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Play therapy and art therapyVideo game therapyCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)Exposure and response preventionMindfulness-based therapiesFamily and filial therapyCollaborative problem solvingSafety planning and harm reductionBook on JaneWhy parents are part of the work
For a child or teen, the relationship with their parents is the most important one they have known so far. It is the base they grow from, and it is where they bring their hardest feelings, even when those feelings come out sideways.
That is why, whenever possible, I invite parents into sessions. When we work together in the room, new skills are practised with the people who matter most, and new ways of listening and talking can take root at home.
If you are carrying worry or guilt about how things got here, this is not about blame. Parents are doing their best with what they have. Children and youth heal best when the adults who love them feel supported and equipped, and that is what family work is for.
Between-session ideas are short and doable, never a performance. We adjust them together when life gets busy.
Through filial therapy and parent coaching, you learn how to respond to big feelings in ways your child can feel.
When parents see things differently, or a parent and teen keep landing in the same conflict, I use collaborative problem solving to help everyone feel heard and find parenting solutions that work for your family. This is counselling support, not a legal process.
“The most powerful therapist in a child’s life is a parent who feels confident and connected.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
Filial therapy is a play-based approach where the parent becomes the main agent of change in a child’s life. Instead of a therapist working with your child alone, you attend sessions alongside your child, and I coach you as you play together.
You learn specific skills, such as following your child’s lead, reflecting feelings, giving your full attention and setting calm, clear limits. The goal is a stronger relationship, easier communication and a child who feels seen, which often reduces behaviour and emotional difficulties. Family sessions can include siblings and other caregivers.
Filial therapy was developed in the 1960s by Bernard and Louise Guerney, who trained parents to hold special play sessions with their children. It later grew into programs such as Child-Parent Relationship Therapy.
Filial therapy and related parent-child play programs, such as Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, have been studied for several decades, with research finding improvements in child behaviour, parent-child relationships and parent stress. Many studies are small, and more rigorous trials are needed.
Allen, B. (2020). Child-Parent Relationship Therapy for externalizing problems: A meta-analysis and methodological critique. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 5(4), 426–436. link
Cornett, N., & Bratton, S. C. (2014). Examining the impact of Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) on family functioning. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40(3), 302–318. link
Lin, Y.-W., & Bratton, S. C. (2015). A meta-analytic review of child-centered play therapy approaches. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(1), 45–58. link
Bratton, S. C., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & Jones, L. (2005). The efficacy of play therapy with children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(4), 376–390. link
VanFleet, R., Ryan, S. D., & Smith, S. K. (2005). Filial therapy: A critical review. In L. A. Reddy, T. M. Files-Hall, & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), Empirically based play interventions for children (pp. 241–264). American Psychological Association.
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We talk about your family’s strengths and what you would like to change, and I explain how the sessions work.
02
I teach you simple play skills, using demonstration and practice, so you feel confident before using them with your child.
03
You play with your child in session while I coach gently from beside you, noticing what is working.
04
You set up regular, short “special play times” at home, and we review how they are going, so the relationship benefits continue.
“Parents are the experts on their children. My role is to bring perspective, tools and some steadiness.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
Parent coaching is practical, personalised support for the parenting challenges that leave you stuck, worn out or unsure. We look closely at what is happening in your home, and I help you build language, routines and responses that fit your child and your family.
It is not about blame. It is about understanding your child’s needs, strengthening your relationship and giving you skills and confidence to respond calmly. Sessions are for parents, with or without your child present.
Parent training has roots in the work of Gerald Patterson and colleagues in the 1960s and 70s, who showed that teaching parents specific skills could change children’s behaviour. Many programs have grown from this base, with an increasing focus on connection and emotion.
Parent training programs have strong research support. A meta-analysis of programs found that those which teach parents positive interaction skills, emotional communication and consistent responses, and that include practice, tend to work best.
Leijten, P., et al. (2019). Meta-analyses: Key parenting program components for disruptive child behavior. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(2), 180–190. link
Mingebach, T., Kamp-Becker, I., Christiansen, H., & Weber, L. (2018). Meta-meta-analysis on the effectiveness of parent-based interventions for the treatment of child externalizing behavior problems. PLoS ONE, 13(9), e0202855. link
Kaminski, J. W., & Claussen, A. H. (2017). Evidence base update for psychosocial treatments for disruptive behaviors in children. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 46(4), 477–499. link
Kaminski, J. W., Valle, L. A., Filene, J. H., & Boyle, C. L. (2008). A meta-analytic review of components associated with parent training program effectiveness. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(4), 567–589.
Sanders, M. R. (2012). Development, evaluation, and multinational dissemination of the Triple P–Positive Parenting Program. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8, 345–379.
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (BC Children’s Hospital): Empowered Parenting. link
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We talk through your child, your family and the moments that are hardest, and set clear goals.
02
We explore what a behaviour is telling you about your child’s needs, feelings and stage of development.
03
We pick a few practical tools, such as routines, positive attention, emotion coaching or calm limits, and practise them.
04
We check in on what is working at home and refine the plan as your child grows.
