Marci Ramsay, LSCSW, RPT-S
Marci is the owner of Connections Child and Family Therapy. Her advanced degree is a Master of Social Work earned in 2006 from The University Of Kansas. She holds licensure in the state of Kansas as a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (#4179). In addition, she is a Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor (#S1960). Marci is also Level 2 trained in EMDR and Level 1 certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics through the Child Trauma Academy.
Marci has worked in early childhood mental health for nearly 20 years. She has been employed at Positive Bright Start as an Early Childhood Mental Health Clinician and Early Childhood Services Administrator since 2007. She opened her private practice in 2016. Marci is passionate about providing high quality, evidence-based interventions to young children who have experienced trauma and other life challenges. Marci's primary practice is the assessment and treatment of children, birth through age 11, utilizing developmentally informed and neurobiological based play therapy interventions.
Marci believes that children do as good as they can and have the innate capacity to heal. Marci adopts the practice of non-directive play therapy, allowing each child to direct their own healing process in a supportive, nonjudgmental, and relational space. Establishing safety and trust are integral to the therapeutic process and Marci places emphasis on this process of connection knowing that without the felt sense of safety, children are not able to fully heal.
Marci has worked in early childhood mental health for nearly 20 years. She has been employed at Positive Bright Start as an Early Childhood Mental Health Clinician and Early Childhood Services Administrator since 2007. She opened her private practice in 2016. Marci is passionate about providing high quality, evidence-based interventions to young children who have experienced trauma and other life challenges. Marci's primary practice is the assessment and treatment of children, birth through age 11, utilizing developmentally informed and neurobiological based play therapy interventions.
Marci believes that children do as good as they can and have the innate capacity to heal. Marci adopts the practice of non-directive play therapy, allowing each child to direct their own healing process in a supportive, nonjudgmental, and relational space. Establishing safety and trust are integral to the therapeutic process and Marci places emphasis on this process of connection knowing that without the felt sense of safety, children are not able to fully heal.
Karla Flores-Hernandez, LMLP-T
Karla has a Bachelor's in psychology from Universidad Centro Americana Jose Simeon Canas-UCA (El Salvador). She attended and then received her Master's in Clinical psychology from Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado (El Salvador). While developing her private practice, she began her career with Salvadorean community residents (children and adolescents) at her college Psychological Assistance Clinic. She enhanced the skill of treating various clinical issues focusing on behavioral and emotional problems. She currently holds a licensure in the State of Kansas as a Licensed Masters Level Psychologist – Temporary (LMLP 03103-T) and will work under the supervision of Marci Ramsay, who is an LSCSW (#4179)and Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor (#S1960) and Becky Cheek-King, LSCSW.
Karla has been working in the mental health field for over 13 years. Although she is originally from El Salvador,and her native language is Spanish, she is fluently bilingual.
Karla feels comfortable working with children and adolescents and knows that it is necessary to guide parents to improve their family relationship by helping them understand their children's specific emotional and psychological needs. Karla likes to help families implement interventions with compassion and efficacy. Families, especially parents, must have adequate and suitable techniques to work with their children to help with a healthy emotional environment.
Karla treats children through play therapy and other psychodynamic techniques and interventions to help them express their feelings, solve problems, and build skills. That way, they can bring to light negative communication patterns in their families. Moreover, this will guide her to discover problem-solving techniques and strategies to meet their psychological needs.
Denai Armer, LMSW
Denai's educational history began at the University of Kansas in Social Psychology Department's Bachelors program, where she participated in training and research in a peer-relations lab working to identify motive and means of aggressive behaviors with preschool-aged children. She obtained her B.G.S., in Psychology from University of Kansas, in 2005, and immediately began employment with a Level VI Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for children, adolescents and teens diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, and complex trauma. This experience with highly traumatized youth led Denai to obtain her Master's degree in Clinical Social Work from The University of Kansas, in 2011, and obtained her licensure in Kansas, Missouri, and later reciprocal licensure in Arkansas.
Denai's clinical experience ranges from working with at-risk youth involved with the juvenile justice system, to those experiencing academic challenges due to intellectual and social impairments. She obtained her certification in home-based therapy services in 2011, which has provided her with a unique skill set to support families based on their individuality as a family system. Denai has developed a passion for utilizing eclectic therapeutic techniques to best meet the goals of her clients, as she observed children's’ needs and strengths to change daily. Denai utilizes techniques incorporated from evidenced-based practice including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Crisis Intervention & CBT-Suicide Prevention, Trauma Systems Theory, Attachment Based Therapy, Play Therapy, along with more specialized treatment modalities for individuals diagnosed with persistent mental illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and personality disorders.
