Pediatric Counselling
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 JaneHelp your child feel like themselves again.
Support for children and teens who feel low, flat, irritable or stuck, and for the parents who want to help.
Your child is not alone, and neither are you.
Depression can make the smallest things feel heavy, for a child and for the parents watching. Whether you have noticed a change slowly or all at once, you do not have to figure out what to do on your own.
Children rarely say “I’m depressed.” They say “I’m bored,” “I’m tired” or “I don’t care.” My job is to listen for what sits underneath.
Pamela Wallberg, RCC
Pulling away from friends and family.
Feeling close to people again.
Nothing seems fun anymore.
Playing and laughing again.
“I’m bad at everything.”
Learning to be a friend to yourself.
Too tired to get out of bed.
Sleep and energy slowly returning.
Snapping and outbursts over small things.
Words for what is really wrong.
Mornings that start with stomach aches.
Feeling capable at school again.
“Nothing is ever going to change.”
Seeing a way forward.
Feeling like a burden to everyone.
Knowing you are wanted and loved.
My approach
Care that meets your child where they are.
Depression in children and youth does not always look like sadness. It can look like irritability, aches, withdrawal or a loss of interest in play. I match the approach to your child’s age, needs and interests, and I work with you as a parent too, so the support continues at home.
Together we build energy, connection and hope, one small step at a time.
listening to children’s voices.
Play therapy, in person or online
Play is how many children and teens show what they cannot yet say. We use sand tray, dollhouse and figures in the room, or video game therapy online, to explore feelings, reactions and relationships at your child’s own pace.
ExploreArt therapy
Drawing, painting and making can carry heavy feelings when words fall short. No artistic skill is needed, only a willingness to explore what comes out.
ExploreFamily and Filial therapy
Parents learn simple, play-based ways to connect with their child at home, with coaching in session. Strong, warm connection is one of the best protections against low mood.
ExploreCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT helps children and teens notice the thoughts, habits and avoidance that keep low mood going, then practise small, doable changes that lift energy and confidence.
ExploreMindfulness-based therapy
Short, gentle practices that settle the body, steady attention and help children notice a hard feeling without being swept away by it.
ExploreParent coaching
Depression affects the whole family. Parent coaching gives you practical language, routines and ways to respond, so home becomes a steadier place for your child to heal.
ExploreZhou, X., et al. (2020). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants, psychotherapies, and their combination for acute treatment of children and adolescents with depressive disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(7), 581–601. link
Hetrick, S. E., et al. (2021). Newer generation antidepressants for depression in children and adolescents: A network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5), CD013674. link
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2019). Depression in children and young people: identification and management (NG134). link
TADS Team (2004). Fluoxetine, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and their combination for adolescents with depression. JAMA, 292(7), 807–820. link
Brent, D., et al. (2008). Switching to another SSRI or to venlafaxine with or without cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with SSRI-resistant depression: The TORDIA randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 299(8), 901–913. link
Canadian Paediatric Society (2023). Promoting optimal mental health outcomes for children and youth. Paediatrics & Child Health, 28(7), 417–425. link
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (BC Children’s Hospital): Depression. link
Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre (BC Children’s Hospital): Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). link
Read the researchHow depression can show up in children and teens
Low mood looks different from child to child. These are the patterns families describe most often. A formal diagnosis comes from a physician, psychiatrist, nurse practitioner or psychologist, and I work alongside your child’s care team.
Major depression
Low mood or irritability, lost interest in things once enjoyed, and changes in sleep, appetite or energy lasting two weeks or more. In children and teens, the mood can look irritable rather than sad.
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
A lower-grade low mood that lingers, also known as dysthymia. For children and youth it is considered when it has been present most days for a year or more, and it can start to feel like “just how they are.”
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
Frequent, severe temper outbursts, with an irritable or angry mood in between, usually identified between the ages of six and eighteen. Therapy helps children and parents understand what sits beneath the outbursts and practise calmer ways through them.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
Marked mood changes in the week or so before a period, such as sadness, irritability, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed, that ease once bleeding starts. It can begin in the teen years, and naming it helps teens and parents plan for it.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Low mood, low energy and withdrawal that return with the short, dark days of fall and winter and lift in spring, familiar to many families on the B.C. coast.
Experiencing parental depression
When a parent is struggling with depression, children notice even when nothing is said. Support helps a child make sense of what they see, feel less responsible for it, and helps the whole family find steadier ground.
Let’s connect
Taking the first step is often the hardest. I’m here to answer your questions and help you decide whether this is the right path for your child.
Let’s chatFree 15-min consultation
Common questions
Is it depression, or just a phase?+
Every child has low days. It is worth a closer look when the change lasts two weeks or more, shows up in more than one place (home, school, friends), or takes over things your child used to enjoy. Children often show it as irritability, aches or withdrawal, not sadness. A free call is a good way to talk it through.
How long does therapy for depression take?+
It depends on the cause of the depression, as well as your child’s age, how long they have been struggling and how much support is in place at home. In some children and youth, medication is required alongside therapy to support them in engaging in the therapeutic process. We review progress together regularly, so you always know where things stand.
What if my child will not talk about it?+
That is very common, and talking is not required. Play, art, games and activities give children other ways in, and sessions follow your child’s pace. Parent coaching also gives you ways to stay connected when words are hard.
Will my child need medication?+
In some instances, the depression is too much of a barrier for the child or youth to overcome. In these cases, I will recommend consulting with your doctor about possible medication considerations, in order to support your child or youth in actively participating in therapy.
What if my child talks about harming themselves or not wanting to live?+
It is easy to panic when you hear statements like these from your child or youth. Always take them seriously, and if you believe you or your child or youth are in immediate danger, contact 911 or go to your closest emergency room.
When children and youth experience self-harm or suicidal thoughts, this is not the time to engage in community-based therapy. Instead, I can work with your child to do a risk assessment, create a safety plan and offer several check-in appointments. At the same time, I can work with you as parents to develop a plan for accessing more supports and care.
Once your child is not in immediate danger, we can consider starting or resuming ongoing therapy to treat the underlying causes that drove the self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Trusted resources
More help for families in B.C.
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: Teen therapy · CBT · Self-harm and suicidal thoughts