Meet Our Team
Our Founder
April Duncan (DSW, LCSW, RPT-S) obtained her Bachelor’s in Arts & Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia (2006), Masters of Social Work from Saint Louis University (2012) and Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California (2021). She is the founder of BMH Connect, an organization focused on Black youth empowerment through the use of play therapy.
Dr. April is a racial trauma expert and leader in her field in advocating for the mental health needs of Black children. Her book, “Black Students Matter: Play Therapy Techniques to Address Racial Trauma in Black Students” provides an innovative approach to address mental health issues in Black children through the use of play therapy. She also is an adjunct instructor in the online MSW program at Tulane University.
With over ten years of clinical experience, Dr. April has worked collaboratively with various stakeholders in schools, the juvenile justice system and the child welfare system, to teach the importance of recognizing and addressing trauma in children from all backgrounds. Dr. April also serves on the advisory board for the World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals.
Our Facilitators
Dominique Begnaud, ATR, IL-LCPC, MO-LPC, NCC
Registered Play Therapist™
Dominique is a graduate of Southern Illinois University’s Master’s in Art Therapy Counseling program, and has gained a variety of clinical experiences over her last nine years. Dominique has experience working with preschool aged children, geriatric persons suffering with memory loss, and individuals struggling with eating disorders, severe mental illness, and domestic violence. Dominique opened her private practice, Create Play Grow Therapy Services, in January of 2021, & has been providing mental health support using creative techniques such as art, play, and gardening therapy to support individuals as young as three years of age throughout the lifespan. Dominique works with individuals, groups, and families in St. Louis city and the surrounding areas. Dominique is passionate about collaborations and engagement within her local and broader communities.
Kristen Borgmeyer, MSW, LCSW
Registered Play Therapist™
Kristen is a Certified Theraplay Practitioner, Certified Group Theraplay Practitioner, & Certified Group Theraplay Trainer. She is also a Registered Play Therapist and EMDR trained. Kristen earned a Masters in Child Development from the Erikson Institute and a Masters in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. 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, and Child Advocacy worker in the Child Welfare System, Family Support Specialist and as a Child and Family Clinician in shelters, schools, and clinic settings.
Kristin has specialized training in Attachment modalities such as Theraplay®, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), and Circle of Security®. She is passionate about sharing this knowledge and expertise with others as an engaging and thoughtful trainer..
Kira Collins, MSW, LCSW
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™
Kira has a passion for working with children, youth, and families. She is obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology, with a minor in Family Studies, from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Kansas. Kira is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, as well as a Registered Play Therapist, and currently works for the Special School District of St. Louis County providing individualized and group counseling services to students with Individualized Educational Plans. In previous roles, Kira has provided individual, group, and family counseling to preschool, elementary, and middle school aged students, as well as young adults in various school districts and non-profit agencies. Kira has clinical expertise in trauma, grief, and loss; child development; peer relationships; and addressing symptoms of anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Trecia Davis, MSW, LCSW
Trecia Davis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Consultant with over 15 years experience in social services spanning from education to behavioral health. As a dedicated Servant Leader and Social Worker, Trecia Davis has worked in a variety of capacities in the field, including her current roles as the Founder of Equal Shares Parenting and Super Social Workers. Her desire to see children and families thrive is the driving force behind her work in administrative leadership in education and her private mental health practice. She takes tremendous pride in sharing her knowledge with other helping professionals through career development, education, and mentorship.
Trecia has excelled as an educator and facilitator through her positions as an Adjunct Instructor at Fontbonne University, a Parenting Skills facilitator at non-profit Midtown STL, and the Primary Facilitator of workshops and professional support for Super Social Workers. Trecia has trained over 750 professionals and students, and invests in the development of other Social Workers through her roles as Field Instructor, Professional Coach, and Licensure Supervisor.
Ali Gabel, LPC, ATR
Ali is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist with 12 years of experience adapting expressive modalities to meet the needs of diverse client populations in acute and non-traditional settings. As an early adopter of telehealth and digital expression, Ali has remained committed to breaking barriers and making expressive therapies accessible, and has pushed the bounds of art therapy for it's successful use in 911 diversion and emergency crisis response, in-community and emergency room psychiatric assessments, and unhoused, immigrant, and IPV shelters. She currently specializes in treatment of ADHD and OCD.
In addition to making therapeutic expression accessible, Ali also believes in making clinical practice more accessible to clinicians. She provides affordable websites to clinicians desiring to build their own practices and develop their own brands as no one should be prevented from achieving their goals.
Irene Gomez, LCPC, NCC, BC-TMH, RPT™
Irene Gomez is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Maryland. Irene earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The Chicago School - Washington DC campus and is actively working on her PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision from The Chicago School - online campus. She is TF-CBT certified and is a Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider. Irene specializes in working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma as a school-based bilingual mental health therapist. Irene is passionate about battling the stigma against mental health and making therapy more accessible to children and families by using play.
Tranae Harris-Bingham, PhD, LAPC, RPT™
Tranae is a licensed associate professional counselor and certified school counselor in Georgia. Tranae earned her Master of Arts in School Counseling from Clark Atlanta University and Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy, Child Centered Play Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. In addition to her training in counseling, Tranae is certified as a mindfulness ambassador by Mindfulness Without Borders; and certified as a yoga instructor and social/emotional learning facilitator by Breathe For Change. Tranae specializes in early childhood and adolescence mental health and currently works for an Atlanta based Head Start program. Her background includes working with children, families, and educators in schools, post-secondary institutions, group homes, and private practice.
