Board

**Please note: due to an increased problem with spam we have removed individual email accounts from our website. To contact a board member please use the form on our Contact Us page.

 

Susan Bundy-Myrow, Ph.D., RPT-S – President

Sue is a Counseling Psychologist who has been a participant and promoter of NYAPT since its early years. She was a Director on the NYAPT Board from 2004 to 2008 and continues to foster play therapy for neurotypical children and those with asynchronous development and their families.  In addition to her private practice, Sue works with Child Psychiatry residents at the University of Buffalo, contributes to professional publications, and provides training, consultation and supervision in play therapy and Theraplay®. For sixteen years, she provided group play therapy, consultation and training to Special Education Teachers and teams.  With her husband, David Myrow, she collaborates in providing educational consultation and inservice training for teachers to help their students “socially connect and emotionally regulate.” Sue is a native New Yorker who looks forward to representing New York’s talented play therapists once again.

 

Yumiko Ogawa, Ph.D., LPC (NJ), ACS, NCC, RPT-S, Certified CCPT-S, Certified CPRT-S – Vice President

Yumiko Ogawa, Ph.D., LPC (NJ), ACS, NCC, RPT-S, Certified CCPT-S, Certified CPRT-S (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Marist University. She has been a counselor educator for the past 15 years and brings over 25 years of clinical experience providing play therapy and supporting children and families.
Yumi has worked across a wide range of settings, including schools, community agencies, private practice, and disaster response sites. She also led a play therapy project in collaboration with a nonprofit immigration law firm, which was recognized on the floor of Congress in a speech by the late Representative Donald Payne Jr.

She was a co-recipient of the Association for Play Therapy (APT) Research Award in 2021 and is an editor and contributing author of Multicultural Play Therapy: Making the Most of Cultural Opportunities with Children. Outside of her professional life, Yumi plays taiko (Japanese drumming) semi-professionally and enjoys singing and dancing with her daughter, who is in a very energetic toddler phase.

Linda Moyer, LCSW, RPT – Secretary

Linda Moyer, LCSW, RPT, has over 25 years of experience providing mental health services to children and families across school-based, hospice, outpatient clinic locations. Her leadership roles include program coordination in school and hospice settings. She currently runs a private practice in Amherst, New York. Linda previously served one term as a Director on the NYAPT Board. Linda’s professional strengths include collaboration. creativity and a strong commitment to professional connection and outreach. Continuing to seek out ways to promote professional connection through social media is essential however, creating and promoting additional opportunities however, Linda is particularly interested in expanding opportunities for clinicians across New York to connect, share ideas, and learn from one another. She believes that strengthening professional relationships enhances both clinical practice and public understanding of the value of play therapy. She is eager to support the current Board’s ongoing efforts in education, outreach and professional development through collaboration and service.

 

Domonique Messing, LCSW – Treasurer

Domonique Messing is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and Infant Mental Health Specialist currently practicing in Dutchess County, New York . She holds an MBA, which enhances her understanding of the interplay between mental health and organizational dynamics. With a commitment to fostering emotional well-being, Domonique works with children, families, and adults in both her role as a clinical play therapist supervisor at a group practice and through her own private practice. Utilizing play therapy techniques, she helps her clients navigate their unique challenges and enhance their mental health. Domonique is dedicated to advancing the field of play therapy and has made significant contributions as a co-contributing author of several chapters in play therapy publications. Currently pursuing a certification in perinatal mental health, she aims to further support expecting and postpartum mothers. Her passion for helping individuals during critical stages of development, combined with her extensive experience, ensures she provides compassionate, effective care tailored to her clients’ needs.

