About.

blurb about kids connect

At KidsConnect children are provided a safe and calm atmosphere where they feel comfortable to be themselves and communicate through play freely. We work with children to help them explore and process their thoughts, problems, emotions, and regulation through play. Through parent support, we work to empower parents with skills to help their children navigate emotional needs, self-regulation, and build self-resiliency at home and in their daily lives. We offer unique services that set us apart from other therapists in our area, including our knowledge in neuroscience, nervous system integration, and polyvagal theory. Children have access to traditional playrooms, a regulation gym, and sensory experiences. We pride ourselves in being a trauma informed and neurodivergent affirming practice.

Kathryn Wright

Cindy Johnson

Stephanie Saavedra

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I'm Kathryn Wright and I am a child mental
health counselor in the Tampa area. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Registered Play Therapist, and I earned my master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Saint Leo University. My specialty is child-centered play therapy, child-parent relationship therapy, and instinctual trauma response therapy. I am passionate about working with children and families to help them become their best selves.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida, Colorado and Alabama and Registered Play Therapist. I have obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University, a post graduate certificate in Play Therapy from the University of Wyoming, and a post graduate certificate in Equine Assisted Mental Health from the University of Denver. For the past 19 years I have worked with children and their families as a psychosocial, individual, and group counselor, case manager, elementary school teacher, tutor, and now as a trauma informed children’s behavioral health therapist utilizing play therapy techniques. Child-Centered Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, Instinctual Response to Trauma Method, and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy are my biggest influences when working with children and their families to connect, heal, and grow through play. I believe that when children are given a chance to lead, explore, and demonstrate their own resiliency—they are given the opportunity to grow, heal, and change from within. I am currently working on my certification in Synergetic Play Therapy. At Play Heal Grow, children are provided a safe and calm atmosphere where they feel comfortable to be themselves and communicate through play freely. I work with children to help them explore and process their thoughts, problems, emotions, and regulation through play. Through parent support, I work to empower parents with skills to help their children navigate emotional needs, self-regulation, and build self-resiliency at home and in their daily lives. I support parents in understanding their emotional needs within the parental relationship, to understand their own windows of tolerance, and how to model self-regulation for their children.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and EMDR-trained therapist currently pursuing my play therapy certification. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Kean University in New Jersey in 2014 and completed my Master's program at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in 2018.

During my time in New Jersey, I volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA New Jersey, where I aided children in the foster system. Additionally, I served as a case manager and therapist at a community mental health center, specializing in working with children and families.

In 2019, I relocated to Florida and initially worked in a psychologist group before transitioning to an agency role as a community therapist. In this capacity, I provided services in various settings such as schools, homes, and shelters. It was during this time that my passion for play therapy blossomed, leading me to accumulate a trunk full of play therapy supplies and pursue certification in the field, which I am currently undertaking.

In 2022, I completed a kids yoga teacher training and am now providing yoga and mindfulness sessions for children in the community. I thoroughly enjoy this opportunity as it allows me to engage with the children while teaching them calming and mindfulness skills.

On a more personal note, I was born and raised in Cali, Colombia, and immigrated to New Jersey at the age of 18. Adjusting to life in the United States was initially challenging, but I am now bilingual and conduct therapy sessions in both English and Spanish.

I am married and blessed with an amazing preschooler who has taught me invaluable lessons about myself. Parenthood has provided me with a deep understanding of both its joys and challenges.