Therapy Groups for Kids in Durham Region: What We Actually Teach (Grades 1–9)
- Dr. Fountain and Associates
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Most parents don’t sign their child up for a therapy group because they want their child to “learn concepts.”
They do it because something isn’t clicking.
Maybe their child is struggling with friendships. Maybe school feels harder than it should. Maybe emotions escalate quickly, or shutdown happens just as fast.
And even after joining a group, many parents still wonder:
“What are they actually doing there?”
This is a fair question and an important one.
Because what happens in a well-structured therapy group isn’t random. It’s built intentionally, week by week, to help children understand themselves, understand others, and move through social situations with more confidence and less frustration.
What Makes These Groups Different
All three of our therapy groups follow the same core structure, adapted by age:
After School Group (Grades 1–3)
Pony Tails Group (Grades 4–6)
Horse Power Group (Grades 7–9)
The activities may look different across age groups, but the underlying progression stays consistent.
We’re not just helping children “practice social skills.” We’re helping them understand why situations feel difficult in the first place, and what to do about it.
How the Groups Are Structured (What Actually Happens Week to Week)
Rather than focusing on isolated behaviours, the groups follow a progression that builds over time.
1. Understanding Thoughts and Feelings Everything starts here.
Children begin by learning that:
Thoughts and feelings are connected
Emotions show up in the body
Everyone experiences things differently
This may sound simple, but it’s often the missing piece.
If a child can’t identify what they’re feeling or thinking, they can’t regulate it — and they definitely can’t explain it to others.
2. Learning the “Group Plan”
One of the most important shifts happens when children begin to understand the difference between:
What they want to do
What the group needs to do
This is introduced through the idea of a group plan.
Instead of constantly correcting behaviour, we help children recognize:
When they are aligned with others
When they are doing their own thing
How that impacts how others feel
This is where peer dynamics start to improve.
3. Reading Social Situations
From there, we move into something many children struggle with but is rarely taught directly:
How to read what’s happening around them.
This includes:
Paying attention to what others are doing
Noticing body language and context
Understanding what someone might be thinking
We refer to this as “thinking with your eyes”, not just looking, but interpreting.
4. Body Awareness in Social Settings
Social interaction isn’t just verbal.
Children also learn:
How physical proximity affects others
What it means to be “in the group” vs disconnected
How nonverbal behaviour sends messages
This helps bridge the gap between knowing something and actually doing it in real time.
5. Listening and Engagement
Many children are told to “listen,” but not shown how.
We work on:
Whole-body listening
Being present in conversations
Responding appropriately in group settings
This isn’t about compliance — it’s about connection.
6. Understanding Social Expectations
As children grow, they begin to learn about:
“Hidden rules” in social situations
Expected vs unexpected behaviours
How actions affect how others feel
These are the things most people pick up naturally; but not all children do.
Making these rules visible reduces confusion and frustration.
7. Making “Smart Guesses”
Social situations are unpredictable.
So instead of memorizing rules, children learn how to:
Observe what’s happening
Combine that with what they already know
Make a smart guess about how to respond
This builds flexibility instead of rigidity.
8. Flexible Thinking
Not everything goes according to plan.
Children are supported in learning:
How to shift when things change
How to tolerate frustration
How to adapt to different people and environments
This is especially important for children who tend to get “stuck” in one way of thinking.
9. Understanding the Size of the Problem
One of the most practical skills we work on is helping children match their reaction to the situation.
They learn that:
Problems come in different sizes
Emotions come in different sizes
Reactions should match the situation
This helps reduce overreactions, shutdowns, and ongoing conflict.
Why This Approach Works
Most social and emotional struggles aren’t about a child being unwilling.
They’re about a child not having the framework yet.
When you break things down this way:
Situations make more sense
Reactions feel more manageable
Confidence begins to build naturally
Instead of constantly correcting behaviour, we’re helping children understand what’s happening and giving them tools to navigate it.
The Role of Structure and Repetition
All of our groups are:
Clinician-led
Small in size
Structured and predictable
This matters more than people think.
Children don’t learn these skills from a single conversation. They learn through:
Repetition
Practice
Seeing how things play out in real time
That’s what group therapy provides.
The Added Layer: Equine-Based Learning
In our Pony Tails and Horse Power groups, equine-based activities are integrated into the process. Working with horses adds something that’s hard to replicate in a traditional setting:
Immediate feedback
Nonverbal communication
Opportunities for responsibility and confidence
For many children, this makes the learning feel more real, more engaging, and easier to apply.
Which Group Is Right for Your Child?
Each group is designed to match developmental stage:
Grades 1–3: Focus on early emotional awareness, basic social skills, and classroom readiness
Grades 4–6: Builds confidence, responsibility, and deeper peer interaction skills
Grades 7–9: Supports identity, communication, and more complex social and emotional challenges
While the activities differ, the goal is the same: helping children feel more capable, more understood, and more connected.
A Final Thought
Many children don’t struggle because they aren’t trying.
They struggle because the expectations around them are complex — and often unspoken.
When those expectations are broken down, practiced, and understood, things start to shift.
Not overnight. But consistently.
And for most families, that shift is what they’ve been hoping for.
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