Do I need to be good at art to do art therapy?

Not at all. Art therapy has nothing to do with artistic skill. The focus is on the process of creating, not the finished product. Stick figures are welcome. So are abstract scribbles. Whatever comes out is exactly right.

What art supplies do I need for virtual sessions?

Basic supplies — paper, markers, coloured pencils, maybe some magazines for collage. Nothing expensive. We send a simple supply list before your first session so you’re prepared without any stress.

Is art therapy covered by insurance in BC?

Many extended health plans in British Columbia cover psychotherapy and art therapy. Check with your insurance provider for your specific coverage. We provide professional receipts for all sessions.

How is art therapy different from regular therapy?

Traditional talk therapy relies on verbal processing. Art therapy adds a creative element that can access emotions, memories, and patterns that are hard to reach through words alone. Many clients find it less intimidating and more engaging than sitting and talking.

How often should I attend sessions?

Most clients start with weekly sessions. As you progress, we may adjust to biweekly. It depends on your goals and what feels right for your situation.

Is virtual therapy as effective as in-person?

Research consistently shows that virtual therapy is equally effective as in-person for most people. Many clients actually prefer it because of the comfort and convenience. The therapeutic relationship — which is the most important factor — develops just as strongly online.

Do you work with children under 5?

We work with children from approximately age 4 and up. For very young children, we often incorporate parent involvement in the sessions to create a supportive environment.

What if I don't know what to create during a session?

That’s completely normal and happens often. Rena will guide you with prompts and exercises. There’s never a blank-page moment where you’re left on your own wondering what to do.

Art Therapy in Vancouver, BC

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in Canada — and one of the most stressful. Between the housing pressure, the rain-soaked winters, and the pace of life on the West Coast, a lot of people here are quietly struggling. Art therapy offers something different from traditional talk therapy. It gives you a way to process what you’re feeling when words alone aren’t enough.

At Creative Therapy Zone, we work with children, teens, adults, and families across Vancouver through secure virtual sessions. Whether you’re in Kitsilano, East Vancouver, the West End, or anywhere in the Lower Mainland, you can access professional art therapy from the comfort of your home.

What Is Art Therapy — And Who Is It For?

Art therapy combines creative expression with professional psychotherapy. You don’t need to be artistic. You don’t need to be good at drawing. The process isn’t about creating something beautiful — it’s about using creativity as a pathway to understanding yourself.

It works because some things are hard to say out loud. A child who can’t explain why they’re angry might show it through colour and shape. A teenager navigating anxiety might find relief through collage or clay work. An adult processing grief or burnout might discover something in a simple sketch that months of talking never uncovered.

Our sessions are led by Rena Berktin, a Professional Art Psychotherapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with a background in education and a deep understanding of how people process emotions differently.

Art Therapy for Children

Children communicate through play, movement, and creativity long before they develop the vocabulary for their emotions. Art therapy meets them where they naturally are.

In Vancouver, kids face unique pressures — academic expectations, social dynamics in diverse classrooms, screen time challenges, and for many, the stress that trickles down from their parents’ own struggles with affordability and work-life balance.

Through guided creative sessions, children learn to:

– Identify and express complex emotions they can’t yet name – Build confidence and self-awareness – Develop healthy coping strategies for anxiety and frustration – Process difficult experiences like family changes, bullying, or loss – Strengthen social skills and emotional regulation

Sessions are 50 minutes, conducted virtually through a secure platform. Your child works with simple art materials — nothing expensive or complicated — while Rena provides gentle, therapeutic guidance.

Art Therapy for Teens

Adolescence is already turbulent. Add Vancouver’s social media culture, academic pressure from competitive schools, and the identity questions that come with growing up in a multicultural city, and many teens are overwhelmed without knowing how to ask for help.

Art therapy gives teens a way in that doesn’t feel like “therapy.” There’s no pressure to sit and talk about feelings. Instead, they create — and through that creation, they discover what’s actually going on beneath the surface.

Common areas we work on with Vancouver teens:

Anxiety and depression
Identity exploration and self-esteem
Social pressure and peer relationships
Processing trauma or family conflict
Managing transitions (new schools, divorce, moving)

Art Therapy for Adults

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many of our adult clients in Vancouver are high-functioning professionals, parents, or creatives who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from themselves.

Vancouver’s culture of “having it together” can make it harder to admit when you’re struggling. Art therapy provides a private, judgment-free space to explore what’s beneath the surface — without having to narrate your entire story from the beginning.

We work with adults on:

Stress and burnout (especially common in Vancouver’s tech and healthcare sectors)
Anxiety and depression
Life transitions — career changes, relationships, parenthood, loss
Trauma processing
Creative blocks and self-expression
Perinatal and postpartum mental health

As a mother herself, Rena brings lived understanding to the challenges of parenthood and identity shifts that many Vancouver parents face.

Why Virtual Art Therapy Works

You might wonder — can art therapy really work through a screen? The short answer is yes, and for many people it works better than in-person sessions.

Here’s why:

Comfort

You're in your own space. No commuting across the Lions Gate Bridge or sitting in a waiting room. You can curl up on your couch in your favourite spot and do the work from where you feel safest.

Accessibility

Whether you're in Yaletown, Commercial Drive, Point Grey, or out in the suburbs of Burnaby or Richmond, you get the same quality of care. No geography limits.

Flexibility

Sessions fit around your schedule — early mornings, lunch breaks, after the kids are in bed. Life in Vancouver is busy. Virtual therapy respects that.

Privacy

Nobody sees you walking into a therapist's office. For many people, especially in tight-knit Vancouver neighbourhoods, that matters.

All you need is a device with a camera, a stable internet connection, and some basic art supplies (we’ll tell you exactly what to have on hand before your first session).

What to Expect in Your First Session

Your first session is about connection, not pressure. Rena will:

Listen to what brought you here

your story, your goals, what you’re hoping to get from therapy

Explain how art therapy works

no surprises, no awkward moments

Introduce a simple creative exercise

nothing intimidating, just a way to start exploring

Create a plan together

how often to meet, what to focus on, what success looks like for you

Many extended health insurance plans in British Columbia cover art therapy and psychotherapy — check with your provider. We can provide receipts for insurance claims.

Start Your Art Therapy Journey in Vancouver

You’ve been thinking about therapy for a while. Maybe you’ve tried talk therapy before and it didn’t quite click. Maybe you’re looking for something different — something that doesn’t require you to have all the words ready.

Art therapy might be that thing.

Book a free consultation and let’s talk about what you’re going through. No commitment, no pressure. Just a conversation about whether this approach could work for you.

*Creative Therapy Zone serves clients across Vancouver, BC including Kitsilano, East Vancouver, West End, Yaletown, Commercial Drive, Mount Pleasant, Point Grey, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Marpole, Hastings-Sunrise, Grandview-Woodland, and the broader Lower Mainland. Virtual sessions are available to anyone in British Columbia.*