Denai feels her greatest strength as a clinician, is how she utilizes creativity in response to each child’s individual strength and innate abilities. She does not limit her interventions and approach to one form of therapeutic modality. Denai challenges herself daily to increase her knowledge of continuously evolving techniques, involving neuro-clinical awareness to better understand and support her clients' diverse experiences, strengths, and challenges.
Denai is currently working toward her Clinical licensure and is under the supervision of Marci Ramsay, LSCSW, RPT-S.
Denai's clinical experience ranges from working with at-risk youth involved with the juvenile justice system, to those experiencing academic challenges due to intellectual and social impairments. She obtained her certification in home-based therapy services in 2011, which has provided her with a unique skill set to support families based on their individuality as a family system. Denai has developed a passion for utilizing eclectic therapeutic techniques to best meet the goals of her clients, as she observed children's’ needs and strengths to change daily. Denai utilizes techniques incorporated from evidenced-based practice including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Crisis Intervention & CBT-Suicide Prevention, Trauma Systems Theory, Attachment Based Therapy, Play Therapy, along with more specialized treatment modalities for individuals diagnosed with persistent mental illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and personality disorders.
Denai feels her greatest strength as a clinician, is how she utilizes creativity in response to each child’s individual strength and innate abilities. She does not limit her interventions and approach to one form of therapeutic modality. Denai challenges herself daily to increase her knowledge of continuously evolving techniques, involving neuro-clinical awareness to better understand and support her clients' diverse experiences, strengths, and challenges.
Denai is currently working toward her Clinical licensure and is under the supervision of Marci Ramsay, LSCSW, RPT-S.
Alana Kramer, LMSW
Alana graduated from the University of Kansas with an advanced standing Masters of Social Work degree 2008. She is pursuing credentials as a Registered Play Therapist and a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker. Before her position at Positive Bright Start, Alana held a variety of titles including Milieu Group therapist with adolescents at KidsTLC Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility and In-home Outpatient Therapist for children in foster care through KVC.
Alana’s primary practice is the assessment and treatment of children with social and emotional difficulties, focusing on treating children with histories of trauma, depression, anxiety, attachment disruptions and adjustment disorders. Alana prefers to use strengths based, solution focused, trauma informed and attachment based theories to assess the needs of children and their families. Alana has received training in a variety of models, including Dialectical Developmental Psychotherapy, Trauma Systems Therapy, Sandtray therapy, Theraplay, and Child Centered Play Therapy. Alana’s primary focus is to build solid trusting relationships with her clients and their parents and to approach each unique family using a child-centered, attachment focused and trauma informed lens. Alana is passionate about helping children and their families improve their quality of life and reach their fullest potential.
Alana is currently working toward her Clinical licensure and is under the supervision of Marci Ramsay, LSCSW, RPT-S.
Alana’s primary practice is the assessment and treatment of children with social and emotional difficulties, focusing on treating children with histories of trauma, depression, anxiety, attachment disruptions and adjustment disorders. Alana prefers to use strengths based, solution focused, trauma informed and attachment based theories to assess the needs of children and their families. Alana has received training in a variety of models, including Dialectical Developmental Psychotherapy, Trauma Systems Therapy, Sandtray therapy, Theraplay, and Child Centered Play Therapy. Alana’s primary focus is to build solid trusting relationships with her clients and their parents and to approach each unique family using a child-centered, attachment focused and trauma informed lens. Alana is passionate about helping children and their families improve their quality of life and reach their fullest potential.
Alana is currently working toward her Clinical licensure and is under the supervision of Marci Ramsay, LSCSW, RPT-S.
Erin Landau, OTR/L
Erin has a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from The University of Kansas. She is licensed in Kansas and in Missouri. Her previous experience includes working in pediatrics, specifically with babies, birth to three years old. Erin also has experience working with clients following a brain injury. Erin offers assessments and evaluations, looking at overall development of children, to determine if occupational therapy services are needed. She is able to assist with gross and fine motor skills, as well as cognition, social-emotional and self-help development. Erin is also skilled in working with children and families on sensory issues (sensory sensitivities or seeking behaviors) that are impacting everyday life and will provide strategies to help regulate their brains and bodies. Additionally, Erin is a feeding specialist and can work with children and families on everything from picky eating to medical diagnoses that can complicate feeding. Erin is a big believer in involving caretakers in therapy sessions in order to provide strategies to implement in the child’s everyday life. She will strive to make OT sessions as functional to the child’s real life as possible and because children learn primarily through play, her OT sessions are often play based.