Guiding Growth with Heart and Expertise
Healing Happens When We’re Fully Seen and Heard
Our team brings clinical expertise, deep compassion, and a child-centered, play-based philosophy to therapy for kids, teens, adults, and families.
Meet the Healing with Play Team
Carrie Longest, PhD, LMHC, NCC, ACS, RPT-S™
Founder, Healing with Play
About Carrie
- Warm, collaborative therapist who creates a calm, “living-room” feel, not a clinical one
- Passionate about helping children and adults feel safe enough to express themselves
- Believes play is a powerful first language, especially when words are hard to find
- Guided by her mission to “impact one person every day”
- Values authenticity, diversity, acceptance, and a deeply human approach to therapy
Approach
- Play-based, experiential, and developmentally attuned
- Strengths-focused and trauma-informed
- Helps clients explore what’s happening internally, even when they can’t fully articulate it
- Collaborative with families, caregivers, and other providers
Credentials
- PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision
- MS in Mental Health Counseling
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- National Certified Counselor (NCC)
- Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS)
- Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S™)
License numbers
- Florida - MH9100
- Arizona - LPC-S 22953
- New Hampshire - 3068
- Wisconsin - LPC 12306 - 125
- North Carolina - LCMHC 22567, QS 160030
- Georgia - LPC016614
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
Administrative Staff
Lori Armstrong
Practice Administrator
About Lori
- Warm, welcoming presence with nearly 20 years in the mental health field
- Ensures every family who contacts Healing with Play feels supported from the first interaction
- Passionate about making the intake and scheduling process simple and stress-free
- Friendly, organized, and deeply committed to helping families access care
Approach
- Compassionate, detail-oriented support for all administrative needs
- Helps families navigate the onboarding process with ease and clarity
- Creates a seamless, client-focused experience from first contact to first session
Our Clinicians
accepting new clients
Delainey Casey, MS, NCC, LMHC
LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Delainey Casey, MS, LMHC is a licensed clinician with Healing with Play, Inc.
About Delainey
- Specializes in supporting women, couples, and families
- Former labor and bereavement doula; brings deep compassion to reproductive and maternal mental health
- Warm, grounding presence who honors the courage it takes to seek support
Who She Works With
- Women
- Couples
- Teens
- Families
Approach
- Trauma-informed, nurturing, and attachment-aware
- Provides safe, non-judgmental space for grief, anxiety, and life transitions
- Experience working in a school setting supporting teens through behavioral and emotional challenges
- Helps families navigate the onboarding process with ease and clarity
- Creates a seamless, client-focused experience from first contact to first session
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Travis Owens, MSW, LCSW, EMDR
Licensed Social Worker
Travis Owens is a licensed clinician with Healing with Play, Inc.
About Travis
- Specializes in providing trauma-informed care (using EMDR adapted approaches) to neurodivergent children, couples, and families
- Former Certified Peer Specialist (CRPS) for The National Alliance on Mental Illness where he worked alongside children and young adults to connect them to mental health services
- Former Child-Welfare Case Manager (CWCM) and Parent Visitation Specialist at ChildNet where he assessed children and parent relationships for safety
Who He Works With
- Children
- Teens
- Couples
- Families
Approach
- Neurodiversity-affirming to create an accepting non-judgemental environment
- Trauma-sensitive (Informed), safety first care integration to promote resilience
- Collaborative, connection based care that is client centered
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Monica Wacks, MS, LMHC, RYT-200
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
About Monica
- Passionate about personal growth, development, and facilitating grounded transformation
- Therapeutic style is warm, authentic, and deeply practical
- Focuses on anchoring growth through actionable mindfulness, deep self-awareness, and sustainable lifestyle choices
- Helps individuals create new patterns, step off autopilot, simplify daily life, and lean into meaningful personal exploration
Who She Works With
- Teens 13+
- Adults
- Couples
Approach
- Integrates evidence-based frameworks into a unified, person-centered approach.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) & DBT: Helps cultivate mindfulness, emotional resilience, and alignment with core values.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifies and reshapes thought patterns that no longer serve you.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Targets immediate goals and builds on existing strengths.
