Education: Lori earned her Bachelors of Arts in Social Work with a secondary major in Women’s Studies from Kansas State University in 1999, her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Kansas in 2002 and her Play Therapy Certification from KC Play Therapy Institute in 2006.

Experience: Lori began her professional career as a case manager at a residential children’s home in Wichita, Kansas, where she developed a strong foundation in foster care and child protective services. After relocating to the Kansas City area, she joined SAFEHOME, an agency serving survivors of domestic violence. Over the course of sixteen years, Lori held a variety of roles including advocate, Shelter Director, Child and Family Therapist, Outreach Therapist, and ultimately Clinical Director. In her role as Clinical Director, she oversaw the agency’s counseling program, which served more than 1,000 clients annually.

In 2015, Lori became co-owner of Heartland Play Therapy Institute, Inc., where she began teaching the Fundamentals of Play Therapy workshop. That same year, she established her private practice in Overland Park, Kansas. Throughout her career, Lori has also provided contract services including individual therapy for children in Head Start programs, home study and post-placement services for families adopting domestically and internationally, and training and play therapy supervision through the KC Play Therapy Institute PlayTalk program.

Lori has pursued extensive training in a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including play therapy, Theraplay, Psychodrama, Emotional Transformation Therapy, Resonance Repatterning, EMDR, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Art Therapy. Her clinical work is grounded in the belief that healing happens best within safe, attuned relationships. Lori is especially drawn to working with children of all ages, including adults, and views play as a powerful language that allows clients to express themselves, feel understood, and move toward meaningful change.

As a supervisor, Lori is passionate about creating a supportive and collaborative learning environment where clinicians feel encouraged to be curious, reflective, and authentic in their work. She values the supervisory relationship as a space for both professional growth and personal integration, and believes that strong, trusting relationships are central to effective therapy. Lori enjoys mentoring clinicians as they build confidence, deepen their clinical intuition, and expand their skills, while honoring their unique strengths and developing their professional voice.