FORD Counseling, LLC

Background and Experience

I hold a master’s degree in School Counseling from George Washington University and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and English Literature from Florida State University. I have 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families. Before starting my own practice in Tallahassee I worked at the group practice, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, community outpatient settings, and special education schools in the District of Columbia and northern Virginia.

I am a trauma informed therapist and work with children, teens, and adults who have endured a range of traumatic experiences. I use modalities such as, EMDR, Mindfulness, CBT, Psychodynamic, Play Therapy and other expressive approaches when appropriate. 

I am a Registered Play Therapist which means I have received over two years of post-masters play therapy training, supervision, and clinical hours to become certified. I participate in continuing education and consultation to keep my certification and skills up to date.  As a Registered Play Therapist, I use play with children to help them express and process their internal world. Play therapy is developmentally appropriate and is a natural form of communication for children. Play allows children to share their thoughts and feelings when they may not have the language or know how to verbalize their experiences. You can find more information on play therapy at the Association for Play Therapy Website.

Training

• Registered Play Therapist (RPT^TM)
• Trained and Certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
• Trained in Theraplay Level 1
• Trained in Trauma-Focused Integrative Play Therapy (Gil)
• Trained in Sandtray