Dr. Emily Keller

11/14/2025

Today, I am presenting on spiritual and religious themes that emerge in play therapy. We'll be increasing our self-awareness and multicultural humility related to this topic.

10/30/2025

My view as I sit in the waiting room motivating myself to clean the playroom after group play therapy.

10/30/2025

My view as I sit in the waiting room staring down the play room I have to clean in the next 15 minutes.

10/28/2025

This is a great episode for parents.

I will elaborate in my newsletter.

Hidden Brain · Episode

09/04/2025

If we want to raise children with the capacity to explore different and sometimes conflicting thoughts so they can progress their thinking, we need to help them develop emotional regulation.

A sign of emotional immaturity is needing others to think similarly/ having a low tolerance for new ideas.

We simply won't think beyond our emotional regulation skills.

08/30/2025

🌿 Not every child needs play therapy right away.⁠
Sometimes, the best way to support your child is by starting with you.⁠
⁠
In my practice, I’ve learned that when kids are stuck in therapy, it’s often because the family system is overwhelmed or misaligned.⁠
⁠
👂 Maybe the adults aren’t on the same page.⁠
🤐 Maybe there’s unspoken conflict between co-parents.⁠
👵 Maybe caregivers like grandparents or sitters are sending mixed messages.⁠
⁠
Children feel all of that. Even when no one’s talking about it.⁠
⁠
This week on the blog, I’m sharing some of the reasons I gently recommend family therapy, parent support, or couples work before starting play therapy—and why that leads to better outcomes in the long run.⁠
⁠
✨ You don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s find the right first step together.⁠
⁠
🧠 Read the full post at the link in bio.⁠

08/30/2025

🌿 Not every child needs play therapy right away.
Sometimes, the best way to support your child is by starting with you.

In my practice, I’ve learned that when kids are stuck in therapy, it may be because something is off in the family system.

👂 Maybe the adults aren’t on the same page.
🤐 Maybe there’s unspoken conflict between co-parents.
👵 Maybe caregivers like grandparents or sitters are sending mixed messages.

Children feel all of that. Even when no one’s talking about it.

This week on the blog, I’m sharing some of the reasons I gently recommend family therapy, parent support, or couples work before starting play therapy—and why that leads to better outcomes in the long run.

✨ You don’t have to figure it out alone. Let’s find the right first step together.

🧠 Read the full post at the link in bio.

08/16/2025

One of the quiet joys of being a parent to teens and young adults is seeing them in healthy friendships and, eventually, healthy relationships.

Their connnections to others who value them make it easier to let go as they make the natural shift of focusing on the horizons of their expanding worlds.

Things we can do when they are younger to foster healthy connections later in life are: Model healthy boundaries. Have clear communication. Prioritize being respected over being liked.

The last one encompasses having integrity as well as a capacity for being ok with your actions even when others are not.

08/13/2025

School starts today!!

For those of us who work with children, this is an exciting time. Summer slows down a bit as children and families go on vacation. Then, when school starts, the phones start to ring. Already, I have just three more spots in three weekly play therapy groups starting soon. I expect they will be filled by Monday. 😆

Group therapy is a wonderful option for those of us who want to see more children and have limited availability. It is also great for the children who benefit from our working with them on sharing their thoughts and feelings with others, setting boundaries, negotiating time and toys, etc. It is also a cost-friendly option for parents.

The groups I run are for ages 5/6, 7/8, and 9/10.

Yes, it is a lot of work and requires extra time after to clean up, and it is so worth it.