About Me
Thank you for considering me as a therapist for yourself or your child!
Becoming a therapist was a career change for me, one of the many life decisions I have had to make. I immigrated from Brazil in the late 90's with two young children, I raised them as a single parent and working mother for most of their childhood. I have personal experience with acculturation, married life, single parent life, dating as a single parent, remarriage, blended family, empty nest syndrome and life after divorce.
After obtaining my Masters in Counseling Psychology, I worked with foster children and at risk youth and their families at non-profit agencies in San Diego. During my initial months as a trainee, I quickly realized that so many clinicians were struggling in their work with children because they were relying mostly on the power of talk therapy, which typically does not work well with children under 12 because their brains are just not developed for that kind of cognitive therapy yet. That is when I did my research and came across Play Therapy. As I learned more about neuroscience, brain & trauma, I realized that play and expressive art therapies are very important therapeutic tools not only for children but for teens and adults to process their childhood traumas and to bring unconscious material to the surface in a non intrusive way. My passion for working with children led me to complete a two year post graduate certification in Play Therapy at UCSD Extension where I learned the necessary tools to speak the language of children in order to help them heal.
Having experience working with children and understanding what causes them hurt and pain has also led me to be more sensitive when working with adults looking to heal and empower their inner child. Many of our adult negative behaviors and choices stem from unresolved and often unconscious childhood issues that once brought to awareness can facilitate positive changes in the present.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Play Therapist Supervisor(RPT-S), Sandplay Practitioner (SP), SoulCollage® Facilitator & Immediate Past President of the California Association for Play Therapy (CALAPT). I also volunteer as a Disaster Mental Health worker for the Red Cross. I have training in EMDR (Level 1& 2), TF-CBT & several kinds of expressive arts therapies. I keep up to date by often attending conferences & workshops in the fields of play therapy, sandplay therapy, expressive arts therapy, attachment, trauma and neuroscience. I utilize a Psychodynamic and Attachment lens to better understand the children and families I work with, meaning I look closely at early childhood history and experience. I offer a holistic, integrative approach to therapy, always taking into consideration the physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual needs of each client.
I am extremely passionate about my work and believe that my personal & professional life experiences paired with my continued education have allowed me to become a very empathetic, supportive and genuine therapist.
On a personal note, I love travelling, reading, photography, hiking, city biking, tent camping, beach, gardening, dancing, creating my personal SoulCollage® Cards and I am a proud parent of two adult children.
Being part of an individual or family transformation is very fulfilling, it is delightful to observe the process where children and adults learn new ways to communicate, understand and connect with each other at a deeper level. I look forward to working alongside you as you take a step towards living a happier, healthier, balanced lifestyle!
Languages Spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Becoming a therapist was a career change for me, one of the many life decisions I have had to make. I immigrated from Brazil in the late 90's with two young children, I raised them as a single parent and working mother for most of their childhood. I have personal experience with acculturation, married life, single parent life, dating as a single parent, remarriage, blended family, empty nest syndrome and life after divorce.
After obtaining my Masters in Counseling Psychology, I worked with foster children and at risk youth and their families at non-profit agencies in San Diego. During my initial months as a trainee, I quickly realized that so many clinicians were struggling in their work with children because they were relying mostly on the power of talk therapy, which typically does not work well with children under 12 because their brains are just not developed for that kind of cognitive therapy yet. That is when I did my research and came across Play Therapy. As I learned more about neuroscience, brain & trauma, I realized that play and expressive art therapies are very important therapeutic tools not only for children but for teens and adults to process their childhood traumas and to bring unconscious material to the surface in a non intrusive way. My passion for working with children led me to complete a two year post graduate certification in Play Therapy at UCSD Extension where I learned the necessary tools to speak the language of children in order to help them heal.
Having experience working with children and understanding what causes them hurt and pain has also led me to be more sensitive when working with adults looking to heal and empower their inner child. Many of our adult negative behaviors and choices stem from unresolved and often unconscious childhood issues that once brought to awareness can facilitate positive changes in the present.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Play Therapist Supervisor(RPT-S), Sandplay Practitioner (SP), SoulCollage® Facilitator & Immediate Past President of the California Association for Play Therapy (CALAPT). I also volunteer as a Disaster Mental Health worker for the Red Cross. I have training in EMDR (Level 1& 2), TF-CBT & several kinds of expressive arts therapies. I keep up to date by often attending conferences & workshops in the fields of play therapy, sandplay therapy, expressive arts therapy, attachment, trauma and neuroscience. I utilize a Psychodynamic and Attachment lens to better understand the children and families I work with, meaning I look closely at early childhood history and experience. I offer a holistic, integrative approach to therapy, always taking into consideration the physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual needs of each client.
I am extremely passionate about my work and believe that my personal & professional life experiences paired with my continued education have allowed me to become a very empathetic, supportive and genuine therapist.
On a personal note, I love travelling, reading, photography, hiking, city biking, tent camping, beach, gardening, dancing, creating my personal SoulCollage® Cards and I am a proud parent of two adult children.
Being part of an individual or family transformation is very fulfilling, it is delightful to observe the process where children and adults learn new ways to communicate, understand and connect with each other at a deeper level. I look forward to working alongside you as you take a step towards living a happier, healthier, balanced lifestyle!
Languages Spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish.
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Education
B.A. Communication Studies Major in Journalism Universidade Sao Judas Tadeu São Paulo - SP - Brazil M.A. Counseling Psychology National University San Diego, CA - USA Post Graduate Certification in Play Therapy UCSD Extension San Diego, CA - USA Post Graduate Training in Sandplay UCSD Extension & STA Trainings San Diego, CA - USA 
List of Workshops, Conferences & Trainings Attended
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Professional AffiliationShirla de Magalhães
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist BBS - Board of Behavioral Science - CA - LMFT License # 82947 RPT-S - Registered Play Therapist Supervisor #S2226 SP - Sandplay Practitioner - STA - Sandplay Therapists of America Associations
Accomplishments
Recognitions
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