Hi! My name is Claire. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). I created Play As You Are Therapy to empower, support, and playfully approach children who present with behavioral outbursts, anxiety, and depression. The children I work with are often navigating life transitions, divorce, or traumatic events.
Let's Work Together
In addition to my training as a LCSW and RPT, I am also Phase I certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), a model aimed to help children who have difficulty regulating their emotions due to trauma or other life circumstances. This model begins via brain mapping assessment, which is a tool that highlights what areas of the brain have been impacted by trauma. The brain map assessment gives both myself and caregivers a roadmap as to what interventions are most needed.I have also received extensive training from C.A.S.E. to be an adoption competent therapist and have experience working with all members of the adoption kinship network.I take a playful and collaborative approach in my work and want all clients to feel respected, understood, and empowered throughout their therapy journey. I believe deeply in the power of play and its ability to heal and transform our emotional landscape.
Services + Rates
I accept private pay (check, credit, card, cash) and the following insurance providers: United HealthCare, UMR, and Home State Health
Individual Child Therapy Session
Weekly, 45-50 minute, 1-on-1 therapy sessions with your child. $125
Caregiver Coaching Session
Individual sessions with caregivers to offer support, practical tips, and a fresh perspective on caregiving. Your child does not need to be involved in therapy for you to receive this service.
while your child is actively engaged in services $75
if your child is not actively engaged in services $125
NMT Brain Mapping Assessment
A developmentally sensitive, trauma informed assessment, developed by Bruce Perry, which provides guidance for the therapist and caregivers to select interventions to target specific areas of the brain that have been impacted by past trauma.
individual does not need to be a current client to receive an assessment
60-min assessment $150
60-min Follow-Up Treatment Planning Session $150
30-min Follow-Up Session/Treatment Adjustment Session $100
Family Therapy
Meeting with any combination of family members, or the whole family unit, for therapy services. $125
Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
Combination of 1-on-1 caregiver coaching + special, weekly 30-minute play times with your child. $125
CPRT is especially helpful if you are feeling like your relationship with your child is strained and/or you are feeling burnt out and overwhelmed by their current behaviors.
Services can only be provided in the state of Missouri. For those who hold insurances that I don't accept, superbills, which can be submitted to your insurance company for potential reimbursement, can be provided.
My Approach
I specialize in working with children and adolescents, ages 4 - 18. My clients are often struggling with hard life transitions including divorce, death, or have experienced trauma.
No two clients are the same, and neither are the steps we take down the path toward healing. But the following two things are true of every case at Play As You Are:
I approach every case holistically. I focus on all the systems (e.g. school, family, religion, sports) in a child’s life and work within these systems to find both strengths and struggles. Does your child love sports? Great, that’s important to their healing. Are they having a hard time staying regulated in school? Let’s coordinate with their school and problem solve! The environments we are a part of help to shape us and I believe an essential part of healing is engaging with those environments.
This work is collaborative. I have significant knowledge in child development and mental health. You are an expert in your child. Healing happens when we work together to combine our expertise.
I know that seeking therapy for your child can be an overwhelming process, I am dedicated to making it as clear and easy as possible. Please reach out with questions or concerns; I would be happy to help!
Get Started
What to Expect:
Phone screening: a free, 15 minute phone call where I can hear a bit about what your goals for therapy are and ensure that I am a good fit to help you and/or your child!
Intake session: 60 minute session with just the child’s caregiver(s), where we discuss more in-depth current behaviors, goals for therapy, and important child, family, and environment background.
Therapy services: these are ongoing 45/50-minute sessions that are typically 1x/week. Child therapy services also include regular 45-minute caregiver check-ins to assess progress and provide updates.
Termination: when goals are met, termination, or "graduation" as I call it with children, happens! The goal of therapy isn’t to be in it for forever, but to engage with therapy when it is needed throughout one’s life.
The Playroom
7310 Manchester Rd.
Suite 200F
St. Louis, MO 63143