Sophia Fajnerova, M.A.

Associate Psychologist · Registered Psychologist

Client-centred counselling for children, adolescents and adults, plus comprehensive ADHD and psychoeducational assessments for school-aged children and adolescents.

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How Sophia can help

Sophia offers counselling to children, adolescents and adults, and assessments for school-aged children and adolescents. Learn more about ADHD assessments and psychoeducational assessments.

Mood disorders

Anxiety-based disorders

Stress-related concerns

Life transitions and adjustment challenges

ADHD assessments

Psychoeducational assessments

Her approach

Sophia’s treatment philosophy is client centred. She first works with you to establish a safe and comfortable therapeutic relationship.

The work then shifts to a more collaborative effort to determine your reasons for coming to counselling, set goals you would like to achieve, and work together to help you meet those goals.

Sophia provides individual counselling to clients presenting with diverse range of concerns including mood disorders, anxiety-based disorders, stress-related concerns, or life transitions and adjustment challenges. She draws on cognitive-behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, as well as play-based therapeutic approaches, depending on the best fit for each client’s unique needs.

Sophia provides comprehensive ADHD assessments & psychoeducational assessments for school aged children and adolescents who are experiencing challenges in the areas of learning, behaviour, and/or socio-emotional functioning. A psycho-educational assessment evaluates and identifies a client’s strengths and challenges, as well as helps to inform recommendations for both school and home. She strives to use her experience working in the public school system to provide recommendations that are both comprehensive and practical, to best support the client’s needs and success.

Sophia Fajnerova, M.A. is a Registered Psychologist with the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) as well as a member of the Canadian Psychological Association. She has extensive experience and training in child therapy and psychoeducational assessments, and began practicing as a psychologist in 2019.

Methods she draws on

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)Solution-focused therapyNarrative therapyPlay-based therapeutic approaches

Education & experience

Education

M.A., Counselling Psychology

Yorkville University, 2022

M.A., School / Applied Child Psychology

McGill University, 2015

B.A. (Honours), Psychology

University of Calgary, 2013

Registration & experience

Registered Psychologist

Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP)

Member

Canadian Psychological Association

School Psychologist

Halifax Regional Centre for Education and Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education

School settings

Alberta and Nova Scotia

Training

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training

Behavioural Tech: A Linehan Institute Training Company

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Certification Training

Through PESI, presented by Katelyn Baxter- Musser, LCSW, CDBT

Psychological First Aid

Johns Hopkins University

Supporting Children Through a Trauma Informed Lens

Presented by Claire Malcolm, MSc., at the Alberta Play Therapy Association’s Spring Conference

Trauma Competency Training

Presented by Dr. Eric Gentry through the Jack Hirose Association

Dealing with Anxiety Disorders in School Settings

Presented by Dr. Lynn Miller

Publications & presentations

Effectiveness of a classroom mindfulness colouring activity for test anxiety in children.

Carsley, D., Heath, N. L., & Fajnerova, S. (2015). Journal of Applied School Psychology.

Needs satisfaction and dropout prevention in high school students.

Fajnerova, S., Emery, A., Noble, R., & Heath, N. L. (February, 2015). Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.

School personnel’s understanding and managing of students’ anxiety and depression.

Fajnerova, S., De Riggi, M. E., Heath, N. L., Bloom, E., & Roberts, E. (February, 2015). Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.

Mindfulness-based art reduces children’s test anxiety: Fact or fiction.

Carsley, D., Heath, N. L., & Fajnerova, S. (February, 2015). Poster presented at the NASP 2015 Annual Convention, Orlando, Florida.

Navigating multiple cultures in adolescence: Relation between culture, stress and well-being during adjustment to high school.

Fajnerova, S., Gholamrezaei, M., De Riggi, M., & Heath, N. L. (May, 2014). Poster presented at the Development 2014: A Canadian Conference on Developmental Psychology, Ottawa, ON.

Relation between culture, stress and well-being during adjustment to high school.

Fajnerova, S., Gholamrezaei, M., De Riggi, M., & Heath, N. L. (March, 2014). Paper presented at the 13th Annual EGSS Conference, Montreal, QC.

Self-Injury in Young Adolescents: Trust, Communication, and Alienation Difficulties with Peers.

Joly, M., Heath, N. L., Noble, R. N, & Fajnerova, S. (March, 2014). Poster Session presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the Société Québécoise pour la Recherche en Psychologie (SQRP), Montreal, QC.

Does self-focus orientation influence recall of autobiographical memories and subsequent mood in dysphoria?

Fajnerova, S., Quigley, L., Dobson, K. S., & Fedorek, C. (November, 2013). Poster presented at the Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, ABCT, Nashville, Tennessee.

Sophia Fajnerova – Q&A

Who does Sophia work with?

Sophia offers counselling services to children, adolescents and adult clients, and provides ADHD and psychoeducational assessments for school-aged children and adolescents.

What is Sophia’s approach to counselling?

Sophia’s treatment philosophy is client centred. She first works to establish a safe and comfortable therapeutic relationship, then collaborates with you to set goals and work toward them, drawing on cognitive-behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy and play-based approaches.

What assessments does Sophia provide?

Sophia provides comprehensive ADHD assessments and psychoeducational assessments for school-aged children and adolescents experiencing challenges with learning, behaviour and/or socio-emotional functioning, with practical recommendations for school and home.

What is Sophia’s background?

Sophia is a Registered Psychologist and a member of the Canadian Psychological Association who began practicing in 2019. She holds a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Calgary, an M.A. in School / Applied Child Psychology from McGill University, and an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University, and has worked as a School Psychologist for the Halifax and Annapolis Valley Regional Centres for Education.

Book a session with Sophia

Contact us to book a counselling session or assessment with Sophia. The best way is our short contact form: mention that you’d like to work with Sophia, and our team will get back to you to find a time.