- The Gottman Method: Provides practical, proven tools for improving communication and connection in relationships.
- And many others
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Alexis Hartman, M.S., LMFT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS
Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor
Travis Owens is a licensed clinician with Healing with Play, Inc.
About Alexis
- Has extensive experience supporting children and adolescents across school, clinical, and behavioral settings
- Former school counselor with experience helping students navigate emotional, behavioral, social, and academic challenges
- Has a strong background working with children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioral concerns, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, social difficulties, and life transitions
- Passionate about building genuine connections with children and creating a space where they can feel understood, build confidence, and develop skills to thrive at home, at school, and in everyday life
Who She Works With
- Children
- Adolescents
- Parents
- Families
Approach
- Uses an individualized, child-centered approach incorporating Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, Solution-Focused Therapy, and behavioral interventions
- Uses play, creativity, and practical coping strategies to help children express emotions, build confidence, and develop new skills
- Collaborates with parents and caregivers to support each child’s growth both in and outside of the therapy room
- Creates a warm, playful environment where children feel safe, understood, and comfortable being themselves
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Christina Ampuero, MS
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI)
Pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor
About Christina
- Compassionate clinician supporting individuals across all life stages
- Wife, mom, and grandma—brings a deep understanding of family dynamics
- Warm and steady presence for clients navigating complex emotional experiences
Who She Works With
- Children
- Teens
- Adults
- Parents and families
Approach
- Combines play therapy, emotional processing, and practical skill-building
- Creates realistic therapeutic goals that match each client’s needs
- Works collaboratively with parents to strengthen communication and connection
- Provides grounded support for clients coping with estrangement, stress, anxiety, and major transitions
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Madison Krieger, MS
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI)
Pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor
About Madison
- Specializes in supporting children, adolescents, and families
- Passionate about helping individuals understand their emotions and build healthy coping skills
- Creates a warm, engaging space where individuals feel safe being themselves
Who She Works With
- Children
- Adolescents
- Parents
- Families
Approach
- Play-based and tailored to each child
- Uses practical parenting frameworks to support both children and caregivers
- Creates a nurturing environment where individuals feel seen, safe, and understood
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Mariah Thomas, MS
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI)
Pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor
About Mariah
- Specializes in supporting women, children, adolescents, and families
- Trauma informed, holistic approach to care
- Warm, grounded presence to cultivate self-compassion, resilience, and joy
Who She Works With
- Children
- Adolescents
- Parents
- Families
Approach
- Play-based and tailored to each child
- Integrates play therapy, emotional exploration, and skill-building
- Partners with parents and caregivers
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
accepting new clients
Lauren Bush, MS
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI)
Pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor
About Lauren
- Specializes in supporting children, teens, and adults
- Brings experience from the field of addiction
- Warm, compassionate, grounding presence
Who She Works With
- Children
- Teens
- Parents
- Adults
Approach
- Client-centered, compassionate, and developmentally attuned
- Utilizes evidence-based approaches
- Provides a safe, non-judgmental space
Click here to view this therapist’s Professional Disclosure.
Our Values & Philosophy
Play is our first language.
Whether you’re a child who doesn’t yet have the words, a teen trying to make sense of change, or an adult feeling disconnected, play, creativity, and movement help you express what’s inside when words alone won’t do.
Therapy should feel like coming home.
When you walk into our space (or into a session), I want you to feel seen, welcomed, and safe. No white walls. No rigid chairs. Just a calm, inviting setting where vulnerability is honored and healing can begin.
You are not your symptoms.
Behavior, emotions, and challenges are messages, not failures. They point us toward something meaningful: a need, a wound, a story wanting to be heard. We partner with you to bring those messages into light, process them deeply, and find new ways forward.
Diversity, inclusion & belonging matter.
Every person who walks through our door brings a unique story, identity, and set of strengths. We value this diversity deeply and commit to creating a space where all people, children, teens, adults, families, feel seen, respected, and affirmed.
Healing happens in relationship.
I’m not the “expert” telling you how to fix things. You are. My role is to walk beside you, ask good questions, hold space for truth, and co‑create what healing looks like. Whether you bring a child, a family, or yourself, we believe the best work happens together.