“When we join a child’s interests, we show them that who they are is welcome.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
DIR, or Developmental, Individual-differences, Relationship-based, Floortime is an approach that supports children’s emotional, social and communication growth through play and relationship. Its core idea is simple: get down on the floor, meet your child where they are and follow their interests.
I offer Floortime-informed support to parents in family sessions. We look at your child’s strengths, sensory needs and ways of communicating, and I coach you to play in ways that invite more connection and back-and-forth. The aim is not to change who your child is, but to help them feel understood and to build skills for relating, communicating and regulating emotions.
DIR Floortime was developed by child psychiatrist Stanley Greenspan and psychologist Serena Wieder, beginning in the 1980s. It is a relationship-based, developmental approach that puts parents and play at its centre.
Research on DIR Floortime is limited. A small randomised trial in preschool children with autism found improvements in emotional functioning and parent-child interaction, and reviews of parent-mediated, play-based approaches are encouraging, but larger, higher-quality studies are still needed. I describe it honestly, as a relationship-based approach and not a proven cure.
Mercer, J. (2017). Examining DIR/Floortime as a treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders: A review of research and theory. Research on Social Work Practice, 27(5), 625–635. link
Divya, K. Y., Begum, F., John, S. E., & Francis, F. (2023). DIR/Floor Time in engaging autism: A systematic review. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 28(2), 132–138. link
Association for Science in Autism Treatment: Treatment summary: DIRFloortime. link
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare: DIRFloortime. link
Pajareya, K., & Nopmaneejumruslers, K. (2011). A pilot randomized controlled trial of DIR/Floortime parent training intervention for pre-school children with autistic spectrum disorders. Autism, 15(5), 563–577.
Schreibman, L., et al. (2015). Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions: Empirically validated treatments for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8), 2411–2428.
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We look at your child’s strengths, interests, sensory profile and how they communicate.
02
You learn to join in what your child is already doing, as a partner and not an instructor.
03
We practise back-and-forth exchanges, with gestures, sounds or words, so communication grows naturally.
04
We expand play step by step to build more flexibility, emotion sharing and problem-solving.
“Understanding why something happens takes away much of its power to scare us.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
Psychoeducation means learning how emotions, behaviour, the brain and the body work, in plain language. When parents understand why a child is anxious, melting down or withdrawing, the behaviour often stops feeling like a mystery or a personal attack.
I share clear explanations, simple diagrams and handouts matched to your child’s age and needs. Children and teens can learn too, with child-friendly language and activities that help them see their experiences as understandable and workable.
Psychoeducation developed in the 1980s as a way to teach families about mental health conditions, first in work with families of people with serious mental illness. It is now a core part of many programs for children and parents.
Psychoeducation on its own has modest effects, and it works best alongside skills practice. It is a core component of most evidence-based parent and child programs.
Sanders, M. R. (2012). Development, evaluation, and multinational dissemination of the Triple P–Positive Parenting Program. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8, 345–379.
Leijten, P., et al. (2019). Meta-analyses: Key parenting program components for disruptive child behavior. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(2), 180–190. link
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We start with your questions and concerns about your child, and what you have already tried.
02
I share the ideas that matter most, such as how anxiety works, what is typical for your child’s age or how stress affects the body.
03
We link each idea to something you can do at home, so understanding turns into action.
04
When it fits, I help you explain things to your child in words and activities they can understand.
These approaches are part of care for many concerns. Choose one to see how I work with it.
Related approaches
Yes. With toddlers and preschoolers I work in family sessions: you come with your child, and we use play, parent coaching and filial therapy to support big feelings, behaviour, routines and connection at home. Sessions are in person in Vancouver or online across B.C. For toddler behaviour concerns, we start with a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you are seeing.
Not at all. You only need to be willing to learn. I coach with warmth, noticing what you already do well.
Yes. Involving more caregivers helps the whole family respond consistently.
That is common at first. I help you take small steps and make it comfortable, and I can join the play at first.
No. Coaching starts from what you are already doing well and builds from there.
It helps when both parents are involved, but it is not required. One parent making changes can shift the whole family.
It varies. Some parents come for a few sessions, others continue longer. We set goals and review them regularly.
No. It can help any child who would benefit from more connection, communication and emotional growth, including children with ADHD or other differences.
No. Floortime is relationship-based and child-led. It is a different approach from behaviour-focused programs.
Yes. That is the point. I coach you so everyday play becomes part of your child’s development.
It is one part of therapy. Understanding comes first, and then we build skills.
Yes. Children and teens often feel relieved to learn that what they feel is common and understandable.
Diagnosis comes from a physician, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner or psychologist. I explain how conditions work and support you alongside your child’s care team.
Trusted resources
Free, evidence-informed information from Kelty Mental Health at BC Children’s Hospital. These links open in a new tab.
Information on this page is provided by Pamela Wallberg, MA, RCC, Registered Clinical Counsellor. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information and is not a substitute for individual care.
Related: Parents and families · Collaborative problem solving · Play therapy and art therapy