My partner and I have two children, who are four years apart in age. As anxious and loving new parents, we participated in our oldest child’s play as much as we could, and as early as we could. From infancy, we joined our oldest on the floor to show interest in his world, communicate with him in the language he speaks (play), and demonstrate his importance and value to us. As a Registered Play Therapist, I teach parents daily about the importance of child’s play and how children learn, problem solve, communicate, express, and work through their feelings, all through play. I also educate families about how much love and significance a child feels when parents join in the activities that bring joy to the child; it builds connection! And as we know, when children are more connected, they are generally more cooperative. So much good comes from playing with your children! Learn More...
All About Group Therapy
/in Creative Family Counseling/by Courtney Morgan, LPCAWe are so excited to begin offering Group Therapy to our community! Our team of expert clinicians are eager to begin implementing this new therapeutic modality in order to serve the needs of the community in a way we never have before.
Group Therapy supports individuals of all ages experiencing concerns such as challenging social interactions, low self worth, difficulty managing stressors, feelings of anxiety or depression, feelings of isolation, or struggling with life transitions. Group Therapy is a highly effective therapeutic modality that may be implemented as a stand alone mental health treatment, or in addition to other forms of therapy such as individual, family, or couples counseling. Learn More...
Teaching Our Child the Gift of Independent Play
/in Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SMy partner and I have two children, who are four years apart in age. As anxious and loving new parents, we participated in our oldest child’s play as much as we could, and as early as we could. From infancy, we joined our oldest on the floor to show interest in his world, communicate with him in the language he speaks (play), and demonstrate his importance and value to us. As a Registered Play Therapist, I teach parents daily about the importance of child’s play and how children learn, problem solve, communicate, express, and work through their feelings, all through play. I also educate families about how much love and significance a child feels when parents join in the activities that bring joy to the child; it builds connection! And as we know, when children are more connected, they are generally more cooperative. So much good comes from playing with your children! Learn More...
Merry & Bright or Chaotic & Stressful: Preparing for the Holidays
/in Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SFamilies across the country are preparing for the upcoming holiday break. This time of year, while full of joy and love, can also be a time of chaos and stress for many people. There is a change in routine and schedule, new experiences, new stimuli and lots of changes in general.
Consider your holiday break last year. Was it stressful? Would you like this year to be more on the Merry & Bright side instead of the Chaotic & Stressful side? We are here to help! Creative Family Counseling has two upcoming, time limited services available, which can help your winter break go peacefully this year! Learn More...
A Day in the Life of a Play Therapist: Attending a Play Therapy Conference
/in Creative Family Counseling/by Lisa Howard CardwellHave you ever wondered what a day at a play therapy conference might look like? I can assure you, it’s a lot of fun! I recently attended a fun Play Therapy Conference focused on Puppets in Play Therapy and Nature Play Therapy. Here are some highlights of the conference. After checking in I found my seat with some colleagues from Creative Family Counseling and some play therapists from Hazard, Ky. We chatted a bit and then our trainer, Jaime Lynn Langely, LCSW, RPT-S, started the class with a fun challenge. She had us list all the ways we might use a small brown paper bag in play therapy. I listed 11 which was the most of all the people in attendance. I won a prize for having the most responses! My clients will definitely use these prizes. This was a great way to start the conference! Learn More...
Attachment and Teens: Staying Connected to Your Child During Adolescence
/in Family Life/by Rebecca Street, LMFTAdolescence is a challenging time for most parents. Often in our therapy offices at Creative Family Counseling we hear from parents that they knew how to care for their children when they were small, but that they feel like estrangement or conflict are inevitable as their child navigates adolescence. While it is understandable that many parents feel this way, it is the cultural stereotype of teenager/parent relationships. The loss of connection between you and your child does not have to be inevitable. Learn More...
3 Ways to Support Your Children as You Proceed with Separation or Divorce
/in Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SThe decision to separate or divorce a partner is often times a laborious and heart-wrenching process. If the partnership includes children, the decision causes ripples of reactions which impact all family members. Depending on the age of the children in your family, there may be differing needs which should be considered on an individual basis. However, there are some things you can do as a parent moving through separation or divorce which will help your children, no matter their age. Learn More...
6 Ways to Help Your Children Transition Back-to-School
/in Family Life/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SThe Back-to-School-Struggle
The transition back to school can be a challenge for both children and parents alike. With the start of a new school year, comes many new adjustments – new classroom, new teacher, new peers, maybe even a new school altogether. During the school day, children continue to experience new transitions between classes and tasks all throughout their day. It’s definitely a transition-overload. For parents, additional school-year responsibilities can increase the overall stress level in the home with the return of hurried mornings for getting everyone to where they need to be on time. Learn More...
Therapist Spotlight: Tiffany Keith Offers Insight to the Burned-Out-Momma
/in Creative Family Counseling/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SRecently, Tiffany Keith, Marriage and Family Therapy Associate at the Creative Family Counseling Lyndon Practice, was featured in an article by Tonilyn Hornung on the website Mother Untitled. Hornung and Keith discuss the history of motherhood and professionalism and how past expectations for mothers in the home may need to be re-evaluated and discussed within a healthy partnership in the article titled “How to Clear the Outdated Stereotypes Cluttering Your Home.” You can hear what Tiffany had to say in the full article, here! Learn More...
Louisville Based Practice Expands Animal Assisted Therapies to Include Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
/in Creative Family Counseling/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SCreative Family Counseling, a child and family counseling practice with locations in Lyndon and Prospect, has long been known to offer Animal-Assisted Therapies. Founder and CEO Lacey Ryan, LMFT and her dog Lola have offered this service as a certified pet therapy team since the practice opened its doors in 2016. Lola’s gentle and powerful work has inspired other clinicians on the Creative Family Counseling team to train and certify their own pets for this work. The practice now has four therapy dogs between the two locations, offering the beautiful and healing service that only animals can offer. Learn More...
A Life of Service: Lola’s Retirement From Animal-Assisted Therapy
/in Animal Assisted Therapy/by Lacey Ryan, LMFT, RPT-SWhile in graduate school earning my degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, I spent a semester working as a student counseling intern at a psychiatric hospital. Also at that hospital worked a Therapy Dog named Brinkley who offered a sweet and calming presence to the patients with whom he worked. Brinkley was the first Therapy Dog I’d met. While I had known of working Service Dogs, I had never met a Therapy Dog and was excited to learn about the difference between the two and something called Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT). Learn More...