Shine Family Wellness
Shine Family Wellness Team
Nicole Gobbi, OT Reg. (Ont.)
Adult Occupational Therapist
Nicole holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology from Western University and a Master's in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked with adult clients of all ages, from young adults to geriatrics, across a variety of health conditions in both community and long-term care settings. She has a strong passion for helping individuals maintain their independence with mobility and daily activities, specializing in seating and mobility assessments, home assessments and modifications, and ADL/IADL strategies to support functional independence. Nicole has extensive experience prescribing mobility aids, including walkers, manual wheelchairs, and high-tech power wheelchairs, ensuring that each client receives the most appropriate equipment for their needs. As an ADP Authorizer, she is well-versed in navigating funding options to help clients access the devices they require. Nicole is dedicated to working closely with individuals to find the best strategies and equipment to maximize their independence and quality of life, making her a valued member of the Kids Can Shine team.
Book an appointment - ELORA Location |
Justin Small, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker (Youth and Adult)
Justin Small is a dedicated registered Social Worker with over 20 years of experience supporting children, youth and adults. He specializes in working with children and youth with exceptional needs, helping families and caregivers navigate parenting challenges, adjust to a child's diagnosis, and manage the complexities of raising a child with special needs. Clients appreciate not only his therapeutic expertise but also his warmth and his sense of humour.
Beyond his work with families, Justin provides compassionate support to adults facing grief and loss, relationship challenges, anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and burnout. He takes a trauma-informed approach, tailoring therapy to each client's unique needs and integrating evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Brief Solution-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
Grounded in empathy and a strength-based perspective, Justin is committed to empowering individuals and families to build resilience, find balance, and navigate life's challenges with confidence.
*Evening and Saturday appointments available.
Book an appointment - ELORA Location |
Janet De Gazon
Registered Psychotherapist
Janet is a Registered Psychotherapist, Child and Youth Worker, and soon-to-be Registered Art Therapist. She holds a Human Services Degree from Athabasca University, an Advanced Child and Youth Worker Diploma from Humber College, and is currently completing the final steps required to become a registered Art Therapist through the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.
Janet has over 15 years of experience supporting children and families in schools, day treatment programs, community-based settings, and counselling environments. She has worked extensively with children who have experienced trauma, abuse, intimate partner violence, anxiety, low self-esteem, emotional regulation challenges, behavioural concerns, and difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings.
Her work is especially child-centred, with a particular interest in supporting neurodiverse and highly sensitive children, including those who are deeply feeling, easily overwhelmed, or navigating OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, and sensory preferences. Janet also supports parents of neurodiverse children, helping them better understand their child’s needs and strengthen connection, attunement, and confidence in the parenting relationship.
Janet integrates art therapy and talk therapy with a mind-body approach to help children understand their feelings, body cues, and inner experiences. She is trained in restorative yoga and incorporates elements of sensorimotor psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) in a developmentally sensitive way. Her approach is grounded in nervous system regulation, accommodations, and a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed lens that is creative, warm, and welcoming.
Janet has a great deal of experience facilitating groups and fostering healthy, attuned parent-child relationships. She is intuitive, creative, and empathetic, and is passionate about supporting children and families in a way that honours each child’s unique needs, strengths, and ways of communicating.
We are thrilled to welcome Janet to the Kids Can Shine Team!
Book an appointment - WATERLOO Location |
Jackie Ferris
Professional Art Therapist & Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Jackie Ferris is a Professional Art Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) providing art therapy for pre-teens, teenagers, and adults in Elora. She supports clients navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, emotional regulation, self-esteem challenges, identity exploration, grief, trauma, and complex social or family relationships. Jackie believes meaningful healing begins by supporting the whole person, not just a diagnosis, and strives to create a warm, accepting space where every client feels seen, understood, and valued.
Born and raised in Centre Wellington, Jackie feels deeply connected to the local community. After studying at Georgian College, she spent more than a decade working in corporate radio broadcasting and marketing in Vancouver before returning to Ontario in 2017 to pursue a career in mental health. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Studio Art with a minor in Psychology from the University of Guelph before completing her graduate-level training in Art Therapy through the Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy.
Jackie's psychotherapy approach is warm, collaborative, and tailored to each individual's unique needs. Drawing from humanistic, relational, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks, she works alongside clients to better understand their emotions, relationships, and patterns while building on their existing strengths. Rather than focusing on diagnoses alone, she is interested in each person's unique lived experience and helping them discover what healing and growth look like for them.
Art therapy offers clients a way to express and process experiences that can be difficult to put into words. Sessions focus on the creative process rather than artistic ability, meaning no previous art experience is ever needed. Through painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, and other creative materials, clients can safely explore emotions, gain insight, strengthen emotional regulation, and develop healthier ways of coping in a supportive, judgment-free environment.
For many pre-teens and teenagers, art therapy provides a comfortable alternative to traditional talk therapy while navigating anxiety, school stress, friendships, family dynamics, identity, and self-esteem. Young adults often use the creative process to explore independence, life transitions, and a stronger sense of self. Adults and parents frequently find art therapy to be a restorative space for managing stress, grief, burnout, and reconnecting with themselves in the midst of life's many demands.
Jackie is passionate about helping clients feel understood, accepted, and empowered to move toward lasting change. She is excited to be a part of the Kids Can Shine team and looks forward to supporting individuals and families throughout Centre Wellington and the surrounding communities.
Book an appointment - ELORA Location |