April Duncan, MSW, LCSW, Registered Play Therapist
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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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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, LPC
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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.
Crystal Kwentus, LPC, ATR-BC
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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.
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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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.
Lisa Eilerts, MSW, LCSW, JD, CATP, Registered Play Therapist
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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.
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Rachel Hanks, MSW, LCSW, Registered Play Therapist
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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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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.
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.
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.