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Headshot of Sarah Burgos, LMHC

Sarah Burgos

Therapist
11 years of experience
  • In-person
  • Anxiety, ADD/ADHD, Family issues, Anger management, Grief or loss, Relationship issues, Trauma
  • Individual therapy, Child or adolescent therapy, Family therapy

Great to meet you!

  • I specialize exclusively in working with children ages 3–12 using Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT).
  • I work with children experiencing anxiety, big emotions, low self-esteem, oppositional or challenging behaviors, trauma, family changes, social difficulties, and other emotional or behavioral concerns. I also have extensive experience and knowledge in autism (ASD), ADHD, neurodivergence, and supporting children who experience the world differently.
  • I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, hold two master's degrees, including one in Counselor Education, and have extensive training and certification in Child-Centered Play Therapy.
  • I have more than 20 years of experience working with children and families, including over a decade as a School Counselor and several years as a child therapist.
  • I especially enjoy working with children who haven't been successful with other approaches to therapy, as those kids are often the most in pain. CCPT tends to work beautifully with children who struggle in more commonplace directive therapies.
  • I'm also a mom of three boys, including a child with special needs, which has deeply shaped the way I support parents.
  • I want parents to feel understood and supported throughout their child's therapy process, which is why I meet with parents regularly and support them an essential part of my work with their child.

My approach to therapy

  • My primary approach is Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), a strongly researched, evidence-based approach designed specifically for children ages 3-12.
  • Rather than expecting children to sit and talk about difficult feelings, play therapy gives them a developmentally appropriate way to communicate, process experiences, work through challenges, and build emotional regulation through the natural language of play.
  • My approach is warm, accepting, relationship-based, and neurodiversity-affirming.
  • Rather than focusing solely on managing behavior, I look beneath the behavior to understand what a child may be communicating or struggling with emotionally.
  • By addressing those underlying needs, children develop greater confidence, self-control, resilience, emotional regulation, and a stronger sense of self— this ultimately leads to meaningful and lasting improvements in behavior as well.
  • Parents are an essential part of the therapy process. I meet with parents regularly to discuss progress, understand what they are seeing at home, offer support, and help them feel more confident responding to their child's emotional and behavioral needs.

What you can expect from me

  • Before we begin, parents watch a brief 20-minute video explaining how Child-Centered Play Therapy works and what to expect from the process. We then meet for an Initial Parent Consultation that is for caregivers/adults only (no children present).
  • This is your opportunity to tell me what has been happening, ask questions, and share your concerns. Together, we'll begin making sense of the “why” behind your child's behavior and how they wil work through this in play therapy, as well as what to expect.
  • After our consultation, we'll schedule your child's sessions for the same day and time each week, creating the consistency and routine that helps children feel safe and comfortable in the therapy process.
  • For children over 5, I typically begin the first session with a simple activity that helps us get to know one another, allows your child to become comfortable with me and the playroom, and gives me a snapshot of where they are emotionally. With younger children, we typically move right into play.
  • From there, therapy is always non-directive, which studies have shown is more powerful and effective for children in therapy.
  • Your child is given the freedom to choose how they use their therapeutic time rather than being told what to talk about or what to play. While it may look natural and spontaneous to your child, my role is very intentional.
  • My responses and interventions are highly attuned, structured, and purposeful, allowing your child's play to become the vehicle through which they communicate, process experiences, develop emotional regulation, and grow.

About me

  • I identify as
    Caucasian, Cisgender Woman
  • My style is
    Creative, Warm, Holistic

Qualification and insurance

  • Years of experience
    11 years of experience
  • Training
    MA (Master of Arts) at Nyack College (Alliance Graduate School of Counseling), MEd (Master of Education) at City University of New York (Queens College)
  • License type
    LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) (Florida)
  • Licensed in
    Florida
  • Insurance accepted
    Aetna, Carelon Behavioral Health, Curative

Cost

Care details

  • Top specialties
    Anxiety, ADD/ADHD, Family issues, Anger management, Grief or loss, Relationship issues, Trauma
  • Therapy methods
    Humanistic, Behavioral, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Experiential, Strength-Based, Attachment Based, Psychoeducational Family Therapy, Play
  • Care types
    Individual therapy, Child or adolescent therapy, Family therapy
  • Ages served
    Children, Infants / Toddlers
  • Languages
    English
  • Location
    220 Lookout Place Suite 200
    Maitland, FL 32751

Nearby areas