April Duncan, MSW, LCSW, RPT
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April is the co-founder of The St. Louis Play Therapy Institute, and provides play therapy training to mental health professionals. Her expertise covers a wide range of therapeutic and play therapy topics, with her current research focusing on deconstructing the preschool to prison pipeline through early therapeutic intervention. As an enthusiastic speaker and educator, April always provides an informative, fun, and engaging environment to training attendees.
In addition to trainings, April provides therapeutic services to young children with significant social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, as well as to their families. She also collaborates with local agencies and preschools to facilitate group play therapy for children and adults, employing music, art, and sand tray play therapy techniques. April provides consultation for local agencies, school districts, & preschools, and may be contacted to help organizations address the implementation of better clinical practices and management strategies.
In addition to trainings, April provides therapeutic services to young children with significant social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, as well as to their families. She also collaborates with local agencies and preschools to facilitate group play therapy for children and adults, employing music, art, and sand tray play therapy techniques. April provides consultation for local agencies, school districts, & preschools, and may be contacted to help organizations address the implementation of better clinical practices and management strategies.
Sarah Lehman, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S
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Sarah is the co-founder of St. Louis Play Therapy Institute, and both trains and provides supervision to participants of the STLPTI certificate program. For over 12 years, Sarah has been offering professional training and is well versed in play therapy topics (from beginner to advanced), as well as trauma-informed care and mindfulness. She is a dynamic speaker, and brings a high level of energy into the classroom while delivering relevant information and interventions.
Sarah also works full-time for the Early Childhood Department of the Special School District of St. Louis County. She has over 18 years of experience supporting children of all ages, and uses a variety of play therapy techniques to aid and empower students with acute social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, as well as their families. To promote the continual development of ethical and knowledgeable clinicians, Sarah also provides supervision for those pursuing their LCSW and RPT. She has been a clinical supervisor since 2011.
Sarah also works full-time for the Early Childhood Department of the Special School District of St. Louis County. She has over 18 years of experience supporting children of all ages, and uses a variety of play therapy techniques to aid and empower students with acute social, emotional, and behavioral concerns, as well as their families. To promote the continual development of ethical and knowledgeable clinicians, Sarah also provides supervision for those pursuing their LCSW and RPT. She has been a clinical supervisor since 2011.
Ali Gabel, MA, PLPC
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Ali Gabel currently maintains a private practice serving adolescent and adult survivors of domestic violence and is contracted to complete emergency psychiatric assessments for hospitals employing TeleHealth. She has been practicing for 6 years and specializes in domestic violence and crisis counseling, using art-making to help clients process the complex trauma they often struggle to verbalize. As a passionate and spirited educator, Ali will inform trainees while eagerly answering questions and pushing trainees to think beyond the norm.
Dawnielle Robinson, LPC, NCC, RPT
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Dawnielle Robinson is a Missouri State Certified Peace Officer with 5 years of experience with the Bolivar Police Department in patrol, investigations, community policing, and as a school resource officer. Dawnielle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist with over 15 years of experience in individual, family, couple and group therapeutic practices and has treated clients as young as 3 years old through forensically sensitive play therapy modalities. Dawnielle is a trained forensic interviewer of children and has extensive experience treating trauma clients within a multitude of settings (in-patient psychiatric, children’s advocacy center, community clinic, and private practice). Through her clinical experience and education, Dawnielle has been able to provide expert juvenile, civil, family and criminal court testimony, as well as subject matter consultation to media, law enforcement, child protective services, psychiatrists, medical staff, advocates and professional colleagues regarding the impact trauma has on all facets of development. Dawnielle combines her unique background in law enforcement and counseling to bring a passionate, direct presentation style.
Ella M. Duncan, PhD, BCD, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S
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Dr. Duncan provides private practice and is the owner of Anchored Counseling Services (https://www.anchoredcounsel.com/) in O’Fallon, Illinois. Her clinical services include individual, child/adolescent, couples, and family therapy utilizing play, sandtray, and game therapy. Prior to going into private practice, she provided social services and social work clinical services to military families for 27 years with a special focus on child abuse and domestic violence prevention and intervention. Her duties as a Federal civilian social worker included providing psychoeducational workshop and training to military members, their spouses, and their children. Dr. Duncan enjoys utilizing all the senses and engaging both sides of the brain in interactive and playful ways.
Kate Waterbury-Saunders, MSW, LCSW
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Kate currently works as a trauma-informed therapist for St. Louis Public Schools, where she also assists in training and consulting with school staff to increase the staff and district’s capacity to respond to students in a trauma-informed manner. She has nearly 10 years of experience working in a clinical social work capacity with an emphasis on trauma and child and adolescent mental health. Kate’s passion is working individually with children to increase their sense of safety and self-worth, but she also enjoys “using the other side of her brain” to train and collaborate with colleagues and budding clinicians!
Kristen Borgmeyer, MS, MSW, LCSW
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Kristen is currently a Child and Family Clinician at Come Play, STL, a pediatric mental health center that holistically serves children and families in the St. Louis area by utilizing a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals. Kristen has had extensive experience working with children and families in a variety of capacities such as Head Start Early Childhood Educator, Child Mental Health Advocate, Child Advocacy worker in the Child Welfare System, Family Support Specialist and as a
Child and Family Clinician in shelters, schools, and clinic settings.
Kristen has specialized training in Attachment modalities such as Theraplay®, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and Circle of Security® and she is passionate about sharing this knowledge and expertise with others. Kristen is an engaging trainer who thoughtfully delivers content in a way that promotes the growth and competence of each trainee.