Parents of Young Children (Ages Birth – 8)

I help parents of young children solve their child’s behavioral challenges and improve their relationship with their child. As a Registered Play Therapist, I know how to help children express their deepest thoughts, build self-esteem, and learn to self-regulate their emotions in their first language – play. I also work directly with parents to teach them play therapy skills so they can be the agent of change in their child’s life. These skills are designed to strengthen the quality of the parent-child attachment bond as well as teach practical limit-setting approaches that really work. The main messages that your child will receive from play therapy are: “I am here for you. I am listening. I understand you. I care about you unconditionally. I delight in you. You can trust me.”

Tweens and Their Parents (Early Adolescence Ages 9-12)

The middle childhood years (ages 9 through 12) is a time of great emotional change, for many reasons. Academic pressure ramps up, and social and learning differences start to be more pronounced. Friendships can change, right around the same time that kids start to really care about what others think about them. Puberty hits, bringing with it physical changes and emotions around body image, and exploration of sexuality and gender identity. With more focus on identity, they push for more independence, and child-parent relationships can become strained. Children need a trained adult who they can open up to, and they tend to take ideas more easily from someone who isn’t their parent. Parents can benefit from learning new ways to talk to their kids to help them collaboratively solve their own problems.

Teens & Young Adults (Ages 13-25)

The middle school, high school and young adult years are unique! The brain is literally wired differently until the early 20’s, focusing on discovering who they are, forming interpersonal connections, seeking out novel experiences, launching themselves independently into the world, and thinking and feeling in new, expanded, creative ways. These same strengths that create such a zest for life can bring some big challenges. They need someone who isn’t a part of their social circle that can grant confidentiality to talk about the things they may be too afraid to bring up with loved ones; a genuine therapist who puts the relationship first can move a young person from isolation to interdependence; from “stubborn” to safe exploration; from “lost” to forming a solid identity, from “stuck” to confidently setting out on their own.

Education

• Fully licensed to practice therapy independently in the state of Washington (LICSW #LW61001223)
• Registered Play Therapist (RPT), Association for Play Therapy (APT)
• MSW, University of Southern California, mental health/clinical focus
• BS, Psychology, Washington State University
• TF-CBT and CBT+ trained through the UW Center for Anxiety & Traumatic Stress
• DBT training, Linehan Institute

Past Experience

• Former Board Member, Washington State Association for Play Therapy
• Former Therapist, WISe Program, Lutheran Community Services (for children and teens with intensive mental health challenges)
• Former Child and Family Therapist, Catholic Charities (serving children, youth and adults with a wide variety of challenges)
• Former Advocate, Domestic Violence Services
• Over 7 years working with pregnant and postpartum families in a past role as a birth doula and childbirth educator
• Over 10 years of working in marketing and communications prior to life as a therapist

Specialties

• Neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism, etc.) from a strengths-based, self-acceptance lens
• Trauma, PTSD, and life changes, including sexual/physical abuse survivors and child witnesses of domestic violence
• Parent/child attachment and communication
• Social anxiety and self-esteem
• Depression, suicidal thoughts and self-harm
• Toddlers, preschoolers and elementary age children
• Pregnancy and postpartum