Expressive Therapies

Canuck Place counseling staff, trained in expressive therapies, use a variety of approaches when working therapeutically with children and families.

Play Therapy

Play therapy uses a variety of creative play and art techniques to address psychological and emotional concerns in children. Play is a natural and self-healing process that provides children with opportunities to learn and explore their world, act out conflict, discharge energy and allow for emotionally significant experiences to be given meaningful expressions.

Therapeutic Art Activities

Art is another expressive medium which children enjoy.   The creative process of drawing, painting, making collages and/or working with clay offers the children further opportunity for self-expression and communication.

Music Therapy

Music, with all of its elements and influences, can be an effective means for children toe express and explore difficult feelings or help to manage pain or distressing symptoms.   It also is just plain FUN!  Both individual and group sessions of music therapy are regularly available to the Canuck Place children, siblings and families and can occur at the bedside or in the music room.  Activities include improvisational music-making, music composition, singing, drumming or just simply listening to music. 

Music is also often included in other programs and services such as home visits, camps, teen groups, bereavement support, memorial services and events for staff support.

For more information, contact Kerry M. Keats, MSW, LCSW, Pediatric Clinical Social Work
By phone: 604.742.3473
By e-mail: kkeats@canuckplace.org