Virtual Play Therapy - Mixed reality therapy for children
My thesis project explored how mixed reality technology can augment play therapy sessions for children. Through extensive design research - including literature reviews, expert interviews, and prototype testing - I investigated the potential of XR to create safe, engaging therapeutic environments that support emotional expression and healing.
Goal
Propose new digital tools using mixed reality to help play therapists deliver online services with improved quality and user experience.
Deliverables
- Thesis paper & literature review
- Virtual Play Room prototype (Mozilla Hubs)
- Online exhibition
- Design research documentation
Project Details
- Institution
- Emily Carr University
- Duration
- 2 years (2020–2022)
- Focus
- Design Research, Mixed Reality, Child Therapy
Care Through Play, Anywhere
This two-year design-research project proposes new digital tools using mixed reality to help play therapists deliver their online services with improved quality and user experience. Play therapy is a well-established approach for helping children process emotions and trauma through guided play - but the shift to remote sessions during the pandemic exposed significant limitations in existing telehealth tools.
Through literature reviews, expert interviews with licensed play therapists, and iterative prototyping, I explored how XR environments could preserve the therapeutic qualities of in-person play while enabling remote access.
The Virtual Play Room
The core prototype is a browser-based virtual play room built on Mozilla Hubs, allowing therapists and child clients to share a 3D environment in real time. The space includes interactive toys, drawing tools, and spatial elements that mirror a physical play therapy room - designed to feel familiar and safe for children.
Both the therapist and client can see, move, and interact with objects in the shared space, enabling the observational and relational dynamics that are central to play therapy practice.
Key Research Findings
- Existing telehealth tools lack spatial and embodied interaction - critical for play therapy
- Children engage more naturally in 3D environments than in 2D video calls
- Therapists need familiar room layouts to apply established therapeutic frameworks
- Browser-based XR lowers accessibility barriers compared to headset-dependent solutions
“Mixed reality offers a unique opportunity to preserve the therapeutic qualities of in-person play while removing geographic barriers to access - but the technology must be designed around therapeutic principles, not the other way around.”