Providing comprehensive psychological services for children, adolescents, and adults.
Like the birch tree, we know our clients are strong and resilient. With the right support, everyone can flourish.
At Birchwood, every client starts with an initial appointment. This provides you with an opportunity to meet your clinician, find out what services are available to you, and choose the one that makes the most sense for you and your family.
We are located at 1882 Kings Road and would like to respectfully acknowledge that our office is located on the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw.
Jessica Garden
Psychologist
Jessica is a psychologist with Birchwood. She received her Bachelor of Arts with an Honors in Psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in 2011. She went on to complete her Master of Arts in School Psychology at Mount Saint Vincent University in 2014. Once she graduated, she spent six years living and working for a school division in rural Manitoba where she practiced as a School Psychologist, certified with Manitoba’s Department of Education. During her time in Manitoba, Jessica also completed a post-baccalaureate diploma in Education at the University of Manitoba.
Jessica is born and raised in Cape Breton. She returned home in July, 2019, to be closer to family while raising a young family of her own. On her return to the island, Jessica worked with child and adolescent mental health services at Nova Scotia Health. At the clinic, Jessica worked primarily with children and adolescents presenting with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Specific Learning Disorders, and Intellectual Disabilities.
At Birchwood, Jessica continues to focus her work primarily on neurodevelopmental assessment, intervention, and consultation. She also has extensive experience working with clients who struggle with a variety of school-related difficulties including challenges with anxiety, behavior difficulties, and a variety of chronic health conditions.
If you have any questions about Jessica or her work, please phone the Birchwood Psychology office at 902-304-5527.
Leanne Tattrie
Psychologist
Leanne Tattrie is a registered psychologist with over 20 years experience working in the public and private sector. She is a member of the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology (NSBEP) as well as the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS). She has worked in the public school system since 2003 providing a wide range of services for students, parents/guardians and school staff across grade levels. She specializes in psycho-educational assessments and ADHD evaluations as well as consultation in a variety of areas including learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, executive functioning, self-regulation and ADHD.
Leanne has a special interest in helping parents/guardians, school staff and youth understand social, emotional and behavioral strengths and challenges. She is also passionate about helping youth and young adults understand their differently wired brains while highlighting their strengths. Leanne enjoys supporting individuals, families and school-based staff on understanding and supporting self-regulation and is ambitious about sharing the neuroscience around self-regulation and the brain-body connection to well-being.
Leanne offers education (e.g. seminars, professional development, etc.) to groups and individuals around executive functioning, understanding learning disabilities, ADHD, burnout and stress management as well as self-regulation. Leanne is also available for educational consulting and advocacy. Leanne provides service that is client-focused and creates a warm, welcoming environment to ensure that everyone she works with feels at ease and comfortable. When providing services to her clients, Leanne is dedicated to working collaboratively with families and, where applicable, community and school staff.
Tess Carrigan
Clinical Social Worker
Tess is a Registered Clinical Social Worker at Birchwood Psychology. Born and raised on Cape Breton Island, she brings nearly six years of experience from her work in Eskasoni First Nation, where she had the privilege of supporting individuals in their mental health journeys. Tess offers individual and family counselling, with a special focus on trauma work. She is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Tess also works with challenges including depression, anxiety, OCD, anger management, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, life transitions, and emotion regulation. As a WPATH-trained clinician, Tess is also dedicated to providing inclusive, culturally competent care for the LGBTQ2S+ community. She works with clients aged five and up, striving to create a warm, welcoming, and safe environment where individuals feel empowered and heard. Tess believes that every person is the expert in their own life, and she is committed to supporting clients in their unique healing journeys.
Heather Rudderham
Psychologist
Heather is a registered psychologist with Birchwood. She has over eight years of clinical experience in both the public and private sectors. After receiving her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Sofia University in Palo Alto, California, Heather returned home to Cape Breton in 2016 to practice psychology. Heather provides therapy and assessment services for adults, striving to create thoughtful, individualized care that is both evidence-based and trauma-informed. Her approach integrates clinical expertise with a strong commitment to cultural responsiveness and psychological safety. She works in partnership with clients to navigate challenges, build on strengths, and support long-term well-being—not only by addressing distress, but by fostering clarity, resilience, and a greater sense of meaning in daily life.
