Hello, I’m Becky! I’m registered psychologist and board-certified behaviour analyst (BCBA) with 20+ years of experience working with children, families, and school teams. At Affinity, I offer three main services: Coaching for parents/guardians and children, psycho-educational assessments, and functional behaviour assessment/behaviour support plan development.

I love helping children (ages 6–12) and their caregivers navigate the ups and downs of big feelings, anxiety, and everyday challenges at home or school. Whether a child is struggling with mild frustration or intense emotional dysregulation, my goal is to help families uncover the “why” behind the behaviour and learn tools that work in everyday life.

Sometimes, families reach out because their child is showing severe or persistent challenging behaviours, such as property destruction, and verbal or physical aggression, at home or school. In these cases, a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) can be very helpful. An FBA involves taking a closer look at what’s happening before, during, and after the behaviours of concern. From there, I create a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP) that outlines clear, compassionate strategies for prevention, response, and skill-building. Together, we identify goals and practical tools that help the child feel safe, supported, and successful across settings.

My role is to help families and school teams uncover what the behaviour is telling us, including what the child needs, what skills they may be missing, and how we can best support them in learning new, positive ways to express themselves.

Hello, I’m Becky! I’m registered psychologist and board-certified behaviour analyst (BCBA) with 2... Read More

Jessica Earle is a bilingual pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three young children. She has been practicing in pediatrics for over 12 years across Canada in settings such as non-profit organizations, hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centres, as well as private practice settings. Jessica has a private practice based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and provides therapy services to children and families in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and virtually in Manitoba. She offers services in the areas of feeding therapy, sensory processing, and attachment-based therapy. Jessica also coaches therapists wanting to expand into early intervention therapy services with an interest in learning about feeding therapy.

Jessica has returned home to the Maritimes to achieve her goal of offering services within a collaborative environment. Dr. Bates creation of the Affinity Group of specialized service providers offering quality services under one roof is inspiring and aligns seamlessly with Jessica’s values as a therapist. When she is away for the office, Jessica enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, camping and exploring with the family, and being able to visit extended family once again.

Jessica Earle is a bilingual pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three young children. Sh... Read More

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Tressa earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Dalhousie University in 2024. She is passionate about supporting preschool and school-aged children in areas such as articulation, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), language disorders, and autism. As a parent herself, Tressa has a special interest in parent coaching, helping caregivers integrate communication strategies into everyday family routines.

When she’s not providing speech-language pathology services, Tressa enjoys chasing after her two toddlers and discovering the best local gluten-free treats.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Tressa earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology ... Read More

Cindy has been practicing for more than 25 years – in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Nova Scotia - working with adults, school-aged children, and preschoolers. Locally, Cindy has worked for the Atlantic Clinic for Communication Disorders, the Public Gardens Medical Clinic, and founded her own practice in 2014 at the Halifax Professional Centre (Cindy Wheeler Speech & Language Services).

Most recently, Cindy has been working as the Registrar for the NS College of SLPs and Audiologists (NSCASLP). Most of Cindy’s expertise is in the area of language disorders – e.g., articulation and phonological delays, apraxia of speech, phonological awareness/reading delays - as well as assessing and forming treatment goals to address functional communication with children on the Autism Spectrum. Cindy prides herself on her ability to relate to children and adults of all ages regardless of their type or severity of speech and language problem. She particularly enjoys working with parents of younger children who are late to talk, coaching them on how to change their interaction strategies to facilitate language. Cindy is bilingual in French and English and has worked in both languages.

Cindy has been practicing for more than 25 years – in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Nova Scotia - w... Read More