Our Team

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Lindsey has widespread experience treating folks across the lifespan, but specializes in working with children and adolescents with a variety of challenges including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, ADHD, ODD, autism, and physical disabilities. Lindsey worked with children individually in an outpatient settings while also contributing to afterschool programs for parents and children, focusing on enhancing parent-child relationships while fading unwanted behaviors through positive behavior plans.

Lindsey offers a subspecialty in treating Trauma, as she completed postgraduate training in Trauma-Focused-CBT and EMDR therapy. Her holistic eclectic approach integrates creative art and play interventions that she emphatically tailors to each client's age, interests, strengths, and needs. Lindsey is especially brilliant at listening compassionately to the feelings, worries, and aspirations of children, teens, and their parents, and bringing forth just the right therapeutic strategy for the situation. She maintains a sense of gratitude that she has the rare privilege of witnessing clients of all ages overcome challenges and surge towards their dreams of success.

When Lindsey is not working she enjoys going for walks, watching football, making her own art, and soaking up rays and surf at the beach.

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Julie is a registered, board-certified art therapist and a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania. She completed her Masters of Arts in Creative Arts Therapies from Drexel University, with a thesis entitled, Communication Impressions: A Printmaking Method with Children in an Elementary School Setting.

Julie has clinical experience working across various settings including inpatient, residential, long-term care, public school, and Camp Pegasus. She worked extensively with children, adolescents and young adults with varied neurodevelopmental diagnoses including Autism, ADHD and Intellectual Disabilities and neurotypical adolescents that presented due to crisis stabilization and persistent behavioral obstacles. Additionally, she provided creative and caring treatment to youth seeking support with emotional and behavioral issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma from abuse, PTSD, grief and loss, suicidality, homicidal ideation, psychosis, OCD, ODD and general life/family transitions. Julie’s work with highly acute patients spurred her professional growth in trauma-informed and sensory-sensitive care practices for the neurodiverse community, as well as stabilization after trauma, and verbal de-escalation.

In her free time, Julie enjoys painting, hiking, swimming, kayaking, trying new recipes and spending quality time with her spouse, young daughter, and two pets, Rubi the pitbull and Mango the orange tabby.

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Therapist

Donald “Donn” Lonnquist is a Registered, Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania. He earned his master’s degree from Drexel University’s Creative Arts in Therapy program, where he completed his thesis on bullying and art therapy. With 17 years of experience, Donn specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families. Much of his career has been dedicated to supporting students as a school-based therapist within the School District of Philadelphia, as well as in alternative emotional and behavioral settings.

Donn has received recognition for his commitment to children's mental health through awards, leadership roles, and service coordination across multiple schools. He was also a member of the Child and Adolescent Crisis Response Team, where he provided compassionate care for youth facing severe emotional challenges.

Continual learning is central to Donn’s practice. He has participated in trainings on DSM-5 disorders, DBT, CBT, mindfulness, autism awareness, and has led professional development on multiculturalism, health disorders, and safety. Donn works with a wide range of diagnoses using a person-centered, strength-based, and holistic approach. He believes every child can grow when given the right environment: “safety, consistency, and trust”—foundations that allow healing and resilience to emerge naturally.

Licensed Social Worker

Eve Atkins is a licensed social worker with a master’s degree, graduated summa cum laude, from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. She also holds a master’s degree in infant and child development from Sarah Lawrence College, showcasing her strong academic foundation.

Eve began her career at The Parent Center at Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan, where she provided parent and child/infant dyadic therapy, individual support, and psycho-educational groups for parents of children with developmental delays and behavioral challenges. Her work involved addressing complex trauma, including forced parent-child separations, abuse, substance use, and poverty. This experience was pivotal in shaping her trauma-informed, attachment-based approach to therapy. Eve also gained clinical experience in an outpatient clinic in the Bronx, treating children and adolescents dealing with anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges. She worked closely with families, teachers, and other professionals to ensure a holistic approach to therapy.

Eve has always been passionate about working with young children. She has training as a child-life specialist and worked as a counselor at Camp Pegasus. In 2022, she returned as a clinical supervisor. Eve’s flexible, integrated therapy approach fosters self-expression, coping skills, and healthy relationships through a child-focused, attachment-based framework and evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Outside of work, Eve enjoys watercolor, clay, and resin art, reading, and spending time with loved ones.

Art Therapist

Ive Ortiz completed her graduate education with a master's degree in Art Psychotherapy from Goldsmiths University of London. Following her academic journey in the United Kingdom, Ive transitioned into the role of Mental Health Project Manager and Art Psychotherapist in school settings. In these capacities, she provided supervision to master's-level students pursuing careers as Art and Play Therapists. She also led in-school art therapy programs for children ages 4 to 19, facilitated psychoeducational seminars for teachers, parents, and staff, and conducted classroom workshops, mental health assemblies, and crisis interventions. Additionally, Ive has worked with non-profit organizations, offering trauma-informed art therapy in after-school programs to communities impacted by collective trauma, where she led groups for adolescents and teens.

