St. Louis Play Therapy Institute
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April Duncan, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S                                                     

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  • Master of Social Work, St. Louis University 2012
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Registered Play Therapist 
  • Association for Play Therapy
  • Co-Founder of The St. Louis Play Therapy Institute
  • Founder of All About Play, LLC
  • Former Director of the Therapeutic Preschool at Family Forward
  • Presentation: Using Play as an Early Intervention Tool to Break the Preschool to Prison Pipeline (2017)
  • Developed URBANArt program
Ms. Duncan is a Doctoral Candidate in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California with a focus on racial trauma in Black youth and families. She has a private practice in St. Louis and is the Co-owner of St. Louis Play Therapy Institute, which provides play therapy workshops for educational and mental health professionals. Ms. Duncan's current focus is on national and local workshops with educators and mental health professionals on the use of play therapy in the Black community to address the rising rates of suicide in Black youth due to racial trauma.

Sarah Lehman, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S                                                   

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  • Master of Social Work, St. Louis University
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Registered Play Therapist Supervisor
  • Co-Founder The St. Louis Play Therapy Institute
  • Founder Play Therapy 4 Change, LLC
  • Social Worker for Early Childhood Department of Special School District of St. Louis County
  • National Education Association
  • Association for Play Therapy
  • Missouri Association for Play Therapy
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.

Ali Gabel, MA, LPC                                                                                 

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  • Master of Art Therapy Counseling, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • ATR eligible
  • Vice President of Missouri Art Therapy Association
  • Governmental Affairs Chair of Missouri Art Therapy Association
  • American Art Therapy Association
  • Missouri Mental Health Counselor Association
  • Illinois Mental Health Counselor Association
  • 2017 Publication in The Arts in Psychotherapy
  • 2017 American Art Therapy Annual Conference Presenter

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.

Crystal Kwentus, LPC, ATR-BC

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  • Master of Art Therapy Counseling, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • Licensed Professional Counselor
  • Board Certified Art Therapist
Crystal Kwentus has over 10 years of experience serving children, adolescents and adults from a variety of settings, including hospitals, residential placements, school and community based. Crystal has dedicated her career to help individuals of all ages overcome difficulties related to mental health concerns, behavioral issues, and struggles related to life disruptions; including trauma, domestic violence and divorce.

In addition to her art therapy background, Crystal is trained in DBT, EMDR, TF-CBT and Play Therapy. She pulls from this wide variety of experiences to creatively integrate approaches to meet each individual where they are. Crystal believes in the power of art, creativity and play to aid children and parents to work collaboratively, break down communication barriers and aid in the healing process. This integrative approach provides holistic treatment to best aid the whole family in healing from life’s problems.

Dawnielle Robinson, LPC, NCC, Registered Play Therapist          

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  • Master Science: Community Agency Counseling (Accredited by CACREP)
                            Missouri State University - Springfield, MO
  • Bachelor of Science: Criminology; Drury University - Springfield
  • Bachelor of Science: Psychology; Drury University - Springfield
  • Police Academy; Missouri Southern State University- Joplin, MO; 2014
  • Missouri State Certified Peace Officer; Commissioned Officer; Bolivar, MO
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC- Missouri Number: 2004014993)
  • Nationally Certified Counselor
  • Certified Registered Play Therapist (RPT Number: T-1164)
  • Community Oriented Policing Services Officer (COPS)
  • Winner of the 2012 Patient Advocate of the Year Award; Joplin Tri-State
    Business Journal

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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  • PhD in Family Therapy, St. Louis University
  • Master of Social Work, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
  • Member, Association for Play Therapy, National & Illinois
  • Member, National Association of Social Workers, National & Illinois
  • Private Practice, Anchored Counseling Services, O’Fallon, Illinois
  • Former Family Advocacy Officer (Clinical Director) for U. S. Air Force
  • Executive Board Member, Children First Foundation

​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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  • Master of Social Work, Loyola University - Chicago 
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Certified Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist
  • Missouri-Rostered Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
    clinician
  • Member of National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
  • Member of EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)

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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  • ​Master of Science in Child Development, Erikson Institute
  • Master of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Certified Theraplay Practitioner
  • Certified Group Theraplay Trainer
  • Registered Circle of Security Parent Educator
  • Member of the Theraplay Association
  • Member of the Association for Play Therapy
  • Member of the National Association of Social Workers

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.

Lisa Eilerts, MSW, LCSW, JD, CATP, Registered Play Therapist

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional
  • Caring for Kids, Inc. Board of Directors
  • National Association of Social Workers member
  • Association for Play Therapy member
  • International Association of Trauma Professionals member
Lisa works as a Child, Youth, and Family Therapist with a local non-profit in schools. In her private practice, she specializes in providing play therapy to young children for a variety of concerns including, but not limited to, emotion identification and regulation, coping skills, anxiety, as well as trauma and grief. Lisa focuses on children who are often caught in the middle of high-conflict custody cases. As a former attorney, Lisa is knowledgeable of the legal system and is able to provide a unique service for families.

Rachel Hanks, MSW, LCSW, Registered Play Therapist

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  • Master of Social Work, University of Missouri - St. Louis
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Rachel Hanks has a background in the arts and a drive to develop creative, mindful practices across a variety of settings. She has worked with children of all ages and abilities in different levels of care since 2011. She is currently a play therapist for young children with moderate to severe developmental trauma, giving her a unique opportunity to implement early interventions. She specializes in mindful, neurobiologically-informed play interventions for clients of all ages dealing with traumatic stress, developmental trauma, dysregulation, and anxiety. She also does family play therapy in combination with psychotherapy and principles of Theraplay. She thinks kids of all ages rock and that everyone should play more.

Shannon Wylie, MOTR/L                                                                                                                  
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  • Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Missouri 2010
  • Missouri Occupational Therapy Association 
  • Certified OTR with NBCOT
  • Sensory Integration and Praxis Test Certified 
  • Lead Occupational Therapist at Therapy Relief Inc. at Hope
Shannon Wylie is a pediatric Occupational Therapist with Therapy Relief Inc. at Hope in St. Louis, Missouri.  In her 9 years of practice she has provided services in a variety of settings including an outpatient clinic at the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center, early childhood, Kindergarten through High School, day cares, First Steps, and home health. She provides trainings to school personnel, supported living staff, and day programs such as United Cerebral Palsy. Trainings include development of fine motor and visual motor skills, sensory integration and behavioral strategies, childhood anxiety, and transfer training for caregivers. 
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Shannon has served as Secretary of a local non-profit chapter Gateway Tykes on Trykes since it’s inception in 2015. She was nominated by her chapter and was chosen for the National Therapist of the Year in 2016 by the National organization, AMBUCS. Shannon also started a Special Needs All-Star Cheerleading team in St. Louis which she coaches. The team has between 20-30 children with a variety of abilities and volunteers. They compete at local competitions throughout the year. 
St. Louis Play Therapy Institute is an APT Approved Provider (#14-386) for play therapy training for local professionals. Founded by April Duncan, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S and Sarah Lehman, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S, we pride ourselves on quality play therapy training at accessible prices.

Copyright 2021
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Vision
    • Our Organization
    • Our Educators
    • Group Training Requests
  • Training Institute
    • Register for Trainings >
      • STLPTI Webinars
    • Trainings Calendar
    • Supervision
    • Group Training Requests
  • Therapeutic Services
    • Individual Play Therapists