Children navigate the adult world with limited autonomy and agency. Adapting to schedules, routines, and new environments can be challenging and can bring about intense feelings. And though children have a natural desire to move toward emotional regulation, they do not always know how. Instead, they might express their feelings through power struggles and aggressive behavior such as biting, yelling, and hitting. The intense behavior seems to overshadow the child’s wonderfulness; for parents, this can be confusing, frustrating, and even embarrassing. 

At Houston Family Therapy Associates, I work with children and caregivers to help them tune into each other and change maladaptive behavior. I provide a safe, supportive space for children to process feelings, move toward emotional stability, and display their strengths. With caregivers, I believe in developing a collaborative, nonjudgmental alliance and sharing research-based responses that enhance the parent/child relationship.

Prior to pursuing my master’s, I worked for fourteen years as an elementary school teacher. I worked with students who struggled with managing anger, anxiety, and social relationships. I also supported parents in search of ways to help their children. When I graduated with my master’s in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Houston Victoria, Katy campus, I knew that I wanted to continue working with children and their families. I studied play therapy during my master’s program, have taken additional training through the Center for Play Therapy and The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, and am in the process of becoming certified as a Registered Play Therapist.