Lindsay Stenzel | Child & Teen Therapist in Centennial, CO
Hi! I'm so glad you're hereHi, I’m Lindsay, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist. I specialize in supporting anxious and neurodivergent children and teens—especially those who are high-achieving, highly sensitive, and holding more inside than others can see.
I believe that every child's behavior is communicating something—even when it looks confusing, overwhelming, or doesn't seem to make sense. Rather than asking, "How do we stop this behavior?" I find myself asking, "What is this child trying to tell us?"
That's what drew me to this work.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, I specialize in supporting anxious and neurodivergent children, pre-teens, and teens who are often carrying far more than others realize. Many of the children I work with are thoughtful, highly sensitive, and trying incredibly hard to hold it all together. They may appear to be doing well at school while struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, emotional overwhelm, or the exhaustion of masking at school and experiencing restraint collapse or shutdown at home.
I know how confusing that can feel as a parent. You care deeply about your child and want to help, but it can be hard to know what they're experiencing beneath the surface or how to respond in a way that truly meets their needs.
My role is to help make sense of what's going on. Together, we'll slow down, get curious, and better understand your child's unique nervous system, emotional world, and strengths. When children feel deeply understood and parents feel more confident in understanding them, too, lasting change becomes possible.
Therapy can help your child make sense of what they’re feeling and develop tools to manage it more effectively. I provide in-person therapy for children and teens in Centennial, CO, and surrounding areas, including Cherry Hills, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and South Denver.
About My Work
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I work with children (ages 3-10), pre-teen & teen girls (ages 10-17), and parents who are trying to make sense of anxiety, emotional overwhelm, perfectionism, and neurodivergence.
Many of the children I support are highly sensitive, thoughtful, and incredibly hard on themselves. They often look like they're doing just fine on the outside while quietly carrying far more than others realize. They may hold it together all day at school, only to come home and melt down, shut down, or seem completely overwhelmed.
I take a neurodivergent-affirming approach, which means I'm not here to “fix” your child or help them fit into someone else's expectations. Instead, I help them better understand their internal world, build regulation skills that work for their nervous system, and feel more confident being exactly who they are.
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I believe behavior is communication. Rather than asking, "How do we stop this behavior?" I'm always wondering, "What is this child trying to tell us?"
My work is grounded in Synergetic Play Therapy and a nervous system-informed approach. I'm constantly paying attention to a child's developmental stage, regulation, sensory needs, strengths, and the ways they're adapting to the world around them.
For younger children, therapy happens through play because play is their natural language. Through play, art, creativity, and relationship, children can safely express experiences they don't yet have words for.
For older children and teens, therapy combines conversation, curiosity, and practical tools to help them better understand themselves, navigate anxiety and perfectionism, and build confidence over time.
Throughout the process, I work closely with parents. Together, we'll make sense of what your child's behavior is communicating, strengthen your connection, and build practical ways to support regulation at home. My hope is that therapy doesn't just help your child—it helps your whole family feel more understood and supported.
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For Parents
You may be a great fit if you...
Want to understand what's beneath your child's behavior so you best know how to address it.
Feel like you've tried all the parenting advice, but it doesn't seem to fit your child.
Are looking for a collaborative therapist who will support your whole family.
Value curiosity, connection, and a neurodivergent-affirming approach.
Want to feel more confident responding to your child's emotions and nervous system.
For Kids & Teens
Your child may feel at home here if they...
Need a therapist who will bring warmth and humor to sessions and focuses on relationship-building first.
Experience anxiety, perfectionism, or emotional overwhelm.
Hold it together at school but fall apart at home.
Feel different from their peers or exhausted from masking.
Have big feelings that are hard to explain.
Need a place where they can be fully themselves without pressure to be “perfect.”
Need a therapist who understands and supports their unique sensory needs.
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Before opening my private practice, I worked as a school-based therapist in Jefferson County Public Schools, supporting children from preschool through middle school. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for how children move between home, school, and their social worlds—and how important it is for the adults in their lives to work together.
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver, where I specialized in Children & Youth. I'm also a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and continue to pursue advanced training in child development, anxiety, neurodivergence, trauma, and the nervous system. I'm an avid reader and lifelong learner, and I genuinely enjoy staying curious about new research and perspectives that help me better support children and families.
Outside the therapy room, I'm a proud cat mom and someone who believes deeply in the importance of community. Whether I'm collaborating with schools, connecting with other professionals, or supporting parents, I believe children thrive when they're surrounded by people who truly understand and care for them.