Big Emotions Don’t Mean “Too Much”
When children or teens feel overwhelmed — anger, sadness, fear, shame — it’s easy for everyone to feel stuck. Those moments don’t mean something is wrong with them. They mean there is something emotional they need help naming, understanding, and coping with.
At Aruma, we believe in giving young people and caregivers tools to navigate “more than usual” emotions—not to suppress, but to work with them. DBT skills like distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness offer pathways through the hard times. They help kids move from feeling overwhelmed to having strategies to stay grounded, ride the storm, and connect with others without losing themselves.
Meet Kelli Tosh & Jessie Burnie
Kelli Tosh, Registered Psychotherapist
Kelli works with children, teens, and adults who are navigating anxiety that won’t let go, trauma that lives in the body, identity that feels unclear, and self-worth that’s been buried. In her work, she uses tools like CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and creative strategies — but what matters most, she says, is building a relationship where clients feel safe being honest and vulnerable. She also partners with parents, guiding them as they support their child through overwhelming feelings.
Jessie Burnie, Registered Social Worker
Jessie supports kids, teens, young adults, and families through what often feels chaotic: when things are messy, overwhelming, heartbreaking. When a child shuts down, or acts out from intense emotion, or is stuck in anxiety they can’t name — Jessi helps.
Her style honours the messiness: she works with families and individuals to make sense of what’s happening, find meaning, and build more usable coping tools.
Why Reach Out to Aruma?
Because big emotions are often signals, not just behaviour. When we ignore them, things tend to build up (more outbursts; more withdrawal).
Because children and teens deserve to be seen — not dismissed — even when their feelings are intense.
Because caregivers don’t have to do this alone. With guidance, conversations become less about managing crisis, and more about building resilience.
Because skills like emotion regulation don’t just stop the distress — they help young people feel more in control of themselves, more confident, more connected.
If you’ve noticed your child acting differently — more reactive, more shut down, more lost in their feelings — you’re not alone, and you don’t have to wait. Both Kelli and Jessi are available for in-person appointments and virtually through Aruma. We’d be honored to work with your family to help make emotions feel less like overwhelming storms, and more like something we can navigate together.
Want to book?
Reach out to Aruma via our contact page or email info@aruma.ca, tell us a little about what you’re seeing, and we’ll help match you with the support that fits best.