If you are feeling unsure if counseling is needed or necessary for your kiddo, I would love to introduce myself to help with your thought process. Hi! My name is Amaris Molina, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate supervised by Dr. Fitzgerald. I have my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio and this is where I first started working with children in counseling. I have worked with children outside of counseling since I was a freshman in high school, and I mention that to let you know that I have always had a passion to help children. My thought has always been: If I can help a kiddo in their early years, then maybe I’m helping them in their later years. That to say, if your child has experienced or is experiencing a struggle in life, I would love to be one of the supporters in their healing journey. As we know, children have big feelings and thoughts in small containers, but that doesn’t lessen the scariness of it all.

I am passionate to work with children and adolescents struggling with what life dealt them and I believe in the power of play to help heal! My niche is working with kiddos pre-school to middle-school aged who are struggling with divorce/separation, grief, sexually traumatic experiences, and anxiety and depression. I mostly use a method called child-centered play therapy when working with younger kids. What I love about play therapy is that it allows the child to feel comfortable with discussing their internal struggles when they are ready. This method also allows children to use a well-known language: play (toys, puppets, crafts, etc.)! However, if play therapy is not inviting or fitting, I utilize cognitive behavioral theory as my guide. With this theory, I focus on drawing out the individual’s feelings, thoughts, deep beliefs of themselves, and connect them to actions/behaviors. As a counselor, I often like to say share your struggles with me and we can carry the load together until it’s time to let it go. I would encourage you to reach out if you have questions about counseling or my methods/theories. If you would like counseling for your child or adolescent, please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to help you both start this process.

Contact us to schedule with Amaris at: admin@mindfulmovementscounseling.com