With over seven years of experience in community arts programs, Ive is passionate about utilizing art and play as powerful methods to form deep therapeutic relationships with children and adolescents. She believes these creative outlets provide children with a more comfortable space to express and process their emotions - and to work through hard feelings and overcome challenges. With her warm and engaging style, she quickly identifies each client’s most comfortable way of communicating, and then collaborates with them to develop the necessary skills and tools for emotional resilience. Ive's therapeutic approach is integrative, combining child-centered art and play therapy, verbal therapy techniques, and child-friendly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic models.

In her personal time, Ive enjoys horseback riding, hiking, ceramics, and cooking with family and friends.

Art Therapist

Claire Duncan holds a master’s degree in Art Therapy from the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, Oregon. Her capstone project, Ghosts in the Nursery: A Case Study in Child Art Therapy, examined how art therapy and the therapeutic relationship can help repair missed developmental experiences and support emotional expression and regulation in children and their caregivers. Claire has experience providing therapy in both outpatient and nature-based settings, offering individual, parent-child, family, and group therapy. She has supported clients facing a range of challenges, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, trauma, and behavioral concerns. While she has worked with clients of all ages, she especially enjoys working with young children and their parents.

Claire brings deep thoughtfulness and care to her work. She prioritizes understanding each family’s unique circumstances and uses a thorough assessment process to tailor treatment to each child’s cognitive, emotional, and verbal development. Drawing from attachment theory, psychoanalytic principles, and family systems, Claire helps children build emotional regulation, strengthen communication, and deepen relationships with caregivers and siblings. Her goal is to empower children to thrive and grow into their full potential.

Outside of her practice, Claire enjoys gardening, bookbinding, creating art, and spending time with her cat, Suzy. She is happily settling into her new home in Philadelphia.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Kristen is a bilingual (English-Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of clinical experience working with children and families. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and has extensive training across a wide range of therapeutic modalities and developmental frameworks.

Kristen’s clinical orientation is attachment-focused and trauma-informed, with particular expertise in family systems work and early childhood development. Her professional experience spans community mental health, school-based services, outpatient care, and intensive in-home therapy. Kristen is trained in several evidence-based models, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Kristen’s specialization in family therapy is supported by advanced training in Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) and Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS). She draws from these approaches to meet the unique needs of each child and family, always with a warm, relational, and child-centered lens.

In addition to her clinical training, Kristen brings a rich background in early childhood education, with training in Montessori pedagogy and the Parents as Teachers curriculum. Outside of her clinical work, Kristen relishes soaking in time with loved ones. She enjoys taking long walks in nature, dancing Latin rhythms, and spending time near the water.

Board Certified Art Therapist

Corinne holds a Master of Arts in Creative Arts in Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy from Drexel University. Her thesis explored the experiences of homeless adolescents using a creative intervention called the “life map art task,” reflecting her deep interest in how art can illuminate and support personal narratives. With two decades of experience, Corinne blends her advanced academic training in developmental psychology with a passion for creativity and a strong commitment to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges through the power of visual expression.

Corinne has worked with clients across a wide range of needs, including children with developmental delays, adults in crisis, and neurodivergent youth. She has led individual and group therapy in schools, therapeutic camps, and residential settings. She is especially proud of her work integrating art therapy with social skills development for neurodivergent children. Most recently, she served on the clinical team at Camp Pegasus and Mini Pegasus, where her flexible, empathetic, and strength-based approach helped children feel seen and supported. Corinne also shares her expertise as an adjunct professor in the Art Therapy department at Arcadia University.

Outside of work, Corinne enjoys traveling with her husband, two children, and their dogs, Wallie and Poppy. She is passionate about lifelong learning, social justice, and exploring the world through her children’s eyes.

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Luisa Gray is a registered, board certified art therapist and a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania. Luisa earned her Master of Arts in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Art Therapy from Naropa University.

Her child-friendly art therapy approach to treatment helps both expressive and non-expressive children resolve a wide variety of emotional, behavioral and social problems. Her work with families employs a child-centered art therapy approach, play therapy, family systems, and a Mindfulness inspired outlook.

Trained in the rigors of outpatient mental health clinics, Luisa worked with both individuals and families on issues like grief and loss, depression, truancy, parenting issues and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders. She also gained valuable experience in facilitating art therapy groups for children with emotional and peer relationship problems.

Promoting social awareness and helping children learn how to connect to others in meaningful and respectful ways are some of Luisa's main therapeutic goals. She is currently taking a post graduate training course in play therapy at the Family Play Therapy Center in Mt. Airy.

When Luisa is not working, she is enjoying the whirlwind of raising her two young children with her husband.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Kim is a creative, compassionate, and trauma-informed Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and families navigating a wide range of complex needs. She is deeply passionate about helping children reconnect with their inherent strengths, resilience, and worth—especially as they heal from adversity and build greater self-compassion and skills to navigate life’s challenges.

Kim earned her Master’s in Social Work from Temple University and holds an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She enjoys weaving her background in the creative and expressive arts into her therapeutic work. Kim has specialized training in trauma-focused approaches, including certification in Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), an evidence-based, body-based treatment for complex trauma. She also draws from training in Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and continues deepening her knowledge of the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework.

Her clinical experience spans schools, counseling centers, and victim services, where she has supported families through traumatic loss as well as acute and complex trauma. Kim also worked as a family-based clinician, where she built a strong foundation in family systems work.

Outside of her professional life, Kim loves to cook and eat, garden, take nature walks, write, make art, take photos, and spend time with loved ones. She’s also a fan of spontaneous dance parties and finds peace anywhere close to a large body of water.

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Sarah is a master’s-level registered art therapist and licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania. A graduate of Drexel University’s Art Therapy and Counseling program, she has always been passionate about helping children grow, thrive, and find joy in the therapeutic process. During her graduate training, Sarah interned at the Easter Seals developmental preschool, supporting young children with developmental delays—a foundation that continues to inform her work today. Since earning her degree, Sarah has worked extensively with children and families in crisis, helping them build meaningful change, healthier communication, and more peaceful home environments.

Sarah brings deep clinical experience working with children facing a variety of challenges, including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, PTSD, ODD, depression, anxiety, trauma, and life transitions. Her therapeutic approach is flexible and integrative, drawing from multiple modalities while centering child-led, systems-based care. She fosters a safe, welcoming space where children are free to explore and express themselves through art, play, and conversation. Trained in the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) model, Sarah honors the essential role of the family unit and approaches parents with warmth and respect, even in the most challenging situations.

Outside of her clinical work, Sarah enjoys creating mixed media art, reading, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and their beloved dog, Leela.

Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor

Celeste Wade is a registered, board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor with a Master’s Degree in Creative Arts Therapies from Drexel University. Her thesis explored how family of origin dynamics influence the group dynamics people seek later in life.

Celeste began her career as a mental health therapist at a Philadelphia adoption agency, where she supported youth and families facing prolonged trauma and received specialized training in the ARC (Attachment, Regulation, and Competency) model. She later co-developed and led art therapy groups for refugee populations, collaborating with music and dance/movement therapists—work she continues to support through volunteerism.

Her experience also includes providing behavior therapy to children with autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, OCD, and other emotional and developmental challenges. She facilitated social skills groups at The Center for Autism and currently leads grief-focused art therapy groups for Camp Koala, a children’s bereavement program.

Celeste’s flexible, integrative approach incorporates CBT, behavioral therapy, and creative arts. She brings warmth, joy, and deep belief in each child’s potential to every session. Outside of work, she enjoys running, reading, making art, cooking, and spending time with her five nieces and nephews.

Art Therapist

Aimee is a registered, board-certified art therapist who earned her Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from Drexel University. Her thesis explored an art therapy approach to treating children with chronic pain, titled Art Therapy and Acceptance: An Approach to Treatment for Children with Chronic Pain.

Aimee began her clinical career as an outpatient therapist for a Philadelphia community-based foster care agency, working with children and adolescents who had experienced trauma, separation from biological parents, and chronic psychosocial stressors. During this time, she was introduced to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which sparked her passion for helping children cope with the effects of traumatic life events. Aimee further expanded her experience in grief support through training at Peter's Place, where she facilitated therapeutic grief groups for children and families.

Currently, Aimee works in the Children and Family Services division of a large community-based agency, where she supports children ages 4-18 facing stress from racism, marginalization, and other psychosocial challenges. Her therapeutic approach integrates art therapy, CBT, mindfulness, expressive arts, play, and verbal therapy tailored to each child’s unique needs.

Outside of work, Aimee enjoys yoga, outdoor activities with family and friends, sketching, and reading.

Art Therapy Intern
BetterWorld Accessible Therapy Program

Reilly Brady is thrilled to have been selected in a competitive interview process to be the current BetterWorld intern at the Child and Family Art Therapy Center. She is in her final year of the Creative Art and Therapies program at Drexel University. Reilly's undergraduate degree is in Behavioral Health and Addictions Counseling. She has clinical experience working with Adults at a community center and at a rehabilitation center for young adults and older with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). However, her dream, and the very reason she wants to be a therapist, is to specialize in the treatment of children, adolescents, and families. She has a special communication and always prioritized working with children. For many years she worked as a lifeguard and youth swim instructor and provided childcare for children of a wide range of ages and needs. Reilly has a strong passion and drive to create a protected space for children to express their feelings, overcome challenges, and find their voice and confidence. Reilly deeply believes in the power of art and play to communicate with children and process emotions - and can’t wait to work with her clients.

In her free time, Reilly loves to read, create art, watch women's sports, play board games with friends, and take in the relaxing vibes near any body of water.