Kristie Marr

Kids have feelings and deep emotions long before they have the language to explain what’s wrong. Maybe your child has become more anxious, more reactive, or more shut down than usual. Maybe school, friendships, or big transitions — a move, a new sibling, a changing family structure — seem to hit them harder than you expected. You can see they’re trying, but something isn’t quite landing for them, and you’re left wondering how to support a child who can’t yet put their struggle into words.

 

That’s where I come in.

 

I specialize in working with children, tweens, and teens (3 to 15 years old) who are navigating anxiety, ADHD, giftedness, low self-esteem, power struggles, and life transitions that feel bigger than they can manage alone. Families often describe me as warm, steady, and attuned — someone who helps create the kind of grounded environment where kids feel safe enough to show up as themselves. Together, we focus on the emotions beneath the behavior, building confidence, emotional intelligence, and resilience your child can carry with them well beyond our work.

 

With younger children, I practice from a Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) approach. CCPT honors the simple truth that children communicate through play — their stories, fears, questions, and emotions often emerge through the toys and activities they choose. In the playroom, your child leads the way. My role is to provide a consistent, accepting space where they can explore challenges, build confidence, and make sense of their experiences at their own pace.

 

As kids move into the tween years, the world becomes more complex. Expectations grow, friendships shift, schedules fill, and their bodies and identities begin changing quickly. Many tweens feel caught between who they are and who everyone else seems to expect them to be. Therapy gives them space to pause, better understand themselves, and learn how to navigate stress, disappointment, relationships, and big emotions with greater confidence.

 

Because children don’t exist in isolation, I also work closely with parents and caregivers. Parenting can bring tremendous love alongside uncertainty, frustration, and plenty of moments when you wonder whether you’re handling things the “right” way. I help parents better understand what may be driving their child’s behavior, build practical skills for responding to difficult moments, and feel more confident trusting themselves as caregivers. This can include navigating tantrums or power struggles, changing family dynamics, differing parenting approaches, and the complexities of co-parenting.

 

My work also extends beyond childhood and parenting. I enjoy working with adults who are adjusting to major life transitions, particularly retirement and the changes that can come with aging. Retirement can bring freedom and possibility, but it can also raise unexpected questions about identity, purpose, relationships, independence, and what comes next. Therapy can offer a place to thoughtfully navigate those changes and build a meaningful life within a new season.

 

I also work with individuals living with chronic illness or chronic pain. When your body changes what you are able to do — sometimes temporarily and sometimes permanently — the emotional impact can be significant. Grief, frustration, uncertainty, changes in relationships, and feeling disconnected from the person you used to be can all become part of the experience. Our work can focus on making space for those realities while helping you reconnect with a sense of agency, identity, and meaning.

 

Whether I’m sitting on the playroom floor with a child, helping a parent feel steadier in a difficult season, or supporting an adult through a major life transition, my goal is similar: to create a warm, grounded space where you can better understand what’s happening, develop tools that genuinely fit your life, and feel more confident moving forward.