Family counseling services for Cedar Park, Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown and Lakeway

Providing Compassionate Guidance Individual & Couples Therapy Pre-teen & Adolescent Therapy Play Therapy with Children

View Details

Nurture Family Counseling® | Cedar Park, Texas

Providing Compassionate Guidance Individual & Couples Therapy Pre-teen & Adolescent Therapy Play Therapy with Children

View Details

Our Counselors

Location:

Type of Therapy:

Richard Honey

MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, NCC, EMDRIA Approved Consultant

About My Practice

Mandi Meléndez

MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S

MA, LMFT-S

MA, LPC

M. Ed., LPC-S, RPT-S

MS, LPC, RPT, NCC

MA, LPC

MS, LPC-Associate; Supervised by Mandi Meléndez, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S

MSW, LCSW-S, RPT

MA, LPC-Associate, NCC; Supervised by Mandi Meléndez, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S

About My Practice

Sara Gormley

MA, LMFT-Associate, LPC-Associate, NCC; Supervised by Mandi Meléndez, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S

About My Practice

Gabrielle Turner

MA, LMFT-Associate, LPC-Associate, NCC; Supervised by Mandi Meléndez, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S

About My Practice

Alexis Tanaka

MSSW, LMSW Supervised by Earley Barnes-Ullrich, MSSW, LCSW-S, RPT-S

About My Practice

Jessica Suarez

MA, LMSW Supervised by Karen Confer, MSW, LCSW-S

About My Practice

Yesenia Sandoval Gonzalez

MA, LMSW Supervised by Earley Barnes-Ullrich, MSSW, LCSW-S, RPT-S

About My Practice

Di Hughes

MA, LPC-Associate; Supervised by Richard Honey, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, NCC

About My Practice

How Therapy Works

Therapy is a collaboration between you and the therapist. During weekly sessions we will explore your hopes for the counseling process, identify areas you would like to change and build the tools needed to facilitate that change. We work to make sense of your experience and set attainable goals for a more satisfying and fulfilling future.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our practice.

Counseling Services

IMPORTANT NOTICES

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is an evidence-based, developmentally appropriate therapy designed specifically to address the needs of children but is also shown to be effective and supportive across the lifespan.

Play therapists use a variety of toys and activities to help children engage in therapy, communicate feelings, express needs, and ultimately resolve challenges.

You can learn more about play therapy, and the body of research that supports it, as a best practice for children, here:

Association for Play Therapy

Are all counselors who work with children trained to work with children? What is a Registered Play Therapist (RPT)?

No. Most counseling programs do not require the additional training needed to work effectively with children in therapy, and clinicians are not required to disclose this to parents who are considering therapy for their child.

The RPT program requires significant training as part of its credentialing process, and at Nurture Family Counseling, we require any therapist who works with children to have either completed their Registered Play Therapist credential or to be working towards their RPT credential under the clinical supervision of an RPT-Supervisor.

In order to become a Registered Play Therapist, a clinician must first be a fully licensed mental health professional with a graduate degree in a counseling field. They then undergo a lengthy process of learning and supervision in order to develop a post-graduate specialty in providing services for children. This credential ensures that your child receives quality mental healthcare that is specific to their developmental needs.

Do you take insurance?

We value your privacy and your right to access the most effective course of mental health care, as agreed between you and your therapist, without third party intervention.

Nurture Family Counseling is an out-of-network provider and so does not take any insurance. You can pay with an HSA/FSA card, and we can also provide you with the necessary paperwork for you to file for out-of-network reimbursement if your policy covers those services.

We do not process insurance for several reasons. Using insurance requires a diagnosis, and we believe that while all people experience challenges, not all people need a diagnosis in order to seek and deserve support. There are ethical challenges inherent in giving a diagnosis to a minor, and a formal diagnosis can impact future schooling and career options.

Insurance also represents an additional party with access to private healthcare information, and we know that many people prefer their privacy.

What do all those letters after your names mean?