 

Danielle Albertson, LCSW – Director

I currently serve on the Social Media, Finance, and Emerging Play Therapists Committees for the New York Association for Play Therapy. I am interested in joining the Board of Directors because I have enjoyed the community space this organization has offered me and I would like to help develop more opportunities for community, connection, and growth for other play, and aspiring play therapists. I am currently in the process of accruing hours and training to apply to be a registered play therapist, and I have found it challenging at times to find helpful resources and supports in this journey. I would like to fill this gap for other aspiring play therapists. I have experience fundraising and planning community events, a skill I would love to be able to utilize in helping to plan more networking events for NYAPT throughout the year. I am currently the Assistant Director at the practice I work for in the Hudson Valley, where I have been able to strengthen my organizational and leadership skills. I was previously a board member for a nonprofit organization in the Hudson Valley, Bridge Builders, which hosts an annual community service week for youth in the area.

 

Kim Berkery, LMHC, RPT-S – Director

My name is Kim Berkery, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 27 years of experience in leadership, clinical supervision, and program development across diverse clinical settings. I’m an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Counseling and Mental Health Professions at Hofstra University, where I teach Group Counseling, Counseling Theory, Advanced Skills, Ethics, Practicum & Internship, and recently developed Child & Adolescent Counseling Skills.

As an RPT-S and CCATP, I bring deep expertise in evidence-based interventions for children, adolescents, and adults. Before joining Hofstra, I served as Senior Program Director for the Child & Family Program at YES Community Counseling Center, a nonprofit serving Nassau County. There I led program planning and development, applying evidence-based principles, ensuring regulatory compliance, and guiding teams to meet performance goals and measurable client outcomes.

In private practice, I treat anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, substance use, trauma (including sexual abuse), family conflict, divorce-related issues, and parenting challenges. I integrate client-centered approaches, CBT therapy, family systems, group and family modalities, and play therapy to tailor treatment to client’s needs.

I am also an active member of ACA, NYMHCA, and NYAPT, where I served as Recording Secretary of the Board from 2012–2018. I’m interested in returning to the board in the role of Director. I had a wonderful experience on the board previously and would like to contribute my skills and knowledge working alongside these dedicated members.

I also emphasize strong connections between the academic communities and NYAPT in order to encourage membership and participation in trainings/annual conferences.

 

Gunnar Brooks, LMHC – Director

Hello, my name is Gunnar Brooks, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with eight years of experience working with children and families. Although I did not initially take play therapy courses during graduate school, I quickly developed a deep passion for this approach early in my career. One of the most influential experiences in my professional development was attending a two-day foundational Child-Centered Play Therapy training led by Jodi Mullen, a current NYAPT board member. Her passion, integrity, and expertise inspired me to pursue further specialization in play therapy. Since then, I have dedicated much of my professional career to integrating play therapy into clinical practice. I have worked with children from diverse backgrounds and presentations while advocating for play therapy to receive the recognition and respect it deserves within the broader mental health field. At a nonprofit community outpatient clinic, I supervised counselors utilizing play therapy and facilitated a weekly group supervision focused on play therapy practice. Later, at Integrative Counseling Services, a private practice specializing in play therapy interventions, I served as the Intern Coordinator, supporting developing clinicians in their growth as counselors and emerging play therapists. Currently, I work as a school-based social worker at an elementary school, where play therapy is central to my work with students. I continue to advocate for developmentally appropriate, evidence-based play therapy practices within school systems. Additionally, I have co-led trainings with Jodi Mullen, taught a graduate-level course on Child-Centered Play Therapy, and will soon be leading my first two-day foundational play therapy training.

I would be honored to contribute my passion, experience, and advocacy to the continued growth of NYAPT.

 

Christian Heasley, PhD, LPC, NCC, SB-RPT TM – Director

As an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Marist University, I am passionate about training the next generation of counselors and expanding access to play therapy across New York State. Before moving to the Hudson Valley to join the faculty at Marist, I worked as an elementary school counselor, an experience that inspired me to pursue the SB-RPT™ credential. I continue to maintain a part-time position as an outpatient therapist, where play therapy remains central to my clinical practice.

I am seeking a position on the NYAPT Board because I believe deeply in the transformative power of play therapy and want to help grow its reach statewide. As an educator, I am particularly invested in increasing training opportunities, especially in underserved and rural communities where access to specialized preparation is limited. I hope to contribute to initiatives that support the recruitment of new play therapists and, in particular, encourage school counselors and school psychologists to pursue the SB-RPT™ credential. Expanding the school-based play therapy pipeline is a cause I am eager to champion at the organizational level.

