Therapeutic Games and Technology in Child and Adolescent Therapy

Therapy with children and teens often faces a big challenge: getting them to open up. They may have trouble naming emotions, or they may shut down in formal talk therapy.

1. Therapeutic Games and Technology in
Child and Adolescent Therapy



Therapy with children and teens often faces a big challenge: getting them to open up. They may
have trouble naming emotions, or they may shut down in formal talk therapy. But what if we
bring in something they already love — play, games, apps, or digital worlds — as part of
therapy? Blending technology and therapy can help young clients express themselves, feel safe,
and engage.
Why use games or tech in therapy?
Children and adolescents live in digital worlds. They play games, scroll social media, use apps.
These are familiar spaces. Using technology in therapy:
• builds trust — they feel understood
• gives alternative modes of expression (nonverbal, visual, interactive)

2. • motivates them through play and challenge
• bridges the gap between therapy and their daily life
Research supports this. For example, an augmented reality game called LINA was created for
early adolescents. It aimed to boost peer interaction, belonging, and mental health reflection in a
classroom setting. The game showed high acceptability and promise.
Another study with adolescent girls used an embodied approach. The participants expressed
stress via body-based artifacts and design methods. Embodied tools helped them disclose stress
that was hard to name verbally.
Digital health tools and machine-learning methods are also emerging to screen and support
mental health risks in children and adolescents. These tools can help detect anxiety, depression,
trauma, and tailor support earlier.
How therapists can integrate tech or game elements
Here are practical ways therapists can incorporate games, tech or play into therapeutic work with
youth:
1. Use therapeutic games or gamified tasks
Create or use existing games that allow expression of emotion, decision making, role play, or
narrative. For instance, allowing the child to build a safe world, design characters, or choose
paths in a story. These let them project feelings indirectly.
2. Digital storytelling or interactive narrative tools
Use apps or platforms where the child or teen builds a story or comic about their experiences.
They may choose characters, plots, settings. This gives distance and symbolic space for trauma,
stress, or identity themes.
3. Embodied, tangible interfaces
Combine tech with physical objects — sensors, wearable, touch tools — so the body becomes
part of expression. For example, they might map tension on a wearable, or use interactive objects
to “speak” what’s hard to say verbally.
4. Augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR)
In controlled settings, AR/VR can create immersive scenes. A kid might explore feelings in a
virtual forest, or visualize safe places. Therapists guide the experience and debrief afterward.
5. Monitoring, apps, and digital check-ins
Between therapy sessions, clients can use apps to track moods, stress levels, or journaling
prompts. This helps maintain continuity and gives therapists data to reflect on. Some apps use
gentle reminders, breathing exercises, or visual tools.

3. 6. Parent or caregiver portals
Tech can include a parallel interface for caregivers. They may receive feedback, psychoeducation
content, or tools to support the child’s therapy journey.
Benefits and cautions
Benefits
• Increased engagement — the child may actually look forward to “playing” in therapy
• New expressive language — when words fail, symbols and interactions help
• Data and tracking — therapists get more feedback between sessions
• Bridging worlds — therapy connects more closely with what kids use daily
Cautions
• Privacy, security, consent — digital tools must protect client data
• Overreliance on tech — it should enhance, not replace human connection
• Accessibility — not all families have devices or bandwidth
• Ethical use — careful with immersive tech (VR) in trauma or dissociation conditions
• Skillful integration — therapist must guide, interpret, not leave the child “in the game”
Tips for therapists and parents
• Start small: introduce a digital tool or game element gradually
• Co-design: let the child help choose or build the tool to increase ownership
• Debrief always: after any tech play, talk with the child about what they felt, thought,
remembered
• Combine with other methods: games supplement, do not replace talk, play, art, movement
• Track progress: use the data or stories as a mirror to see patterns
• Stay updated: the tech field moves fast; read research and test new tools carefully
Looking ahead
Therapeutic use of tech and games is not a gimmick. It represents a shift in how we meet
children in their world. As digital literacy grows, therapy must adapt. The potential is high: to
make therapy less intimidating, more expressive, more continuous. Future research will clarify
which tools work best for which ages, diagnoses, and settings.
If you are a parent, teacher, or therapist curious about bringing games and technology safely into
child or adolescent therapy, please reach out. At MLA Psychology, we stay current with
integrative, evidence-informed approaches for youth mental health. Visit our website to explore
more articles or schedule a consultation tailored to your child’s needs.