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
Art Therapy Student
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that combines creative expression with evidence-informed counselling to support emotional, social, and psychological well-being. It offers children, teens, and adults a safe and supportive way to explore thoughts and feelings that can sometimes be difficult to express through words alone.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Art Therapy is that artistic skill is required. In reality, no artistic experience or talent is necessary. The focus is never on creating a beautiful piece of artwork—it is on the creative process itself. Drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, and other art materials become tools for exploration, self-expression, emotional processing, and personal growth.
Art Therapy can be especially helpful for individuals who find traditional talk therapy intimidating, overwhelming, or difficult to engage with. The creative process can reduce pressure, encourage reflection, and help clients better understand their emotions, experiences, relationships, and inner strengths.
Depending on each person's goals, Art Therapy may support:
- Anxiety and stress
- Depression and low mood
- Emotional regulation
- Self-esteem and confidence
- Identity exploration
- Grief and loss
- Trauma
- ADHD and executive functioning challenges
- Autism and neurodivergent experiences
- Social relationships
- School-related stress
- Life transitions
- Burnout
- Parenting challenges
Art Therapy is appropriate across the lifespan and can be adapted to meet the developmental needs of children, adolescents, and adults. Sessions may incorporate art-making, conversation, mindfulness, storytelling, play, or other creative approaches depending on each client's unique needs and therapeutic goals.
At Kids Can Shine, our Art Therapists provide a warm, collaborative, neurodiversity-affirming, and trauma-informed environment where clients are supported in exploring emotions, developing coping skills, building resilience, and strengthening self-understanding.
Whether someone is navigating a difficult life experience, struggling with overwhelming emotions, or simply looking for a different way to explore personal growth, Art Therapy offers a compassionate and creative path toward healing.
Book an appointment - ELORA Location |