In addition to my perspective as a school-based practitioner and educator, I bring strong research and assessment skills in both quantitative and qualitative methods. I look forward to applying these skills to help NYAPT evaluate its programs, identify areas for growth, and strengthen the organization’s impact on the field.

 

Chana Kaiman, LCSW – Director

Chana Kaiman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist. Her experience includes running Empowerment Insight-Na’aleh, a private practice focused on promoting personal strength in children. Empowerment Insight currently has locations in Long Island, NY and Prospect Heights/Crown Heights. She is an adjunct professor at Touro College, and she chairs the outreach committee at the New York Association for Play Therapy. Chana is the Education and School Lead at the Bereishis Foundation, an organization that provides funding for child therapy in underserved areas of NY and promotes awareness and advocacy for children and thier families. Chana is also a recognized speaker, having presented at the International Nefesh Conference, NYS OMH Regional Conference, NYTPS, Neshamos, the MOOCH Center, and has been featured on various podcasts including the Zev Brenner Show and currently hosts the Worlds Within Podcast.

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Athena Drewes – Founder and President Emeritus

 

 

Athena A. Drewes, PsyD, MA, MS, RPT-S is a licensed child psychologist, certified school psychologist and Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor. She is Director of Clinical Training and APA-Accredited Doctoral Psychology Internship at Astor Services for Children & Families, a large multi-service nonprofit mental health agency in New York. She has over 40 years of clinical experience supervising clinicians and in the treatment of children and teens, specializing in sexual abuse, complex trauma, and attachment issues in school, outpatient and inpatient settings utilizing an integrative, prescriptive, play therapy approach. Dr. Drewes has worked over 20 years with therapeutic foster care children in treatment.

She is a former Board of Director of the Association for Play Therapy (2001-2006) and Founder/Past President of the New York Association for Play Therapy (1994-2000; 20012-2016). She has written extensively about play therapy in journals, book chapters and articles, and has been a frequently sought-after invited guest lecturer throughout the US, England, Wales, Taiwan, Australia, Ireland, Argentina, Italy, Denmark, Mexico and Canada on play therapy. Her edited/co-edited books include School-based Play Therapy (also translated into Chinese); Cultural Issues in Play Therapy; Supervision Can be Playful: Techniques for Child and Play Therapy Supervisors; Blending Play Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Evidence-Based and other Effective Treatments and Techniques (also translated into Chinese); School-based Play Therapy: Second Edition; Integrative Play Therapy (also translated into Chinese); Integrating Expressive Arts and Play Therapy with Children and Adolescents; The Therapeutic Powers of Play: 20 Core Agents of Change, 2^nd Edition. Her most recent book, published by the American Psychological Association, Play Therapy for Children in Middle Childhood (6-12 years) includes a companion clinical video of Dr. Drewes working with a child using her integrative prescriptive play therapy approach.

 Dr. Drewes was Chair of the Child and Adolescent Special Interest Group of Division 56 Trauma of the American Psychological Association and has given numerous workshops at APA conferences on the use of play therapy in the treatment of children’s trauma. She is a Red Cross Instructor and Supervisor, and on the Leadership Team of Disaster Mental Health Services for the Metro New York North branch of the Greater New York Red Cross. Dr. Drewes has assisted with local flooding, snow and fire disasters, at Pier 94 Kid’s Corner after 9/11 and post-Katrina in New Orleans.

She is the author of a Children’s Activity Workbook created for Israeli, Arab and Russian children to use post-traumatic events, through US-AID. She was part of a special envoy to the Dead Sea in Israel through US-AID meeting with Palestinian and Israeli mental health professionals in May 2012.

Dr. Drewes was senior author in 2011, in collaboration with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. She created a special training module for the United Nations (General Assembly) International Emergency Preparedness and Support Teams (EPST) for overseas disasters that impact children, youth and families (e.g. loss of a UN worker/parent due to riots, terrorism, etc.) which has since been used around the world.