Support for children, teens, parents, and families when behaviour patterns are causing distress at home, school, or in relationships. Registered psychologists and supervised therapists offering in-person and virtual sessions across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Conduct Disorder Counselling Is Right for Your Family

You may be reading this because a teacher, doctor, or other professional used the words "conduct disorder" about your child, and you are not sure what to do with that. Maybe the term feels too big, too clinical, or too permanent for what you are seeing at home. Maybe you have been living with daily conflict, aggression, or defiance for so long that you are no longer sure whether this is something that warrants professional support or just a difficult phase.

Perhaps your mornings are consumed by arguments that escalate before anyone has left the house. You might find yourself avoiding calls from the school, or noticing that siblings are becoming quieter to stay out of the way. You may feel like you have tried everything, or you may worry that asking for help means admitting failure as a parent.

These reactions make sense. Parenting a child whose behaviour is persistently difficult is exhausting, isolating, and often misunderstood by people who have not lived it. The patterns your family is dealing with are not signs that you have done something wrong. They are signs that your child, and your family, may benefit from structured support.

This page explains what conduct disorder counselling looks like at Wholesome Psychology, what the research says, and what to expect. If it feels relevant, you can explore next steps at the bottom of the page.

Who We Help

This service may be a good fit for:

• Parents or caregivers seeking support for a child or teenager showing persistent patterns of aggression, defiance, rule-breaking, or conflict
• Families where a school, physician, or other provider has raised the term "conduct disorder" and the family wants follow-up support
• Parents who want to strengthen their responses to difficult behaviour and reduce household conflict
• Adolescents who are open to exploring the patterns behind their behaviour in a safe, non-judgmental setting
• Families gathering information on behalf of a young person who may not yet be ready to attend

This service may not be the right fit for:

• Families in immediate crisis or danger (see crisis resources below)
• Situations requiring a formal psychological assessment or diagnosis. Psychological assessments are a separate service at Wholesome Psychology
• Court-ordered evaluations or forensic assessments, which fall outside this counselling service
• Situations requiring medication management, which is provided by a physician or psychiatrist

Crisis Guidance

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger or a situation cannot be safely managed at home, please contact:

• 911 for immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What This Service Is

Conduct disorder counselling at Wholesome Psychology is a therapeutic service for children, teenagers, and their families. It is not a diagnostic service, a legal process, or a crisis intervention. This page uses the term "conduct disorder" for search and navigation purposes, but counselling is not the same as diagnosis. If your child has already received a diagnosis from another provider, counselling can complement that process. If they have not, counselling can still help your family address the patterns you are seeing without requiring a label first.

The pace of therapy is always set by the client and family, not the therapist. Sessions typically focus on understanding what is happening across home, school, and social settings, identifying triggers and patterns, building skills in communication and emotional regulation, and supporting parents and caregivers with consistent, realistic strategies.

Counselling is different from emergency care, medication management, and forensic or court-ordered evaluation. If a formal assessment, school letter, or court report is needed, that may require a separate service or referral. Therapists will explain confidentiality and its limits at the start of the process, so everyone knows what to expect before sharing anything personal.

Signs That Conduct-Related Concerns May Be Affecting Your Family

You may recognize some of the following patterns in your child or teenager:

• Frequent, intense arguments at home that feel disproportionate to the situation
• Physical aggression toward family members, peers, or property
• Persistent refusal to follow rules or meet age-appropriate expectations
• Lying, stealing, or other behaviours that feel out of character or escalating
• Difficulty maintaining friendships or getting along with peers
• School suspensions, detentions, or regular conflict with teachers
• Withdrawal from family activities or an increasing sense of disconnection
• Emotional outbursts that the child or teen seems unable to control or understand
• A growing sense that nothing you try at home is working

