Play Therapy 

Dr. Michelle Pliske (She/Her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

DSW LCSW RPT-S

Play therapy involves using toys, sand, art, games, and other materials to help children express themselves. Play offers the child an environment of safety. If children are able to say what they think or how they feel through toys and art with someone who can translate their behavior and facilitate the process, they will respond positively and are able to successfully work through their problems.

DeLyn Griffin (she/her)

Marriage and Family Therapist Associate

MA in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling

Kelly Reams MSW, BCD Psychoanalyst (She/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Lcsw, bcd

I began learning play therapy 1978 in graduate school with analytic supervision using play technique to understand child's emotional and behavioral issues. Studied with the Child Therapy Study Group for over 10 years meeting as a group and weekly individual supervision. Also did 1 year child analytic training, Seattle, worked 8 years Child Psychiatry OHSU, 3 years residential treatment children.

Nancy Pearson, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Play is the medium for children to express themselves and to gain mastery over challenges in their environment. It is their 'language' and their course of meaningful action. I have trained and practiced in support of children gaining full expression of themselves. It is also a way for me to learn about a child so that I can assist the parent(s) to find harmony with their child.

Bryanna Goodman

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

Play therapy is a way of being with the child that honors their unique developmental level and looks for ways of helping in the “language” of the child – play.

Firefly Institute

Licensed Professional Counselor

Play therapy involves using toys, sand, art, games, and other materials to help children express themselves. Play offers the child an environment of safety. If children are able to say what they think or how they feel through toys and art with someone who can translate their behavior and facilitate the process, they will respond positively and are able to successfully work through their problems.

Emily Padilla

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Emily has been certified in Play Therapy and enjoys working with children and adolescents presenting with a number of behavioral health issues. This approach utilizes toys and other expressive activities as forms of communication and as an intervention method for problem solving and promoting well-being.

Andrew Conner (He/Him/His)

Marriage and Family Therapist

MA

Play therapy allows children and pre-teens to communicate and process their feelings symbolically through play.

Desiree Stang (She/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, CADC III

I enjoy doing play therapy with clients whether that is using sand tray, playing music, or doing art therapy. I try to incorporate whatever interests or talents my clients has into the counseling session. I have also had clients bring in their animals from home to play with while we have sessions.

Family Roots Therapy

Licensed Professional Counselor

Our child therapists have extensive experience in play therapy, including a specialized form of play-based therapy called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which focuses on the parent-child relationship and increasing connection and attachment in young children. We are unique in having experience and training in working with children under 6 years old, which is a highly specialized area in counseling.

Brittany Eide

Professional Counselor Associate

I am a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and I have taken a diverse array of play therapy courses over the years. I also received supervision from a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor. Lastly, I have years of experience working with youth of all ages.

Kelsey Simons (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

MA, CCC-SLP

Rochelle Mollen (she/her)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCSW

Play therapy is a helpful therapeutic method that allows children to express a range of emotions and thoughts and learn how to cope with stress and trauma. Children's natural mode of expression is through play and this modality fits into their schema about self and the world around them. Play therapy can be directive or non-directive depending on the needs of the child.

Erin McCall (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

Licened Professional Counselor

I have worked with a multitude of populations ages 3-12 using play therapy interventions. I primarily use Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) which is a non-directive intervention that allows the child to explore and lead the session. I provide a safe and nonjudgmental space for young children to use the environment and materials to help process their feelings and emotions.

Beau Henderson (He/Him)

Professional Counselor Associate

M.A. in Counseling

Skyhook Counseling Center

Professional Counselor Associate

PSYD, LPC, LCSW, Professional Counselor Associate

Sofia Jasani (she/her/hers)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, NCC

Play is the language of childhood. Young children respond to stress and change differently than adults do, and they communicate differently, too. As a play therapist, I provide a safe environment where children can express their emotions, learn coping skills, develop self-control, and build self-esteem in a way that comes naturally to them. I love working with children, and would be honored to help support your family!

Brooke Lavarias (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, PCIT and PCIT-T certified

I am certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy and Parent Child Interaction Therapy for Toddlers. This is a version of therapy that incorporates the guardian in developing skills of a play therapist and other parenting skills to help support their child through trauma, anxiety, depression, adjustments, and other mental health concerns.

Jamie Krahulec (she/they)

Professional Counselor Associate

MA, BA, #R7573

I use child-centered play therapy integrated with expressive art therapy because I believe that to help children requires using their own language and taking care to communicate within individual developmental parameters. I’ve had training for children and parents including gender-affirming play therapy, parenting amidst the pandemic, trust based relational intervention, child-parent relationship therapy, trauma-focused CBT and am working towards certification as a Registered Play Therapist.

Katrina Thatcher (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC, CCPT, MS, NCC

Play is kids’ most natural form of communication. Toys are to kids what words are to adults. Play Therapy, like counseling for adults, lets kids express their feelings and process their experiences in order to develop more effective strategies for managing their worlds.