Emoticon
Emotions are all around us and they can feel overwhelming.
Emoticon is a therapeutic group program for children to help them identify, understand and regulate their emotions.
This evidence-based program uses games, art, interactive activities, discussions and more to help children reflect on their emotions and learn skills to manage them well.
Your child will leave this group with a better understanding of their emotions and with tools and strategies to positively engage with them.
What is Emotional Regulation and Why is It Important?
Emotional regulation is the process by which someone notices their emotions, identifies what they are feeling and then responds an appropriate and healthy way.
Emotional regulation preserves psychological health and improves quality of life in all areas including healthy relationships, learning and academic performance. Emotional regulation also encourages better personal and social well-being and can help improve self-confidence, empathy and emotional resilience.
When children know and understand what they are feeling and what their emotions are communicating to them, they can reduce and resolve conflicts more easily, better adapt to situations and improve their relationships.
What To Expect from the Emoticon Program
The topics covered in Emoticon are:
Week 1: Parents Night (parents only)
Week 2: Getting to Know Your Emotions
Week 3: Happiness
Week 4: Anger
Week 5: Fear & Anxiety
Week 6: Sadness
Week 7: Guilt
Week 8: Anticipation & Celebration with Parents (parents are asked to attend the last half hour of the closing session with their child)
Emoticon is designed to help both the child and the entire family. This program requires both parent and child participation.
The first session of Emoticon is Parent’s Night. Parents are requested to attend this session without their child to meet the facilitator, hear more about your role as a parent or caregiver and learn some tools to help you support your child. It is also an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
During Parents Night you will also receive more information about how emotional understanding and regulation can impact your child in a positive way and how you can support your child as they learn these skills. Throughout the program, parents and families are also asked to engage in weekly take-home challenges and encourage conversations at home about emotions.
Emoticon is facilitated by a registered social worker, Caroline Henson. Caroline has a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) and is registered with the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
More questions?
Registration Information
We run this program twice a year, in-person at our HOPE Centre.
Fall: Children aged 9-11
Spring: Children aged 6-8
This program is a partially subsidized therapeutic program; a $50 non-refundable registration fee per participant is required upon registration. Additional subsidies are available if the cost of registration is a barrier. Please reach out to our Programs Team to let us know if you require further subsidies.
Due to the therapeutic nature of this group, we cap the number of registrants at 7. We intentionally keep the group sizes small to allow for personalized attention and encourage strong peer connections and meaningful participation for each child.
If you are interested in your child participating in this program, please complete the sign-up form to join our waitlist. A member of our program team will contact you to schedule a short intake call.
Additional Resources
- To find out more about emotions and what they can tell us, read this blog "Emotions: Who Are You?"
- Read more of the blog series on emotions here
- Read about one family's experiences with Emoticon here
I wish this wasn’t the last night!