Having these experiences does not mean something is permanently wrong with your child. Many of these patterns reflect difficulty with emotional regulation, communication, or coping with stressors that the young person may not have the language to describe. Structured support can help families understand what is driving the behaviour and build more effective ways of responding together.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Browse therapist profiles or use the Match Tool to find someone with experience in child, youth, and family work. You can also call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for guidance.
• Book your first session. The first session typically covers what is happening now, the context around the concerns, questions about confidentiality and consent, and goals for counselling. For younger children, this session often involves parents or caregivers. For teens, the therapist will discuss how to balance the young person's privacy with parental involvement.
• Build your plan together. The therapist works with your family to create a plan that fits. This might include individual sessions with the child or teen, parent-focused sessions, or family sessions. Plans are always collaborative.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are typically 50 minutes, scheduled weekly or bi-weekly. Frequency can be adjusted as needs change.
• Progress check-ins. The therapist reviews progress regularly with the family. If something is not working, the plan adapts. There is no fixed number of sessions required.

Evidence and Approaches

The following approaches reflect what the available research supports for conduct-related concerns in children and young people. Wholesome Psychology therapists draw on these frameworks and adapt them to each family's situation.

Parent Training and Caregiver-Focused Work

What it helps with: Reducing conflict, improving caregiver consistency, and strengthening the parent-child relationship when a child aged 3 to 11 is showing persistent behavioural difficulties.

Evidence summary: Clinical guidelines recommend structured, social-learning-based parent training programmes as a primary intervention for younger children with conduct-related concerns (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2013). A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials also found beneficial effects of family and parenting interventions on outcomes including reduced institutional time and lower re-arrest rates for young people with conduct disorder or delinquency (Woolfenden et al., 2002).

Limitations: The evidence base is strongest for structured, manualised programmes, and not every programme named in guidelines is necessarily available in every private-practice setting. Individual outcomes vary depending on family circumstances, engagement, and coexisting difficulties.

Family-Involved Counselling

What it helps with: Addressing patterns of conflict, communication breakdown, and behavioural escalation within the family system, particularly when multiple family members are affected.

Evidence summary: NICE guidance emphasises that assessment and intervention for conduct-related concerns should include family and social context, not just the child's behaviour in isolation (NICE, 2013). Research across randomised trials supports the inclusion of parents, caregivers, or the broader family system as a component of effective intervention (Woolfenden et al., 2002).

Limitations: Much of the evidence comes from studies involving families already in contact with justice systems, and findings may not generalize equally to all private-practice populations. Family engagement can vary, and outcomes are influenced by the complexity of each family's circumstances.

Multimodal Approaches for Adolescents

What it helps with: Supporting young people aged 11 to 17 whose conduct-related concerns span multiple domains, including home, school, peer relationships, and sometimes contact with the justice system.

Evidence summary: For older children and adolescents, NICE recommends multimodal interventions that address the young person alongside parents or carers and may include coordination with school, community, and other systems (NICE, 2013). This reflects the understanding that adolescent behaviour patterns are often influenced by multiple interacting factors.

Limitations: Multimodal approaches such as multisystemic therapy require specific training and infrastructure. A private-practice setting can incorporate elements of multimodal thinking, such as coordination with schools and other supports, but may not replicate the full scope of specialised programmes. Families with complex needs may benefit from additional referrals.

What Results to Expect

Recovery and change are not linear. Some families notice meaningful shifts in household dynamics within a few sessions. Others benefit from longer-term work, especially when behaviour patterns are deeply established or when coexisting difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, or family stress are part of the picture.

Factors that influence outcomes include the nature and duration of the concerns, the child's developmental stage, the level of family engagement, the quality of the therapeutic relationship, and the presence of other supports such as school involvement or medical care.

No therapy guarantees outcomes. What counselling can offer is a structured, evidence-informed space to understand what is driving the behaviour and to build more effective ways of responding. If the current therapist or approach does not feel right, changing direction is always an option. Therapeutic fit matters, and the admin team can help find a different clinician if needed.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What is shared in therapy is confidential. All psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and practise in accordance with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. Confidentiality is governed by the Health Information Act (HIA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Alberta's primary privacy legislation for health and personal information.

There are legal exceptions to confidentiality. A therapist is required to break confidentiality when:

• There is a risk of serious harm to the client or another person
• There is suspected abuse or neglect of a child (mandatory reporting under Alberta law)
• A court order requires disclosure

When working with children and teenagers, privacy and parental involvement are discussed early in the process. The therapist will clarify what information stays private, what may be shared with caregivers, and how decisions about disclosure will be handled. These limits are explained clearly during the first session, and you are welcome to ask questions before sharing anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my child have to describe what happened in detail?

No. Therapy moves at your child's pace. The therapist will not pressure a young person to recount difficult events before they are ready. Many sessions focus on present-day patterns, triggers, and skills rather than detailed descriptions of past incidents. For younger children, much of the work may happen through the parent or caregiver rather than directly with the child.

Is what we share kept private?

Yes, with specific exceptions. Therapy is confidential under Alberta's Health Information Act (HIA) and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Exceptions include situations involving risk of serious harm, suspected child abuse or neglect, and court orders. When working with young people, the therapist will discuss how privacy and information sharing will be managed with parents or caregivers. See the Confidentiality and Privacy section above for more detail.

How many sessions will my child need?

There is no fixed answer. Some families find that a short period of focused work makes a meaningful difference. Others benefit from longer-term support, particularly when behaviour patterns have been present for a long time or when coexisting difficulties are involved. The therapist reviews progress regularly and adjusts the plan in collaboration with your family.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters. If you or your child do not feel comfortable with the therapist, the admin team can help find a different clinician within the practice. You do not need to explain why. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can we access therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta using a secure video platform. The same confidentiality standards apply to virtual and in-person sessions. Virtual sessions can be a practical option for families with transportation challenges or scheduling constraints.

Do parents or caregivers usually participate?

Often, yes. The research in this area places significant emphasis on parent, caregiver, and family involvement, particularly for younger children (NICE, 2013; Woolfenden et al., 2002). The exact structure can vary based on the child's age, the family's goals, and the specific concerns being addressed. Some families begin with parent-only sessions before involving the child directly.

Is this page offering a diagnosis?

No. This page describes counselling support related to conduct-related concerns or a diagnosis that may have been raised elsewhere. A formal diagnosis, if needed, is a separate process completed through a psychological assessment with an appropriately qualified professional.

Meet Your Clinicians

Wholesome Psychology's team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. Registered psychologists are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Certified Canadian Counsellors (CCCs) are certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Provisional psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist.

Many clinicians at the practice have training and experience in child and youth mental health, behavioural concerns, family systems, emotional regulation, and parent support. Visit the Our Therapists page for individual profiles, or use the Match Tool to find a clinician suited to your family's needs. You can also call the admin team at 780-904-4880 for guidance.

Children and Youth

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people experiencing conduct-related concerns. Therapists working with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches, adapting their communication style, session activities, and goals to the child's developmental level. For younger children, much of the therapeutic work may involve parents or caregivers directly.

Clinicians also work with caregivers to support the child's broader environment. This can include strategies for managing behaviour at home, communication approaches, and coordination with schools or other supports when consent allows. Related pages that may be helpful include Child and Youth Mental Health, Behavioural Issues, Parenting Challenges, and Emotional Regulation.

Getting Started

If you are considering support for your child, teenager, or family, a practical next step is to browse therapist profiles, use the Match Tool, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880. You can also visit the Getting Started page to learn more about the process, or book a session online.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Starting the conversation is enough.

Phone: 780-904-4880

Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca

References

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (n.d.). Aggression in children and youth. Retrieved May 5, 2026, from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/aggression-in-children-and-youth
• College of Alberta Psychologists. (2023). Standards of Practice. https://www.cap.ab.ca/
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2013). Antisocial behaviour and conduct disorders in children and young people: Recognition and management (Clinical Guideline CG158). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg158
• Woolfenden, S., Williams, K., & Peat, J. (2002). Family and parenting interventions for conduct disorder and delinquency: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 86(4), 251–256. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.86.4.251