Alena Lawrence is a PhD candidate in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. She completed her Master’s Degree in the same program in 2021. Alena has provided psychological services at the OISE Psychology Clinic, Toronto District School Board, the Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at Sick Kids, and North York General Hospital. She has provided treatment for children, adolescents, parents, and families experiencing a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, behavioural regulation difficulties, relationship challenges, and trauma. Her training in evidence-based therapies has focused primarily on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Emotion Focused Therapy with Youth (EFT-Y), and psychodynamic relational therapies, though she also draws from skills and concepts associated with other modalities like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Alena draws upon these experiences to collaboratively develop treatment plans with clients that are tailored to the current needs, challenges, strengths, and goals of youth and their families. Alena offers a caring, empathic approach that involves working together at a pace that is determined by the person she is working with and building relationships with her clients that have a foundation of trust and safety.