Understanding Nervous System States: A Guide for Therapists, Parents, and Beyond
Learn about dorsal vagal, sympathetic, and ventral vagal states of the nervous system, informed by Polyvagal Theory—plus regulation strategies to help children manage fight-or-flight or shutdown.
Looking for the Right Therapist for Your Child? Start Here
Discover how I support kids with anxiety, sensory needs & trauma through neurodivergent-affirming, strengths-based therapy that truly meets them where they are.
How Kids Learn Social Skills in Play Therapy: A Guide for Parents
Wondering how kids build social skills in play therapy? Learn how safe, regulated sessions help children practice communication, empathy, and emotional regulation while developing lifelong relationship skills.
The Foundation of Self-Regulation: Our “Hidden” Eighth Sense, Interoception
Discover how trauma and neurodivergence impact interoception in children and why body awareness is key to emotional regulation. Learn how play therapy supports healing.
What Is Masking? Understanding the Hidden Struggle for Neurodivergent Kids
Learn what masking is, how it affects neurodivergent kids (ADHD, autism, etc.), and ways parents and professionals can create safe spaces for them to unmask.
“Am I Failing as a Parent?” How Anxiety and Perfectionism Can Be Signs of Growth
Feeling parenting anxiety and self-doubt? Learn why these feelings are normal, how they affect your child, and how to grow resilience together as a family.
How Kids Learn Skills in Play Therapy (And Why It’s So Different From “Just Talking”)
Wondering how kids actually learn in play therapy? Discover how connection, modeling, and play help children build lasting emotional and regulation skills.
Why Bedtime Feels So Hard for Kids (and How to Make It Easier)
Struggling with bedtime battles? Learn why sleep is hard for kids & try this play therapist-informed bedtime routine to help your child settle & stay asleep.
How to Create a Dopamine Menu: A Powerful Tool for Kids (& Adults!) with ADHD
Discover how dopamine menus can support kids with ADHD by offering healthy, brain-friendly ways to meet their dopamine needs. Learn how to build your own and why it works.
How to Help Kids with Transitions: Therapist-Approved Tips for Smoother Routines
Is your child struggling with transitions like bedtime, mornings, or schedule changes? Learn therapist-approved strategies to ease transitions and reduce meltdowns—for both kids and caregivers.
Emotional Dysregulation in Disguise: Supporting Anxious, Perfectionist Children
Your “perfect” child might be struggling inside. Learn how perfectionism can signal anxiety and what tools help kids build self-compassion and resilience.
Understanding Your Child’s Behavior Through the Lens of Play Therapy
Discover how your child’s nervous system responses show up in play therapy—and how therapy supports emotional regulation, safety, and resilience.
The Therapeutic Relationship: Why It’s the Key to Successful Play Therapy
Discover how a strong therapeutic relationship, unconditional positive regard, and safety support healing in play therapy for children and families.
How to Foster Resilience in Children: Practical Tips for Parents
Learn how to build resilience in children with expert tips from a play therapist. Support emotional growth, self-compassion, and healthy coping skills at home.
Understanding Sensory Sensitivities: Tips to Help Your Child Regulate
Learn to identify common sensory sensitivities in children and discover how play therapy can help with regulation strategies and emotional support.
How to Feel Your Feelings: A Therapist’s Guide to Emotional Awareness
Learn what it really means to “feel your feelings,” why it’s hard, and how to build emotional regulation skills through body awareness and play therapy.
Recognizing Childhood Anxiety: Symptoms, Behaviors, and How Play Therapy Can Help
Learn how to recognize anxiety in children, what symptoms to watch for, and how play therapy supports emotional regulation and long-term resilience.
Signs Your High-Achieving Child May Be Struggling: How Play Therapy Supports Internalizing Behaviors
Learn how internalizing behaviors like perfectionism, masking, and anxiety can affect high-achieving kids—and how play therapy helps them process emotions and reconnect with themselves.
Understanding the 4 Core Threats to a Child’s Nervous System: Insights from Synergetic Play Therapy
Learn the four types of threats that can trigger anxiety or dysregulation in children, based on Synergetic Play Therapy—and how play therapy can help your child feel safe and supported.
How I Support Children Through Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and More in Play Therapy
Discover how play therapy supports children experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, suicidality, and more. Learn how sessions are individualized for growth, regulation, and healing