Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate form of counseling that helps children express thoughts and emotions through play rather than words alone. Because children often communicate best through play, this approach allows them to process experiences, build emotional regulation skills, and develop healthier ways of relating to others.

Play therapy is typically used with children and preteens, and can be helpful for concerns such as anxiety, grief, family changes, behavioral challenges, emotional regulation difficulties, and social or school-related stress. It is especially effective for children who have trouble verbalizing what they are feeling.

Sessions may include activities such as imaginative play, sand tray, art, games, or storytelling. These experiences are intentionally chosen to help children explore emotions, practice problem-solving, and build a sense of safety and confidence. While sessions may look playful, the work happening underneath is thoughtful and therapeutic.

Play therapy can help children:

• Express emotions in safe and healthy ways
• Improve emotional regulation and coping skills
• Process grief, loss, or family transitions
• Increase self-esteem and confidence
• Strengthen relationships with caregivers and peers

Play therapy is guided by clinical training and therapeutic intention. The therapist observes patterns, themes, and emotional expression within play and responds in ways that support emotional growth, insight, and healing. It is not unstructured free play, but a purposeful therapeutic process.

Before becoming a counselor, I worked as an elementary school teacher, which gave me a deep understanding of child development, learning styles, and the emotional worlds of children. This background helps me connect naturally with kids, recognize developmental needs, and collaborate thoughtfully with parents around school and behavioral concerns.

Yes. While sessions are primarily focused on the child, parent involvement is an important part of play therapy. I regularly provide parent check-ins, guidance, and support to help caregivers understand their child’s needs and reinforce growth at home.

The length of play therapy varies depending on a child’s needs, goals, and circumstances. Some children benefit from short-term support, while others need more time to process deeper or ongoing challenges. Progress is regularly reviewed with caregivers.

Yes. Play therapy is a well-established, research-supported approach for children and is widely used in clinical settings to address emotional, behavioral, and relational concerns.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a research-based approach to couples counseling that focuses on strengthening emotional connection and security. Rather than teaching couples to argue better or compromise more, EFT helps partners understand the deeper emotional needs driving their reactions.

Most conflict isn’t really about the surface issue — it’s about feeling unseen, unheard, or unsafe in the relationship. EFT helps couples slow things down, understand their patterns, and create more responsive, connected interactions.

Many couples come to therapy feeling like they’re having the same fight over and over, or like distance has quietly grown between them. EFT helps identify the cycle that keeps partners stuck — such as one partner pursuing while the other withdraws — and shifts the focus from blame to understanding.

As couples learn to recognize and interrupt these patterns, they often experience more emotional closeness, trust, and a sense that they’re back on the same team.

Yes. I integrate Gottman Method tools alongside EFT when they’re helpful. Gottman-based interventions can support couples with practical skills like communication, conflict repair, and rebuilding friendship.

EFT provides the emotional foundation, while Gottman tools help couples practice new ways of relating in everyday life. Together, they create both emotional depth and concrete change.

This is very common — and it doesn’t mean therapy won’t work. Many couples start with one partner more motivated than the other.

My approach is not about taking sides or deciding who’s “right.” Therapy is focused on understanding both partners’ experiences and helping each person feel safer, more understood, and less alone in the relationship. Skepticism is welcome here.

Yes. I work with couples who experience frequent conflict, emotional shutdown, or escalating arguments — as well as couples who feel emotionally distant or disconnected.

The goal is not to suppress conflict, but to help couples understand what’s underneath it and respond to each other in ways that reduce reactivity and increase emotional safety.

Sessions are structured but flexible. We move at a pace that feels manageable and respectful to both partners. Therapy often includes:

• Identifying recurring relationship patterns
• Slowing down emotional reactions
• Helping partners express deeper needs and fears
• Practicing new ways of responding to each other

Couples are not expected to “perform” or communicate perfectly — therapy is a place to learn and practice together.

There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. Some couples come for focused work around a specific issue, while others choose to stay longer to rebuild trust or deepen their connection.

We regularly check in about goals, progress, and pacing to make sure therapy is aligned with what you’re hoping to gain.

Yes. Many couples seek therapy because they want clarity, understanding, or a healthier way to navigate uncertainty. Couples therapy isn’t about forcing a particular outcome — it’s about helping partners communicate honestly, reduce harm, and make decisions with greater awareness and care.

I offer a collaborative, supportive space where we can slow things down and make sense of what feels heavy. Sessions are paced to you—some are more reflective and emotional, others more practical and skill-focused. My goal is to help you feel understood while also supporting meaningful growth and change.

I work with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, grief and loss, stress, parenting challenges, identity questions, relationship concerns, and life transitions. You don’t need to be in crisis to start therapy—many people come simply because life feels overwhelming or they want support in a difficult season.

I draw from several evidence-based approaches and tailor therapy to what fits you best. This may include exploring thought patterns, emotions, attachment needs, values, and the ways past experiences show up in the present. Therapy is integrative and flexible rather than one-size-fits-all.

Both. I blend emotional processing with practical tools you can use in daily life. The balance depends on what you need in the moment, and we adjust as therapy unfolds.

The length of therapy depends on your goals and what you’re working through. Some clients come for short-term support around a specific issue, while others choose longer-term work to address deeper patterns. We regularly check in about your progress and adjust the pace and frequency as needed.

When working with teens, I use developmentally appropriate, creative approaches like games, art, and sand tray alongside conversation. This helps teens express what can be hard to put into words while building safety, trust, and connection.

That’s okay. You don’t need the right words to begin. I help clients slow down, notice patterns, and gradually make sense of their experiences—uncertainty and silence are welcome parts of the process.