Wellness. Wherever you are.
Virtual psychological services empowering young minds to take charge of their mental health.
Connected Mental Health with Dr. Yamada
At Connected Mental Health, I strive to provide compassionate and effective virtual therapy for children, teens, and transitional aged youth in British Columbia and Ontario. My goal is to offer accessible, evidence-based mental health care that supports young people in building connected, meaningful, and authentic lives.
About Me
Dr. Sam Yamada, CPsych.
Welcome. I'm Dr. Sam Yamada, a child and adolescent clinical psychologist registered in British Columbia and Ontario. I am also registered as a mental health provider with the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. I am grateful to currently reside on Lək̓ʷəŋən Territory working in the Greater Victoria Area in B.C.
My experience and qualifications include a PhD in Clinical-Developmental Psychology from York University and a Master's of Education from Harvard University. My career has included working with young people in a variety of settings—including hospitals, live-in programs, community-based outpatient services, schools, private practice, and wilderness therapy. I also have experience with program development, program evaluation, and helping to co-found a live-in program in Ontario for young people dealing with mental health and addiction.
My Approach
My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practice. I bring curiosity and compassion to understanding how many factors interact over time to shape our development, strengths and challenges. Within the context of a strong therapeutic relationship, I blend insight and skills-based approaches to help you move towards your goals. I believe wellness starts with identifying what “living a good life” means to you. We then work to align your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and relationships with that vision.
My practice is grounded in evidence-based methods including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). These approaches teach skills to strengthen awareness, emotion regulation, problem-solving, behaviour change, communication, and relationships.
I focus on helping young people be more present with themselves, with others, and in the world. This includes learning to tolerate difficult moments and emotions as skillfully as possible.
We examine unhelpful patterns with curiosity and compassion. The path forward is considered within the context of development, culture, and other broader systems that affect all of us.
Services
Virtual Therapy for Young People
I support young people with a wide range of concerns including: anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, ADHD, low mood/depression, emotion regulation difficulties, stress and overwhelm, stressful life experiences, self-esteem, and school or peer-related concerns.
Parent and Caregiver Support
My focus with parents and caregivers is to help frame their young person's emotions and behaviours within the context of development and any relevant diagnoses. I then aim to strengthen connection by coaching skills in validation and communication. Additionally, I help parents to support generalization of specific CBT and DBT skills at home. For children and younger teens I may invite caregivers to sit in on sessions or I may work exclusively with caregivers depending on the developmental needs of the young person.
Rates
My current rate for a 50 minute session is $235
For individuals who have benefits coverage under the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia, I am able to offer direct billing to the insurance provider so no payment is required from you.
Ready to get started?
The first step is to book a free 20-minute consultation with me. During our call, you will be invited to share more about your concerns and we can figure out whether or not I might be a fit for you and/or your family.
