The Play Therapy Sanctuary, LLC

Welcome to The Play Therapy Sanctuary! I am excited to have private practice dedicated to only working with younger children and their families! I have over 25 years of experience working with children in a variety of settings including in-home family therapy and in outpatient settings. I am most passionate about working with children from ages 3-12 and their caregivers. I believe that children naturally express themselves through the concrete world of play and activity. I utilize a child-centered approach in play therapy whereby a child plays out thoughts, feelings, and emotions they might not otherwise be able to express meaningfully through their words. I create a safe, empathic, well-attuned space for a child to process their emotions and experiences at their own pace and comfort level. Using child-centered techniques helps children experience an improvement in verbalizing their feelings, social skills, self-esteem, and self-control. I also believe in working collaboratively with parents to create more harmonious family connections. I regularly meet with a child’s caregivers to help them understand the challenges their child may be facing. Together as a team, we can explore parenting styles that are working as well as those that you may want to change or do differently. I received my Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. I trained with Dr. Garry Landreth who is the founder of the Center for Play Therapy in Denton, Texas. I also have a Master’s degree in Group Process & Organizational Dynamics from Hahnemann University (now Drexel). Additionally, I have received training in Structural Family Therapy at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic and trauma training from Bessel Van Der Kolk’s Trauma Research Foundation in Massachusetts. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Child-Centered Play Therapist, and a Certified Child-Parent Relationship therapist. “Play is the language, and the toys are the words.” -Dr. Garry Landreth, Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship