Carmy is passionate about helping children, families, and communities heal through connection and creativity. As co-owner of Heartland Play Therapy Institute, she blends deep clinical expertise with a heartfelt commitment to making mental health care more accessible—especially within the Latino community.

Fluent in Spanish, Carmy began her career in the public school system as an interpreter and Family School Liaison, where she quickly discovered her calling to help children and families navigate life’s challenges. Over the years, her journey has taken her from early childhood behavioral and psychological assessments to working as a bilingual therapist at SAFEHOME, Inc., the Child Abuse Prevention Association, and currently in her co-owned private practice, Creative Connections, LLC.

Carmy is a Licensed Specialized Clinical Social Worker in Kansas, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri, a Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™, and a Registered Sand Therapist – Consultant/Trainer. She also supervises clinicians working toward social work clinical licensure in Kansas and Missouri and toward their registered play therapy credential nationwide.

A dedicated educator, Carmy loves teaching play therapy workshops and mentoring future therapists. She has served as President of the Kansas Association for Play Therapy and is a graduate of the Association for Play Therapy’s Leadership Academy. Her belief is simple: Play Therapy is essential for understanding and processing trauma through the eyes of a child.

Carmy approaches her work from a humanistic perspective, believing that therapy should be client-led and grounded in authentic connection. She integrates expressive therapies to help clients communicate and heal in ways that feel natural and safe. Her expertise includes attachment-based informed approaches such as Theraplay® and Child–Parent Relational Therapy, along with Sand Therapy (Sandtray), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Psychodrama, and Group Therapy. Deeply committed to increasing the number of skilled therapists serving the Latino community, Carmy is dedicated to creating safe, supportive spaces where children and families can grow and thrive.

When she’s not in the therapy room or teaching, you’ll likely find Carmy spending time with her family—especially with her active sons, Drew and Noah—cheering on the Chiefs, and watching anything that brings a good laugh or cry.