Nikole R. Jiggetts, MSW, LCSW
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™
Nikole is a distinguished professional with a wealth of expertise in the field of mental health. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and Certified Trauma Practitioner, she brings a multifaceted approach to her practice. Nikole is also an accomplished author, CEO, and owner of Replay Counseling Center, LLC, known also as Replay Counseling and Consulting.
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Nikole boasts over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families. Her dedication lies in providing individuals with the tools to navigate life's challenges and find solace through expressive therapies.
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Beyond her clinical practice, Nikole serves as an adjunct professor at the VCU School of Social Work, imparting her knowledge to future generations of social workers. She extends her expertise as a life coach, parenting consultant, and devoted mother of two.
Ebony Hutchinson, MSW, LCSW
Registered Play Therapist™
Ebony Hutchinson LCSW, RPT has worked in behavioral health since 2004. She’s an adjunct professor at The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. She specializes in trauma with an emphasis on foster care youth. Ebony is also the founder of The Community Reach a nonprofit that was established to increase access to specialized mental health services to marginalized communities.
Ariel Krakowsky, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
Ariel Krakowsky is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist from Los Angeles, CA. She is a proud UCLA Bruin, was the first ever walk on to UCLA Women's Soccer team, and was part of the 2013 National Championship winning team. She additionally holds a Master of Social Work degree from Columbia University, a Master of Science in Sports Psychology from Pennsylvania Western University, and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. She currently works at a TK-6th grade school in South Los Angeles and is most passionate about creating safe spaces where students can feel seen, empowered, and most importantly loved. Outside of her fancy credentials, she is also a dog mom, marathon runner, adventureer, and lover of sports.
Stephanie Mobley, MSW, LCSW
Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Denver school of social work online. She is a Master Social Worker and is working toward her RPT. Stephanie's experience includes working with survivors of intimate partner violence, survivors of different crimes, survivors of sexual assault, children in schools, children of mixed status families, and recently arrived immigrant children. Stephanie enjoys working with people throughout the lifespan. Stephanie is passionate about building bridges and destigmatizing mental health in the Latine community. she believes that play can be a vehicle for healing intergenerational and historical trauma and bridge the gaps between generations.
Yuvelqui Rattigan, LCSW-C, RPT™
Yuvelqui Rattigan, also known as Yuvi, is an experienced bilingual Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical and Registered Play Therapist. She is a strong psychotherapist with specialized training in EMDR, Play Therapy, Grief & Bereavement, CBT, TF-CBT, and Family Therapy.
Yuvi currently serves as Mental Health Program Manager at the Center for Hope, formerly known as the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, and as a Member of The Board of Advisors for the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation's inSTEM program. Yuvi also actively promotes restoring the emotional health of Black children who suffer from higher rates of stress related to racial discrimination in the United States as a member of the Black Mental Health Connect Clinical Advisory Team.
Tatiyahna Richardson, MSW, LCSW
Tatiyahna Richardson is a social worker, therapist, and passionate activist within the clinical realm. Tatiyahna holds a Masters of Social Work from University of Missouri St. Louis and practices in child psychiatry and private practice sectors in St. Louis. Tatiyahna is currently pursuing Registered Play Therapist credentialing. She incorporates the arts, music, somatic work, and cultural inclusivity as aids of healing within the play room.
Tatiyahna actively promotes decolonizing mental health, clinical activism for children and families experiencing racial & systematic traumas, and collaborative care. Her background includes residential facilities, Autism clinics, therapeutic preschools, and community-based services. Tatiyahna shares interests in the arts, agriculture, urban farming, and restorative practices.
Alethea C. Rudolph, LCPC, ICST, RPT™
Originally from Ohio by way of Maryland, Alethea has her BA from Ohio State University in Anthropology and her MA from American and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Cultural Anthropology and Counseling.
Alethea is a surrogate educational parent to help children attain their needs and is connected in therapeutic foster care with several children. Alethea is an LCPC with her ICST (International Credentialed Sandtray Therapist) and a certified Lego Serious Play facilitator. She works with children to adults to couples, but her all time loves are children and adolescents.
Alethea enjoys creating, from writing children’s books to cooking, to baking, to shopping, and being with family and friends. She has a wonderful cat named Goliath Persephane Rudolph, and a niece and nephew she adores.
Aliya Subhit, PhD, MA, LMFT
Dr. Aliya is an interdisciplinary clinician holding a clinical license as a Marriage and Family Therapist and a doctorate in Counseling Education and Supervision. She received her Masters degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Connecticut and her PhD from The George Washington University. Dr. Aliya has provided clinical therapeutic services in a myriad of settings including non-profit organizations, public and charter schools, college campus clinics, outpatient centers, private practice, and childcare centers, and has also supervised clinicians-in-training and served as mental health educator in university and clinic settings.
Dr. Aliya specifically has a focus in utilizing play therapy techniques in her practice and is currently pursuing Registered Play Therapist credentialing.
Ama "Waffa" Traore, LPC
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™
Waffa is a Licensed Professional Counselor, as well as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She earned her Masters in Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology in 2011, and has passionate about the forensic, underserved, and the marginalized populations. Waffa currently works as the Clinical Program Director at a private Behavioral Health center in Northern Virginia. Her passion has led her to work with children and adolescents who struggle with behavioral and emotional challenges in various settings including homes, schools, acute hospitals, residential programs, outpatient, and private practice settings.
Waffa has clinical expertise with the development of behavior and incentive plans to support parents with managing their children’s behaviors in the home. She also has clinical experience working with children who have sexually offended or display poor sexual boundaries, and is currently working towards her Certified Sex Offender Treatment certification. In addition to providing direct care services in the community and managing two inpatient programs, Waffa is dedicated to advocate for the importance of creating more safe spaces for Black children to process their experiences with race based stressors and is excited to partner with BMH to support in achieving this goal.
