Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade, LCSW

03/10/2026

I had an activity. They had a vision. This is what happened.

Each girl gets 6 chips. On each one, she writes something she sees in one of her group members, something real, something true.

Anonymous. No names attached to who wrote what. Just the message.

At the end, every girl walks away with a bag full of reflections from people who have only known her for 8 weeks. No history. No agenda. Just what they actually noticed.

That’s the power of a near-stranger’s mirror- it’s clean. They haven’t decided who you are yet. They’re just watching. And sometimes that’s exactly the reflection you need.

Yesterday was our final middle school session. Some of these girls are “graduating” out and will be moving on to the High School group. I’m reminded, like I always am at the end, that the group becomes something none of us could have built alone.

Turns out you really are all that, and a bag of chips. 💎

03/04/2026

Spring is here and it’s time to BLOOM.

Let’s connect!

I’ve got CE trainings dropping on topics I am deeply passionate about, three new groups launching, and honestly, a lot more in the works.

If you’ve been looking for a reason to show up, invest in your craft, or plug into something that actually feeds your clinical soul, this is your sign.

Click the link below so we can connect!

www.EricaTatumSheadeLCSW.com

03/02/2026

Confidence is not built in moments of applause.
It is cultivated in environments where girls are consistently seen, supported, and safe enough to grow into who they are becoming.

Read more: https://www.ericatatumsheadelcsw.com/post/the-final-curtain-call-confidence-clarity-and-the-environments-that-shape-our-girls

03/02/2026

Let’s gooo! It’s officially March! ✨
Social Work Month.
Women’s History Month.
Arizona Play Therapy Conference.
And best of all… my birthday month 🎂

Today was already so full, starting the morning with my High School G.E.M.S. girls and ending the day at an amazing dance competition. My cup is FULL.

March is giving growth, purpose, and celebration already.
What are you most looking forward to this month?

02/26/2026

Guess what?!? Registration is now open for our upcoming boys group at Integrated Mental Health Associates

Registration for our boys' group is now open!
https://www.integratedmha.com/event-details-registration/g-e-n-t-s-guys-empowered-navigating-tough-situations-4

02/24/2026

I have two spots available in the History of Play Therapy Training this weekend 💛!

https://www.aziapt.com/events

02/23/2026

“Why did you write this story?”

I heard this question more times than I can count today and honestly, I love it every single time. 🖤

The standard answer: I wanted to create a story that helps children understand what it looks like to go to therapy.

The real answer: I wanted to write for little kids like little me. Kids who needed to see themselves reflected in the pages. Kids who needed to know that therapists who look like them exist, right here, in their community. 💛

Today I had the honor of sharing both Layla Goes to Therapy AND Fernando Has Feelings and watching these babies hold those books? That’s everything. 🥹📚

A huge thank you to for having me as part of Black Child’s Book Week! This is exactly why I do this work.

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.”