Child Therapy &
Play Therapy
Providing a pathway for healthy emotional regulation, resilience, and mental wellness for children aged 3-12
Supporting Your Child’s Emotional Wellness and Growth
It can be heartbreaking to watch your child struggle with big emotions, behavioral challenges, or the weight of anxiety. At Strong River Counselling, we provide a safe, nurturing environment where children in Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities can explore their feelings and develop the resilience they need to thrive.
Every child communicates differently. While adults use words, children often use play to express their inner world. Our specialized approach integrates play therapy techniques and research-based interventions to help children navigate:
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Anxiety and Stress: Helping kids manage "big worries" and school-related pressure.
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Emotional Regulation: Teaching tools to handle frustration, anger, and meltdowns.
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Life Transitions: Supporting children through divorce, moving, or grief.
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Behavioral Challenges: Understanding the "why" behind the behavior to foster positive change.
Our Approach: Expressive Play Therapy in the Tri-Cities
At Strong River Counselling, we believe that therapy for children is most effective when it is an active, collaborative process. Because children often lack the verbal vocabulary to explain complex feelings, our Coquitlam-based therapists utilize Expressive Play Therapy. This approach allows children to communicate through their "natural language"—play.
Through the use of art, sand tray work, storytelling, and movement, your child can safely "play out" their inner experiences. This creative process helps them process trauma, release pent-up frustration, and develop new ways of relating to the world. By integrating attachment-based support and trauma-informed care, we ensure that every session feels safe and predictable.
Bridging the Gap Between Session and Home
We don't work with your child in a vacuum. We know that for real change to happen, the strategies learned in our play room need to translate to a more peaceful home life. We work closely with you—the parent—to decode what your child’s play is telling us. Often, child therapy is most effective when paired with Parent Support to ensure strategies are reinforced at home.
Whether your child is struggling with social skills, ADHD-related challenges, or self-esteem, we tailor our expressive treatment plans to meet their unique developmental needs. Our goal is to move beyond simple symptom management and help your child build a strong, resilient foundation for lifelong mental health.
Challenges We Support
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Emotional regulation
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Worries and anxiety disorders
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Low mood and depression
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Behavioural challenges including: defiance, aggressive behaviours, lying, impulsivity, stealing, developmental regressions (i.e. bedwetting, eating challenges), etc.
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Separation difficulties
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School refusal
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Bullying
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Interpersonal and social challenges
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Self-esteem
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Family conflict and sibling rivalry
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Life events including moving, starting school, divorce or separation, new siblings, etc.
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Traumatic events including emotional, physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence, grief and loss, etc.
What to Expect
At Strong River Counselling you can expect a warm, engaging, fun, and safe environment for your child. Our child therapy focus on building trust, fostering resilience and enhancing emotional development.
Our child therapy sessions are held in-person and we do not offer virtual sessions for children 12 and under.
How Child Therapy Works
Every child and family is unique. It is our goal to provide child counselling services that meet your individual needs. Therefore, we will create a tailored counselling treatment plan that works best for you.
Standard Structure for Child Therapy
Initial Intake Session
The initial meeting is held with parents and/or caregivers without the child. This is an opportunity to discuss what your concerns are, access the nature of the difficulties and severity across areas of functioning (i.e. home, school, socially and the community), establish goals of therapy and discuss next steps for counselling.
Child Therapy Sessions
Typically we recommend weekly 50-minute sessions to begin. This will to help the child feel comfortable with the environment, establish trust and a connection to their therapist, and to gain consistency in processing the challenges they are experiencing. This is the time we begin supporting the child in achieving the goals for counselling through mental health interventions.
Collaboration with Caregivers
Parent and caregivers are essential in the counselling progress for children. We will periodically meet to discuss the progress of your child’s treatment, discussing areas of growth, strengths, ongoing challenges, and collaborate on strategies to further support your child’s growth and success.
What is Expressive Play Therapy?
Expressive Play Therapy is a therapeutic approach that allows children to communicate and process their thoughts and feelings through play. By engaging in activities such as drawing, storytelling, and role-playing, children can express emotions that may be difficult to articulate verbally. This form of therapy helps children develop coping skills, enhance their self-esteem, and foster emotional regulation in a safe and supportive environment. Through expressive play, therapists can gain insights into a child's world and guide them toward healing and personal growth.
Expressive Play Therapy is effective for children aged 3-12 experiencing a range of presenting concerns, including:
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Trauma & abuse
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Family changes
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Grief and loss
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Worries & anxiety
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Low mood & depression
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Behavioural issues
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Developmental challenges
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Social difficulties
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Medical illness
Finding the Right Support: Child Therapy
"Enter into children's play, and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet." — Virginia Axline.