Heather works with clients aged 16+, providing mental health assessments (excluding ADHD, Autism, and Personality Disorders), assessments for Veterans Affairs Canada, as well as therapy focusing on areas like relationship issues, trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), gender and sexual identity exploration, Depression and Anxiety, life transitions, grief and loss, and anger management.
Danielle Criss
Speech Language Pathologist
Danielle Criss is a speech-language pathologist who is nationally certified with Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC), and is registered with the Nova Scotia College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (NSCASLP). Danielle graduated from Mount Allison University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She then went on to obtain her Masters of Science in Human Communication Disorders- Speech Language Pathology from Dalhousie University in 2008. Upon graduating, Danielle returned to Cape Breton Island where she was born and raised, and began providing full time speech-language services within the public-school system. Having over 15 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of a wide variety of communication delays/disorders, Danielle has been dedicated to creating meaningful and functional goals that incorporate the child’s interests and promote pride and confidence in their communication skills. Danielle has recently begun providing SLP services in the private sector, which has been a truly rewarding experience, as it allows for increased one-on-one contact time with clients and direct face-to-face modelling and training for parents/guardians.
Danielle’s practice focuses on making genuine connections with the child and their family, as she is a firm believer that connection leads to communication. Danielle works with preschool (2+) and school-aged children to provide assessment, therapy and coaching in speech sound production, language development, phonological awareness and pre-literacy skills, augmentative and alternative communication, fluency/ stuttering, social skills development and more. She has experience working with children with ASD and has worked to promote awareness and understanding of the communication differences that are commonly associated with this neurodiverse population. Danielle is a strong advocate for the inclusion of communication supports and opportunities within community and school cultures.
Laura MacNeil
Psychologist
Laura MacNeil is a registered psychologist who practices part-time with Birchwood. She offers assessment (learning and intellectual disorders, ADHD, and autism) and therapy services to children and youth. Laura uses evidence-based treatment approaches, primarily cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which she has advanced training in. She is also a certified provider in Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) and the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: School-Based). Laura particularly enjoys working with neurodiverse populations and youth who are struggling to control their emotions and behaviors.
Laura completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at St. Francis Xavier University (2007) and received her Master’s in School and Applied Child Psychology from the University of Calgary (2010). Laura worked for nine years at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health & Addictions Services clinic of Nova Scotia Health in Sydney, NS. During her time there, she held several different clinical positions, as well as clinic manager for one year. She currently works full-time as a School Psychologist for Wagmatcookewey School in Wagmatcook, NS. Laura has co-authored peer-reviewed articles that have been published in journals such as Infancy and the Canadian Journal of School Psychology. She is most proud of her two children and loving husband.
If you have any questions about Laura or her work, please phone the Birchwood Psychology office at 902-304-5527. If you’d like to book an initial appointment with Laura to determine whether Birchwood is the right fit for you, you can book online or phone the office, Monday to Friday from 8:30AM to 12:30PM.
Bailey Amadio
Office Manager
Bailey is the office manager at Birchwood - the glue that holds us together! She joined this role in 2024, shortly after graduating from Cape Breton University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Bailey handles all of the billing and the scheduling at Birchwood and she is happy to answer any questions you may have about our services.
Booking
To book a service, reach out to Bailey at 902-304-5527 or info@birchwoodassessments.com. Once you confirm your appointment, a client profile will be created for you in our online practice management software called JANE. You will then receive a welcome email with your appointment date/time. Within Jane, clients can request reminders for their appointment or upload credit card information to the section titled, “Credit Cards on File,” to allow ease of payment when the appointment arrives.
Payment
We accept credit card, e-transfer, or cash payments. Assessment fees are broken into two installments. The initial half is charged at the time of first appointment and the second half is charged at the time of feedback. Therapy is billed individually after each session.
Cancellation Policy
Appointments may be cancelled without penalty up to 24 business hours prior to the appointment time. Within 24 hours, clients will be charged the full cost of the scheduled service and will be rebooked as soon as possible.
Fees
Assessments are generally flat rates, while individual therapy ranges from $135.00/hour to $225.00/hour depending on the clinician. All clinicians follow their regulatory body’s recommended rates for service and are comparable to other private practices. For further information on specific services and their associated costs, reach out to Bailey at 902-304-5527 or info@birchwoodassessments.com.
