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Theraplay Maura is trained in Theraplay techniques. Please review this page for helpful information about Theraplay. Maura can help determine if this is a good option for you and your child.

About Me. Maura is an independent contractor at ReGroup Counseling in Elk River, Minnesota and has a private practice in downtown Elk River. ​ Practice Population: Parents at all stages, family planning, experiencing infertility, miscarriage, post partum mood and anxiety disorders , adoption, step-parenting , parents experiencing family change . Children ages 3+. ADHD, anxiety, ASD, behavior problems/school challenges, chronic pain/medical diagnosis, brain injury/concussion, depression, DC 0-5 assessments, family change, self-harm, trauma, grief and loss . ​ Hello! Welcome to Fresh Outlook. Maura specializes in working with parents wherever they are in their parenting journey and children ages 3+. Maura holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota with a dual concentration in clinical practice and families and children. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Maura is working towards becoming a registered play therapist, is trained in Theraplay® techniques, Accelerate Resolution Therapy (ART) and utilizes an attachment approach to individual and family therapy. Maura’s background includes working in elementary schools and medical settings (Emergency Room, Pediatric ICU, NICU, Labor and Delivery, and Pediatric Brain Injury). Maura is passionate about working with children and families through various challenges and developmental stages. Approaches include both client-centered and directed activities. She is energetic and enjoys providing visual and physical representations of feelings and experiences in sessions. Maura encourages and supports families with work between sessions and tracking family progress through solution-centered techniques. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, fishing, spending time with animals, and traveling with her family. She is currently practicing her dream job, but she would be a lobster fisherwoman if she weren’t a therapist.

Why Play Therapy? Maura utilizes Play Therapy and TheraplayⓇ techniques in her practice. See some of the below resources to learn more about these approaches.

What are perinatal mood and anxiety disorders? What postpartum depression feels like:

Resources Resources and tools for outside of session. MindUp Video series teaching social-emotional and mindfulness skills. Item Title Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text. SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Lots of great resources. Item Title Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text. Coping Skills Calming Strategies Tool Box Item Title Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Insurance At this time, Maura is working towards accepting all major insurance s so please check back to see if your insurance has been added. If your insurance is not currently accepted you will be offered a generous sliding scale fee or a super bill until that insurance is accepted. ​ Currently accepts: Aetna It is recommended that you contact your insurance provider prior to scheduling any services to ensure that you are aware of your coverage and cost. ​

What is ART? Accelerated Resolution Therapy is a therapy technique that helps to restore mental health by working to reduce or eliminate the physical reactivity associated with distressing memories or images and changing the way distressing images are stored in the brain. The images are tied to the sensations and emotions; the sensations and emotions cause the symptoms. If we can change the images, and we eliminate the symptoms, it’s just that simple.​ How does it work? ART works directly to reprogram the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions. ART accomplishes this through the use of rapid eye movements similar to eye movements that occur during dreaming. During REM sleep, your brain and body are energized and dreaming occurs. REM is thought to be involved in the process of storing memories and learning and balancing your mood, although the exact mechanisms still need to be better understood. Unlike traditional talk therapies, ART does not require clients to recount their troubling memories. This can be a great relief for those who prefer not to talk about their experiences because they find them so upsetting.​ Why does ART use eye movements? Eye movements aid overall mental coordination, alertness, mind/body integration and learning. Eye movement help bring both the rational and emotional sides of the brain together which helps to make new connections in the brain and generate new solutions. Eye movements appear to reprogram the brain to interrupt negative thoughts, images and feelings, resulting in positive changes in behavior.​ What can I expect during an ART session? During an ART session, your therapist will facilitate eye movement by moving their hand back and forth in front of your eyes. The brain, while focused on a problem and concurrently using eye movements, makes new connections with your strengths and problem solving abilities. Your eyes moving like this helps your brainwave frequency to slow, so you're able to more easily access memories. Once we access them, we'll use something called "Voluntary Image Replacement" to allow you to form more favorable, less painful versions of these memories. Obviously, we can't make the events have never happened, but we can use the power of your brain to put them back in your memory bank in a way that doesn't cause you so much distress. ART takes advantage of what we are learning about memory reconsolidation: every time we recall a memory, we change it a bit before we file it away again. We might add or subtract details or feelings about it. Using eye movements while we recall memories seems to cause traumatic memories to be less intense the next time we recall them. It is common for people to report that memories are less vivid, more distant, seem further in the past and are harder to focus on once they are processed using the ART protocol. You will continue to have the knowledge and facts of the memory, but you will lose the pain associated with it.

Crisis Resources Call 911 if you or someone else is in immediate, physical danger. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : 988 Text Line 24/7 text HOME (or AYUDA for help in spanish) to 741741 ​ Emergency Room Near Me ​ National Maternal Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746 National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673 ​​ County Specific Crisis Lines: Anoka County: 763-755-3801 Carver County: 952-442-7601 Dakota County: 952-891-7171 Washington County: 651-275-7400 Ramsey County: adults – 651-266-7900, children – 651-266-7878 Scott County: 952-818-3702 Sherburne County: 763-765-4000 Hennepin County: adults or children – 612-596-1223 ​ Minnesota Warmline is available for anyone who is struggling with anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation, especially during this challenging time. Call 877-404-3190 toll-free or text "Support" to 85511 from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Certified Peer Specialists are here to listen; here to help. For additional mental health resources online see: www.fasttrackermn.org