I began my counseling career at the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, www.cbcst.org as a master’s level intern under the supervision, direction and guidance of its founder, Martha Atkins. (www.marthaatkins.com)
While there, I designed creative counseling interventions for children and families in grief. I found that play, art, and sand tray were the preferred methods of communication for child-centered psychotherapy.
I experienced how these non-verbal methods and their subsequent processes were effective. They provided a much needed support for the underlying healing process to take place. Through this process, clients and their family system achieved emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Using these methods allowed communication to flourish within family systems and resulted in an environment of emotional safety and familial support. Clients moved quickly past the fear of reprisals, emotional rejection and the cascading, often-overwhelming anxious thoughts and feelings that accompany self-disclosure of stressful circumstances within a family system.
I saw that within family systems the individuals came together to change their deep-seated grief. They achieved this transition because they were able to express, integrate and resolve pain and confusion in front of and alongside each other. They felt good and safe within the therapeutic process; and with each other.
Clients avoid images, words, thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are burdened with anxiety. Stored images and impressions that have been unconscious press for integration. Individuals express intuition, sensations, thoughts, currents of feelings and reflective self-awareness through the visual field of play, art and sand tray. Clients begin to describe through associations, what they have created and expressed using play, sand and art modalities.
The underlying movement towards health, wholeness and balance is a natural part of the human condition. This is as natural as the sun rising every day. The rhythms within us, our breath, heartbeat and pulse sustain and nurture us. Clients begin to heal right away using therapeutic methods that capture and express experiences within that rhythm. These therapies touch and release deep authentic emotions that achieve self-healing and wholeness.
I believe that the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist is integral and essential to positive change. I strive to establish a therapeutic alliance between the client and therapist. This alliance becomes the foundation for positive growth and transformative change.
DEGREES
Bachelors Degree in Religion and Philosophy
1979 - Boston University
Masters of Arts in Counseling
2003 - University of Texas at San Antonio
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES
Licensed Professional Counselor
Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
2005 - License #19681
Approved Clinical Supervisor
Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
2007 - License #19681
Approved Continuing Education Provider
Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors 2012 - CEU License # 1773
CREDENTIALS - RPT-S
2007-Registered Play Therapist
2009-Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
2009 - Certificate #S1270
www.A4pt.org
Professional Training in Sandplay Therapy
With Dr. Barbara Turner, PhD, RPT-S, ISST/STA CST-T
EXTENSIVE ADVANCED TRAINING, which meets and exceeds all educational training requirements for application to become a certified sandplay therapist.
www.sandplay.org
Certified MARI Teacher and Practitioner
MARI-Mandala Assessment Research Instrument
www.maricreativeresources.com
Member of the following:
American Counseling Association
Texas SandPlay Society
Play Therapy Association
MARI Teaching Professionals