Direct Billing
We are able to direct bill the following insurance companies:
BlueCross, GreenShield, AGA Financial Group inc., Alberta Blue Cross, belairdirect, Beneva, BPA, Canada Life, Canada Life – PSHCP, Canadian Construction Workers Union (C.C.W.U.), Chambers of Commerce (Johnston Group), CINUP (Johnston Group), ClaimSecure, Coughlin & Associates Ltd., Cowan (Express Scripts Canada), Desjardins Insurance, Equitable, First Canadian (Johnston Group), GMS Carriers 49 and 50 (Express Scripts Canada), GroupHEALTH, GroupSource, Industrial Alliance, Johnston Group, LiUNA Local 183, LiUNA Local 506, Manion, Manulife Financial, Maximum Benefit (Johnston Group), MDM Insurance Services, People Corporation, RWAM, Simply Benefits, TELUS AdjudiCare, Union Benefits, and UV Insurance.
If we are unable to direct bill your insurance company, we will provide a receipt for you to submit after payment. Please reach out to your insurer prior to your first appointment to ask about your policy’s coverage.
Assessments
Psychoeducational Assessment
Psychoeducational assessments provide valuable information regarding a person’s academic skills. These assessments include direct testing, a comprehensive report including detailed recommendations, and thorough feedback meeting to review assessment results. Additional follow-up including school observation, school-team meetings, and specific evidence-based intervention are also available.
Our fee for a psychoeducational assessment is $2,925.00.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
An autism assessment typically consists of an initial intake appointment, a standardized parent interview, and a semi-structured, standardized assessment with the client. Additional information may be gathered from direct observations, consultation with daycare and/or classroom teachers, consultation with medical professionals, and other sources as needed.
Our fee for a preschool autism assessment is $2,250.00 while a school-age assessment is $2,700.00.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
An ADHD assessment typically consists of an initial intake appointment, standardized parent and teacher questionnaires, a clinical interview, as well as direct observation. Additional information may be gathered from consultation with daycare and/or classroom teachers, direct observation in additional settings, consultation with medical professionals, and other sources as needed.
Please Note: The total cost of an ADHD assessment varies depending on whether a psychoeducational assessment is required to determine if a learning impairment is the primary source of an individual’s ADHD-type symptoms.
If no psychoeducational assessment is required, our fee for an ADHD assessment ranges from $1,800.00 to $2,250.00 depending on complexity.
Mental Health Assessments
Birchwood also provides thorough and comprehensive mental health assessments for individuals aged 16 and older, including assessments for Veterans Affairs Canada.
*Please note: Adult assessments for ADHD, Autism, and Personality Disorders are not currently provided at Birchwood.
Speech Language Therapy
At Birchwood, we provide expert speech and language therapy tailored to your child’s unique needs.
Through play-based, engaging, and evidence-based approaches, we help children build confidence in
their communication skills. We also help parents/guardians build confidence in their ability to foster
their child’s speech and language development.
In-person and virtual appointments are available. The cost of an initial assessment is $260.00 while subsequent therapy appointments are billed at $130.00 per hour.
Coaching
Birchwood offers individualized coaching, targeting a variety of executive functioning skills, including:
- organization,
- attention,
- planning,
- time management,
- emotion regulation, and
- task initiation.
The clinician will work primarily with parents of younger children and directly with older children and adolescents to set goals, identify strategies to achieve those goals based on clients’ strengths and areas of challenge, and provide ongoing monitoring and support as needed.
1-hour coaching sessions are billed at $140.00.
Consultation
Birchwood also offers consultation services for clients who are looking for services outside of traditional assessment and intervention. These services are often requested following an assessment and/or intervention, and may include ongoing attendance at team meetings, reviewing and updating previous intervention goals, and connecting regularly with family or care workers to support implementation of assessment recommendations.
For more information, contact the office directly at 902-304-5527.
With the right support, all children can 
At Birchwood, every client starts with an initial appointment. This provides you with an opportunity to meet your clinician, find out what services are available for you, and choose the one that makes the most sense for you and your family.
Questions? Let us know by filling out the form below.