There are a variety of licensures that allow a trained professional to offer psychotherapy services. Our practice has intentionally curated a group of specialists with a variety of backgrounds and experience levels to offer comprehensive services from a wide range of perspectives. Some of the licenses you may see:

LMFT is Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT-Associate is the designation given prior to the completion of 3,000 hours of supervised practice)
LPC is Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-Associate is the designation given prior to completion of 3,000 hours of supervised practice)
LCSW is Licensed Clinical Social worker (LMSW is the designation given prior to completion of 3,000 hours of supervised practice)
Supervisor, or “S” designation, means the clinician is licensed by the State of Texas to supervise and oversee Associate clinicians.

Why are the fees different?

Therapist fees vary and are determined by their years of experience, level of licensure, and additional specialty training.

Providing Compassionate Guidance

We at Nurture Family Counseling® want all people to feel safe when seeking mental health support and are committed to providing compassionate guidance to everyone in our community who needs it.

We realize those who have suffered great injustices have more barriers to engaging fully and with emotional safety in counseling.

We acknowledge oppression in our community and the impact this has had on those seeking the non-judgement that is central to the therapeutic relationship.

While each of our therapists believe in empowering their clients through relational connection, we are aware that navigating early moments in the therapeutic process carry many unknowns for clients.

We recognize our efforts will be imperfect and at times we will be blind to the ways we perpetuate wounds. We pledge to be open to conversation, challenge and correction.

We are dedicated to continually reevaluating our practices to ensure we make changes that are intentional and sustainable.

To that end, we want every person who seeks support at Nurture Family Counseling to know that we as therapists:

Recognize our own various privileges as well as experiences of oppression.
Acknowledge that we have made mistakes and contributed to systemic racism.
Are committed to learning the best ways possible to help our clients, which include challenging our own point of view and the majority, harmful narratives that show up in society.
Are dedicated to growing personally and professionally.
Will continue to engage in education, reflection, and self-exploration to create a counseling environment that is safe for everyone.

Individuals & Couples

Therapy is a collaboration between you and the therapist. We work to make sense of your experience and set attainable goals for a more satisfying and fulfilling future.

Pre-teens & Adolescents

We take a multi-faceted approach to our work with adolescents, considering your teen’s development, neurobiology, social support system, and unique personality and experiences.

Play Therapy with Children

Younger children may experience grief and loss, divorce of their parents, and other unexpected changes, and they don’t simply forget, not understand, or bounce back.

Our Specialties

Individual and couples therapy
Counseling adolescents and children
Trauma and attachment
Depression
Anxiety
ADHD and anger management

Eating disorders and body image
Behavioral issues
Parenting
Family conflict
Divorced and blended families
Life changes and transitions

Our Specialties

Individual and couples therapy
Counseling adolescents and children
Trauma and attachment
Depression
Anxiety
ADHD and anger management
Eating disorders and body image
Behavioral issues
Parenting
Family conflict
Divorced and blended families
Life changes and transitions

Contact Us

Latest News

Decoding Teens Social Media

June 26, 2017

In the age of social media, knowing the language adolescents’ use and how they use it is an important way to assess for mental health, peer bullying and just generally understanding your teen’s mindset.

Are you getting a “real” play therapist?

June 12, 2017

Language is fairly new for even a very articulate child, so a competent therapist must be trained to use alternative routes for providing support and creating change with younger children. A trained play therapist can facilitate exploration and personal growth using play in much the same way a therapist for adults would use language.

The Importance of Embracing Boredom

May 29, 2017

I would agree that technology and screen time can be valuable, but it also has some unintended consequences. And while boredom seems a nuisance we need to extinguish, it actually has some powerful benefits.

Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site. Click to open the map in a new window.

Providing Compassionate Guidance Individual & Couples Therapy Pre-teen & Adolescent Therapy Play Therapy with Children

Providing Compassionate Guidance Individual & Couples Therapy Pre-teen & Adolescent Therapy Play Therapy with Children

Our Counselors

Location:

Type of Therapy:

How Therapy Works

Providing Compassionate Guidance

Our Specialties

Our Specialties

Contact Us

Latest News

Professional Associations