Our Facilitators
Dominique Begnaud, ATR, IL-LCPC, MO-LPC, NCC
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.
Jasmine Berger, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
Jasmine is a graduate of the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St Louis. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist that is a compassionate and fun clinician for children of all ages. Jasmine’s experience includes working in St Louis schools from early childhood through high school, as well as special education. These experiences make her a passionate advocate for you child’s needs. By using play and activities in therapy children are able to communicate and process feelings in a way that works for them.
She believes play can be healing and helpful for not only children, but across ages and communities. She hopes to bring some playfulness to your life.
Kristen Borgmeyer, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
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, RPT-S™
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.
Ali Gabel, LPC, ATR
Ali is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist specializing in 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. For 10 years, she 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.
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.
Ebony Hutchinson, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
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.
Tranae Harris-Bingham, PhD, LAPC
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.
Carmen Jimenez-Pride, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
Carmen Jimenez-Pride is the creative mind behind Focus on Feelings®, an emotional literacy curriculum, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Certified AutPlay® Therapy Provider, Certified EMDR Therapist, Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher and Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, Clinical Consultant and Assistant Trainer. Carmen is also a Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator.
Carmen is a trauma therapist experienced in the clinical treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with culturally diverse backgrounds addressing a wide range of concerns. Carmen’s career in the mental health field spans more than 15 years. She is an international speaker, award-winning, best-selling author, and business consultant. With a focus on cultural humility and cultural diversity, Carmen educates clinical professionals to address racial and cultural trauma within their clinical practices.
Brie Jordan-Cooley, MSW, LCSW, RPT™
Brie Jordan-Cooley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist with a background in trauma attunement and gender violence. She has been working with children and their families in varying capacities and settings for over 20 years. She has experience working with Autistic youth, LGBTQ youth, and survivors of IPV and/ or sexual assault. Much of Brie's work focuses on healthy attachment, connection, effective communication, and collaborative skill building between the child and caregiver. She incorporates a number of expressive art forms, including but not limited to: art, music, puppetry, sand tray, drama, LEGO, and story telling. Having grown up and attended the school where she currently lives, it is vitally important to Brie that every child and family have access to equitable and inclusive services.
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.
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.