In a cozy therapy office filled with miniatures, art supplies, and Play-Doh, big feelings don’t always come out in words. Sometimes, they show up as a superhero stomping in frustration, a carefully arranged sand scene, or a bracelet strung bead by bead. At Balance and Bloom Counseling, those moments of play aren’t distractions from the work—they are the work.
Founded in 2021 by Jamie Heimos—a former educator at The Magic House, child life specialist, author, and school counselor—Balance and Bloom helps children and teens navigate anxiety, ADHD, grief, medical trauma, and everyday growing pains through creative, play-based counseling. By using familiar tools, such as toys, art, storytelling, and guided prompts, the practice helps young clients develop the emotional language and coping skills they need now, while equipping parents with strategies to support them at home. The goal isn’t just to solve a short-term challenge but to build a foundation for lifelong mental health, one playful conversation at a time.
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“Play therapy specifically is taking familiar things that kids know—we say that the toys are their tools—to help them express themselves in session,” Heimos says.
For many children, especially younger ones, naming an emotion outright can feel impossible, Heimos adds. Instead of saying, I’m really mad about what’s going on at home, a child might crash action figures together or bury a miniature in the sand tray. Heimos gently prompts them to explore what’s happening in their play—asking open-ended questions, reflecting what she sees, and helping them begin to connect behavior with feeling. Over time, that playful storytelling becomes a bridge to emotional literacy, giving kids the words—and the coping tools—to navigate challenges long after they leave her office.
“Rather than saying, ‘I’m really mad about this thing going on in my family,’ they’re able to express it through superheroes or art or sand tray. I’m not trying to label the emotion for them—I’ll say, ‘Tell me a little bit about what’s going on here.’ And that opens the door for them to start putting words to what they’re feeling,” Heimos explains.
That process is intentional. As a former school counselor, Heimos often weaves a gentle teaching component into her sessions, helping children expand what she calls their “toolbox.” Alongside imaginative play, she introduces age-appropriate coping strategies—deep-breathing techniques, grounding exercises, or simple reframing skills—and then works with parents to reinforce them at home. The aim, she says, isn’t to eliminate hard feelings but to help kids become more comfortable being uncomfortable, so that today’s frustration over an art project can translate into resilience during tomorrow’s heartbreak or setback.
“We want them to push through those hard emotions and get comfortable being uncomfortable. So later on, when they’re 16 and have their first breakup or a bad grade in a class, they know they have coping skills to get through it,” she adds.
For parents, recognizing when to seek that kind of support can feel less clear. Heimos says families often wait for a major incident—a school suspension or a dramatic outburst—before reaching out. But subtler shifts can be just as meaningful. A child who suddenly refuses activities they once loved, struggles with sleep, shows excessive worry, or simply seems persistently “off” may be signaling a need for extra support. And sometimes, she notes, the clearest sign is simply that parents feel they’ve exhausted the tools in their own toolbox.
“People are often looking for a big, extreme behavior or a major incident at school,” Heimos says. “But if you’ve run out of the tools in your toolbox as a parent, that’s a really good time to reach out.”
Part of that reassurance also extends to concerns about labels. While insurance requirements often necessitate a diagnosis, Heimos encourages families to view assessments not as defining a child, but as clarifying how to support them. Understanding whether ADHD, anxiety, or another neurodivergence is at play can offer what she describes as a roadmap—guidance for parents, insight for teachers and, when appropriate, access to school-based accommodations like IEPs or 504 plans. In her view, clarity empowers families to respond with intention instead of frustration.
“When we understand what’s at play in their brain, it helps us pave the way for how to support them,” Heimos says.
Balance and Bloom serves children and teens across the St. Louis area, offering both in-person sessions and parent support consultations. Heimos works with families navigating everything from preschool separation anxiety to middle school perfectionism to high school stress, tailoring play-based strategies to each developmental stage.
While younger children gravitate toward figurines and sand trays, Heimos says teens might make bracelets, respond to art prompts, or even revisit Play-Doh as a grounding tool. “Sometimes they just want a space where they can be a kid again without all the pressure,” Heimos says.
Beyond the therapy room, Heimos is also working to give parents language for life’s hardest conversations. Drawing on her background as a child life specialist, she’s developing an evolving series of digital guides, set to launch in June, designed to help caregivers talk with children about difficult topics—from community violence and natural disasters to the death of a pet or attending a funeral. Each guide offers developmentally appropriate scripts, common questions kids may ask, and gentle phrasing that avoids unintentionally confusing or frightening language. For families searching for the right words in overwhelming moments, the goal is simple: clarity, comfort and connection.
In a world that often asks children to grow up fast, Heimos says her work offers something quieter but powerful: space to play, space to process, and space to find the words. “So many parents tell me, ‘I just don’t know what words to use.’ And that’s really what all of this comes back to—helping kids have the words and helping parents feel confident using them. When we give kids language, we give them power.”
