Services
Teen therapyAnxietyOCDDepressionParents and familiesSelf-harm and suicidal ideationStress managementDifficult life transitionsApproaches
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 Jane“When a child plays, they are telling me the story of their inner world. My job is to be a safe audience.”
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Understanding the approach
Play is a child’s first language.
Young children often cannot explain what is troubling them, but they can show it through the stories they act out, the figures they choose, the way they play and the pictures they make.
In play therapy and art therapy, I create a safe, predictable space and follow your child’s lead, so feelings that are hard to say can be expressed and understood. I use traditional play tools such as the sand tray, dollhouse and figures, along with drawing, painting, clay and collage, and I also offer video game therapy, where a shared game becomes a way to build trust, notice how a child handles frustration and talk about what matters to them. No artistic skill is needed, and the focus is on the process, not on making something polished. Once a feeling is on paper or in the play, it can be looked at, changed and talked about at a safe distance. Older children and teens often prefer games, art or activities to face-to-face talking.
Child-centred play therapy grew out of the work of Virginia Axline in the 1940s, who built on Carl Rogers’ person-centred ideas, and was later developed by Garry Landreth and others. Art-based therapy developed in the 1940s and 50s through pioneers such as Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer, who saw that creative expression could reveal and soothe feelings that words could not. Today both are used with children around the world, in schools, hospitals and clinics, often combined with parent involvement.
Reviews of the research find that play therapy helps children with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties, with benefits seen across many studies. For art-based therapy, a review of 13 studies found it can be effective with children, including those affected by trauma and those with special education needs, and a review of school-based programs found benefits for anxiety, self-concept, problem-solving and emotional and behavioural difficulties. Both reviews note that research with children is still limited and that many studies are small. Video game therapy is newer. Reviews of randomised trials suggest that therapeutic games can help children and teens with conditions such as ADHD, autism and anxiety, but much of that research tests specific game programs, so the evidence is promising and not yet conclusive. I use play, art and games to build connection and engagement, alongside methods with stronger evidence, and match them to your child’s interests, not as stand-alone treatments.
Ray, D. C., Armstrong, S. A., Balkin, R. S., & Jayne, K. M. (2015). Child-centered play therapy in the schools: Review and meta-analysis. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 107–123. 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
Karver, M. S., De Nadai, A. S., Monahan, M., & Shirk, S. R. (2018). Meta-analysis of the prospective relation between alliance and outcome in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 341–355. link
Moula, Z. (2020). A systematic review of the effectiveness of art therapy delivered in school-based settings to children aged 5–12 years. International Journal of Art Therapy, 25(2), 88–99. link
Moula, Z., Aithal, S., Karkou, V., & Powell, J. (2020). A systematic review of child-focused outcomes and assessments of arts therapies delivered in primary mainstream schools. Children and Youth Services Review, 112, 104928. link
Vogel, S. W., Mullins, K. L., & Kumar, S. (2024). Art therapy for children and adolescents with autism: A systematic review. International Journal of Art Therapy, 30(2), 113–122. link
Slayton, S. C., D’Archer, J., & Kaplan, F. (2010). Outcome studies on the efficacy of art therapy: A review of findings. Art Therapy, 27(3), 108–118.
Cohen-Yatziv, L., & Regev, D. (2019). The effectiveness and contribution of art therapy work with children in 2018: What progress has been made so far? A systematic review. International Journal of Art Therapy, 24(3), 100–112. link
Zayeni, D., Raynaud, J.-P., & Revet, A. (2020). Therapeutic and preventive use of video games in child and adolescent psychiatry: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. link
Choi, E., Yoon, E.-H., & Park, M.-H. (2022). Game-based digital therapeutics for children and adolescents: Their therapeutic effects on mental health problems, the sustainability of the therapeutic effects and the transfer of cognitive functions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 986687. link
Barnes, S., & Prescott, J. (2018). Empirical evidence for the outcomes of therapeutic video games for adolescents with anxiety disorders: Systematic review. JMIR Serious Games, 6(1), e3. link
Wilkinson, N., Ang, R. P., & Goh, D. H. (2008). Online video game therapy for mental health concerns: A review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 54(4), 370–382. link
Stone, J. (2022). Digital play therapy: A clinician’s guide to comfort and competence (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Stone, J. (2021). Game play: Therapeutic use of games with children and adolescents (3rd ed.; C. E. Schaefer, Ed.). Wiley.
Read the researchHow it works
Every child is different, so the pace and order change. This is the general path.
01
We begin with a parent session to understand your child, your family and what you hope will change. Your child then meets me and the playroom at their own pace.
02
Your child chooses how to use the time, whether that is play, drawing, painting or building. There is no right or wrong. I stay close, reflect what I notice, and set gentle, clear limits to keep everyone safe.
03
Themes in the play and the art, such as being lost, scared, angry or brave, show what your child is working on. I ask gentle, curious questions, your child decides how much to share, and I respond in ways that help them feel understood.
04
I update you regularly and share simple ways to support what is happening in therapy. Art can become a lasting tool, such as a feelings chart or a calm-down drawing routine, so the changes carry over to daily life.
These approaches are part of care for many concerns. Choose one to see how I work with it.
Related approaches
Yes. I offer child play therapy and art therapy in person in Vancouver, and online across B.C., for children, youth and families. Sessions are about 50 minutes, and a free 15-minute call is the first step.
Child art therapy uses drawing, painting, clay and collage so that feelings that are hard to say in words can be expressed and understood. No artistic skill is needed. In my practice, art is part of counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), and my qualifications are on the training and workshops page.
No. Many children work through difficulties entirely in play. I do not push for talking, and I help you understand what the play is telling us.
It is most often used with children from about three to twelve, and I adapt it for teens, often through games, art and activities instead of toys.
A session has a purpose. We use a game to build trust, practise coping with frustration and teamwork, and open conversations. It is guided by me and tied to your child’s goals.
Not at all. Scribbles, colour and mess are as useful as careful drawings. The process matters more than the product.
I do not make fixed interpretations from a picture. I ask your child what it means to them, because only they know.
Yes. Many teens find making something with their hands calming, and it lets them express feelings without the pressure of eye contact.
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and hold a Master of Arts from the University of British Columbia. I completed the Canadian Association of Play Therapists Play Therapy Foundation Training, a 180-hour program that includes sandtray, family and filial play therapy, Theraplay, and art-based therapy in a play therapy setting, and I have taken further play therapy workshops through the British Columbia Play Therapy Association. I also hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and I am a member of the BC Play Therapy Association and the British Columbia Art Therapy Association. You can see my full education and training on the training and workshops page.
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: Video game therapy · Family and filial therapy · CBT