Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade, LCSW

02/12/2026

Play therapy week has come and gone, but the work continues.

Here’s a reality I didn’t share. I became a Registered Play Therapist and then a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor for selfish reasons. In the state of Arizona I only know two other Registered Play Therapists who look like me (please tell me I’m wrong and connect us 🙏🏾).

I started providing supervision to be able to increase those numbers.

I became an approved provider to ensure access to culturally responsive trainings, plus there were very few approved providers in Arizona offering regularly scheduled in person trainings that are a requirement for gaining your RPT status.

I believe in the power of play therapy.

I’ve provided trainings for several state branches, national and local conferences.

I served as president for our local branch for two terms and have served on the committee for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (often as committee of one) for years as well.

But that’s not enough,

I want to see more representation.

I want to see more state agencies actually training their staff to appropriately incorporate play therapy into their care of some of the most vulnerable in our state.

I want more play therapy education taught at the university level.

I want to see more trainers bringing their lived experiences into clinical training.

I want the narrative that “Arizona doesn’t produce play therapists” to be a falsehood.

But I’m one person standing on a soap box…

Let’s collaborate. Start here → https://linktr.ee/Ejsheade

02/08/2026

Our G.E.M.S. High School BRAVE Edition group coaching program just kicked off! 🎉 Over the next 8 weeks, these girls will go on a journey of discovering more about who they are and who they want to become.
If we haven’t met, let me introduce myself. My name is Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade and I’m a licensed clinician and certified Daring Way Facilitator. Most importantly, I’m a mom raising teenagers who are navigating their identity and finding their voice in a world that doesn’t always make space for them.
I’ve been leading these research-backed, culturally responsive groups for nearly 8 years, serving over 200 girls. Now I’m looking to connect with others who want to bring these programs to more communities. That could look like:
✨ Partnering to bring a G.E.M.S. group to your community
✨ Getting trained to facilitate a group yourself
✨ Booking a one-off workshop for your organization
If this is something you’re interested in, let’s connect offline!
https://linktr.ee/Ejsheade

02/08/2026

No caption needed ❤️

Today I watched my daughter step onto a photo shoot set for her Cotillion. Lights. Backdrops. Direction. Poise.And there she was. Calm. Confident. Completely herself.I felt that familiar mix of awe and humility that hits me at the most unexpected times as a parent. The quiet realization that somehow...

02/07/2026

When children feel understood, they feel less alone.

When they feel less alone, they grow.
That’s what play therapy does. It fosters emotional wellness. Facilitates communication. Increases personal strengths. Enhances social relationships. Not through lectures or worksheets, but through connection.

International Play Therapy Week is a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be intimidating or adult-centered. Sometimes, it starts on the floor, with a toy, a story, and a relationship built on trust.

This week reminded me why I do this work. Every sandtray scene. Every puppet show. Every “watch this!” moment.

Children are resilient, creative, and capable of profound healing, when we trust the process and meet them where they are.

To my fellow play therapists: keep doing the sacred work.

To parents: your child’s play matters more than you know.

Happy International Play Therapy Week!

02/06/2026

Things play therapists hear:
“So you play all day? Dream job!”
“Can you analyze my kid right now?”
“I could never sit on the floor that much”
“Wait, that’s a REAL thing?”

Yes, it’s real. Yes, my knees hurt sometimes. And yes, it’s absolutely the dream job.

But here’s what it actually looks like:
We observe patterns.
We track themes.
We respond intentionally.
We build relationships that foster belonging and confidence.

That moment when a child switches from the aggressive dinosaur to the nurturing one? We notice.
When they bury something in the sand for the third week in a row? We’re paying attention. When they finally invite us into the play? That’s therapeutic progress.

Every choice in the playroom has purpose, even when it looks simple from the outside.

So yes, we play. But never “just play.”

02/06/2026

Are you joining us this weekend? There’s still one spot available. https://www.integratedmha.com/group-registration

02/05/2026

Children are capable.

Of creativity. Problem-solving. Persistence. Connection.

Adler believed every child is moving toward belonging and significance. When they misbehave, withdraw, or act out, they’re not broken, they’re discouraged. They’ve lost sight of their own capability.

The playroom changes that. When a child builds something difficult and says “I did it,” that’s not just play. That’s a child experiencing themselves as capable. When they navigate conflict in a pretend scene, that’s practicing cooperation. When they choose to try again after failing, that’s courage in real time.

We don’t need to fix children. We need to encourage them, to help them rediscover what was always there.

Behavior is communication. Play helps us understand the message.

Want to learn more, let’s connect

02/04/2026

Courage doesn’t always look like talking about hard things.

Sometimes it looks like pretending.
Trying.
Building.
Starting over.

Adler taught us that encouragement is about building a child’s belief in their own capability, courage is literally at the root of the word.

A child who knocks the tower down and rebuilds it is practicing resilience. A child who tries something new after weeks of avoidance is moving toward significance on their own terms.

Play therapy gives children space to practice courage without pressure, without judgment. And over time, that courage doesn’t stay in the playroom. It shows up at home, at school, in friendships.

What does courage look like for the kids in your life?

Want to learn more, lets connect https://linktr.ee/Ejsheade

02/01/2026

It’s International Play Therapy Week! As a registered play therapist, I get asked all the time: “So you just… play with kids?”

Yes. And also no.

Play is a child’s first language. Before they have words for “I’m scared” or “I feel out of control,” they have the language of play. Through toys, stories, movement, and imagination, children show us what they don’t yet have words for.

When we meet children in their language, healing happens.

This week I’ll be sharing why play therapy works, what it looks like, and why it matters. Stay tuned!

01/29/2026

Last year I was offered an opportunity to cowrite a chapter in an upcoming Play Therapy book by the amazing Sueann Kenney-Noziska

Preorders are now available

https://www.routledge.com/Play-Therapy-and-Childhood-Sexual-Abuse-A-Clinical-Guide-to-Practice/Kenney-Noziska/p/book/9781032586397

01/21/2026

I’m honored to be part of Scottsdale Leadership, Inc. Class 40. As part of our program, we are completing a “Project Lead It Forward” supporting Horses Help, a 501(c)3 providing therapeutic horsemanship for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and behavioral challenges, as well as at-risk youth, military families, and veterans. We’re raising funds to create a welcoming garden space on Horses Help’s campus- a calming place for reflection and connection.

As a Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO) in Arizona, eligible donations may qualify for a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit (up to $987 for joint filers and $495 for individual filers). Please consider supporting this meaningful project in any denomination by clicking the following https://crm.nonprofiteasy.com/8141/Pages/fundraising/ #/430 or by scanning the QR code below.

Thank you for your support!

01/17/2026

There’s a new friend for you to meet. https://amzn.to/4qXcCb1