Hello, I'm Dimitra (she/hers) and I am excited to be with Daybreak Health. I specialize in working with children and adolescents, with a background in Public Service, Education and Mental Health. I know how difficult it can be to get through school and life, when we struggle with difficult situations and emotions. I am here to help guide you as we all experience difficult moments and together we can find tools that work best for you. My aim is to provide a nonjudgmental, safe space where children and teens feel heard, understood and learn life skills to be empowered. I tailor sessions to address specific needs and utilize traditional modalities such as CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: alongside a holistic approach through various mindfulness techniques. My journey into mental health began as I worked with foster care families for seven years and envisioned a world where we taught children the importance of thoughts, feelings and learning life skills. Transitioning into Education, I innately saw the widespread need of mental health awareness, additional support systems needed for students to learn and thrive. This led me to my greatest passion in School Based Mental Health and Counseling. I love to spend time with those I care for, going to the movies, going to reiki and sound healing. I also love horses and dogs. I love being silly, hearing new jokes and occasionally love my dance parties for one! I love providing Elementary Students and Middle School students with an overview of their thoughts, feelings and behavior connection.By providing some basic psychoeducation, we can then work toward managing the presenting issues. Many children/student’s struggle with emotional regulation and many times psychoeducation and exploring an emotional toolbox increases a child's self-esteem and belief in themselves.I utilize various modalities such as the Zones of Regulation (if approved by Daybreak Supervisor) and mindfulness practices. In relation to a child's academic life we can explore coping strategies and tools to increase functioning and move toward inclusion and making connections. Being at school can be worrisome and even produce anxiety in some students, as they maneuver the classroom, friends and new situations in life. Likewise, life can feel a bit overwhelming. However, we can work toward managing these difficult feelings, by first understanding them and then learning what tools work best for them. I have worked with many students presenting with attention deficit, ASD or other learning disabilities and/or developmental delays. Many times, this translates into feelings of isolation, feeling misunderstood and//or having difficulty in perspectives. Therefore, sessions are utilized exploring various perspectives, discussing flexible thinking and practicing social skills to strengthen new skillsets.