanging over the water.

Two children in bright waterproofs beside a small fire ringed with stones, golden leaves covering the ground.

Two children and an adult examining a tray of stones on a weathered picnic table beside the treeline.

A child crouched among tall wildflowers and daisies, reaching toward a bloom.

Two children playing in a sprinkler on the lawn beneath canvas hanging seats slung from the trees.

Every session, start to finish

How a session runs

One-to-one and group sessions run differently. Both happen indoors and outdoors, and both keep the same shape every time.

A one-to-one session

Fifty minutes, one to one with the therapist, in the activity rooms or outdoors.

Settling in

Your child arrives and we catch up on how the week has gone. Together we choose where to work and what to start with.
The work

The main part of the session, using play, art, CBT or time outdoors. We choose the approach for your child and adjust it as we learn what helps.
Finishing up

We close the session together so nothing is left hanging, then take a few minutes with you to say how it went and what to carry into the week.

A group session

Three stages, the same every time, so children know the shape of it before it starts.

Illustrated map of the Willoway property showing the trail looping between three marked stops: Breathe at the indoor room, Bloom at the garden, and Belong at the covered group space.

Breathe

Every session opens with a sharing circle: how everyone is feeling, and what they would like to do that day. Then around thirty minutes of free play, then indoor yoga and meditation. Screens stay away for the whole session, and a group of five means nobody has to settle on anyone else’s schedule.
Bloom

The heart of the session, and where most of the work happens: a nature-based activity that might be games, a creative project, building something, or gardening. Cooking is always there as an option for the children who want it. We are in it with them rather than watching from the edge, so the therapeutic work happens inside the activity rather than in a conversation about it.
Belong

The part that makes the rest of it work. Five children at most, grouped by age so nobody is the odd one out, seeing the same faces each session. Making friends is the point here rather than a side effect of it, and it is usually what your child tells you about in the car.

Meet Masoud

Masoud Ahmadi

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
More than 8 years working with children
Play, nature-based and art therapy, and CBT

The same person, every session

Masoud leads every session himself. Groups are capped at five so he can genuinely know each child: how they are getting on, what kind of week they have had, and what helps when it gets hard.

Sessions draw on play therapy, nature-based therapy, art therapy and CBT, chosen to suit the child rather than applied as a fixed programme. Parent and family support runs alongside, because most of what changes at Willoway has to keep working at home.

From parents

What parents tell us

Reviews left on Google, unprompted. Excerpted for length; nothing else is changed.

My child really enjoyed the nature-based program at Willoway Centre. I loved that the activities were screen-free and included outdoor play, mindfulness, creativity, and lots of time in nature. It felt very warm and welcoming.

Dorsa Ayubi Google review
This nature centre has been an amazing place for my family! My kids absolutely love spending time here, exploring the trails, learning about animals, and connecting with nature in such a fun and educational way.

Olawumi Akanbi Google review
I send my daughters to this Nature Centre every weekend, and it’s been such a wonderful experience. Having a farm with horses, chickens, and goats is an amazing idea, and it makes the place so unique.

Nitasha Sehgal Google review · Local Guide
What they loved most was having the treehouse in the middle of nature. It gave them a space to imagine, play, and just be themselves. It felt like a real stress reliever for them.

J P Google review
The nature-based activities, such as horse therapy, birdwatching, and sensory games, were especially valuable for our clients with special needs. The staff were exceptionally kind, professional, and well-trained.

Mentally Google review · Partner organisation

Questions parents ask

How does the programme actually work?

Start with the free first session, a full hour here at no cost. If the group is the right fit, your child joins a group on a set day, with the same five children and the same practitioner. There is no term, no intake assessment and no minimum block to commit to: families stay as long as it is working, and we would rather tell you it is not than keep you booked.

What do the children actually do?

Every session opens with a sharing circle, then free play, then indoor yoga and meditation. After that comes a nature-based activity, which might be games, a creative project, building or gardening, and cooking is always available for the children who want it. It varies with the week and the weather, and it is always hands-on. Nothing is screened, nothing is a worksheet, and no child is made to join in before they are ready.

Where are you, and where do I park?

We are at 11951 Yonge St, Richmond Hill. Drop-off and pick-up happen at the property itself. Parking is on site, though there are only four or five spaces, so please leave a little room in your timing.

Map showing Willoway Centre on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill.

11951 Yonge St, Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3N9

Get directions

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

What happens when the weather is bad?

The session runs. We have several indoor activity rooms, and the outdoor green space connects to a wooded area that stays usable in most conditions. Children come in whatever the day needs: layers, boots, a change of socks. The programme does not pause for a season.

My child is shy and takes a while to warm up.

That is common here, and the group size is the reason it tends to work. With five children at most, a child who watches for the first two sessions is not lost in a crowd, and nobody is asked to join in before they are ready.

How many children are there?

Group sessions are capped at five children, grouped by age, and no more than ten children are on the property at any time. That is a limit on the site, not a marketing number. We refer families we cannot accommodate to a partner practice rather than making the groups bigger.

Is this therapy or an after-school activity?

The group sessions are led by a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and are built around regulation, attention and playing alongside other children. Whether your child would be better served by the group, by one-to-one sessions, or by neither, is exactly what the free first session is for.

What should my child bring?

Clothes that can get muddy, closed shoes, a water bottle and a snack. Layers in the colder months. Everything else is here.

What actually happens at the free first session?

An hour here, at no cost. You see the place, meet the therapist, and talk through what is going on. We say plainly whether we think Willoway is the right fit, and if it is not, we will tell you that and point you somewhere better. There is nothing to commit to afterwards.

What does a session cost?

$110 for a 50-minute session. Your first session is free and runs a full hour, so you can see the place and decide before paying for anything.

Is therapy covered by insurance?

Psychotherapy is covered by most extended health benefit plans, whether through a workplace or a private plan. We give you a receipt after every session to submit to your provider. Plans differ, so it is worth checking yours before your first paid session.

Is there a waitlist?

No. We are accepting new families now, and we reply to enquiries within one business day.

What ages do you work with?

Children aged 3 to 12, and their parents.

Do sessions happen indoors or outdoors?

Both, all year. There are several indoor activity rooms as well as the outdoor space and the wooded area beyond it. Which we use depends on the child and on the day, not on the season. A child who does better inside is not pushed outdoors, and the other way round.

My child is on a screen constantly. Can you help with that?

Every session here happens off devices, and for a lot of families that is the part they notice first: a stretch of time where their child is using their hands and nobody is negotiating about the tablet. We also work with parents on what happens at home.

Come and see whether it fits

Start with the free first session: a full hour here, at no cost. If Willoway is right for your child, we will talk about what comes next. If it is not, you will have gained an honest answer.

The first session is a conversation, not an assessment. It applies to any session type, including a group session.

Request your consultation

Tell us a little about your child. We will call you back within one business day.

Your first session is free: a full hour to see the place, meet the therapist and decide.

Child therapy for anxiety, anger and behaviour at school.

Play therapy

Art therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Screen addiction

Nature-based therapy

Yoga & mindfulness

Cooking & practical skills

One-to-one child therapy

Group sessions

Parent & family support

Weekend nature sessions

A one-to-one session

Settling in

The work

Finishing up

A group session

Breathe

Bloom

Belong

The same person, every session

Questions parents ask

Come and see whether it fits

Request your consultation