About Erin Bennetts, LCSW RPTS
Play Therapist in Denver
Therapy for Your Child Was Not on Your Parenting Bingo Card
And Yet Here You Are, and You Are Not Alone
If you're reading this, you’ve likely tried everything short of enrolling in a full-time parenting PhD. There have been meltdowns (probably your child’s, maybe your own), parenting books piling up on the nightstand, and that 3 a.m. Google spiral, “Does my child need play therapy?” followed by “Is it me?”
Erin Bennetts, LCSW RPTS
This wasn’t what you pictured when you became a parent. You love your kid with your whole heart. And if you’re being really honest? Some days, you don’t like them all that much. Parenting isn’t exactly living up to the hype or the highlight reels on social media. Instead of sweet snuggles and peaceful routines, you’re navigating tantrums, isolation, sass, power struggles, and a never-ending loop of worry, fear, embarrassment, shame, and guilt. You're not failing. You're just maxed out. And somewhere deep down, you're still hoping there's a way to make this easier.
You’re not alone. You’re not broken (and neither is your child/or family). You’re here, and that’s where things can begin to shift.
Hi, I’m Erin. I’m a Play Therapist in Denver CO (Littleton to be exact)
I help overwhelmed parents and their sensitive, strong-willed kids with vulnerable nervous systems move from survival mode to finding ease and ways to thrive! The children I work with are described as ones who feel deeply, react strongly, and often get labeled as “too much.”
Whether this vulnerability is in part due to is neurodivergence, trauma, or life’s big challenges, I use play therapy and grounded support from the Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors model to help families move from chaos to connection. Through an integrated approach of support: child-led play sessions and parent consultation, we work together to understand what’s really going on beneath the behavior, build skills, and respond with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
My Approach: Integrated Child Therapy Services
Rooted in Neuroscience, Relationship, and Real Life
I support families of kids with vulnerable nervous systems. Whether the challenge is neurodivergence, trauma, depression, anxiety, or just life feeling really hard lately, I believe all kids (little, middle, and big) all deserve a space to be seen, heard, and helped. These are the kids who often feel big, react fast, and get labeled as “too much.” But that’s not the full story.
I became certified in Synergetic Play Therapy because I wanted an approach that truly honored the brain, body, and nervous system — not just behavior on the surface. And while I’ve always loved working with children (because let’s be honest, they’re endlessly insightful and funny), I quickly learned something important: no matter how strong my connection is with a child, therapy doesn’t go nearly far enough without including the parent.
That’s why I also completed the Baffling Behaviors Institute immersion program. It gave me the framework to bring interpersonal neuroscience into the playroom and into your home. I help parents understand what behavior is actually telling us, and how to create the felt safety, connection, and co-regulation that’s truly transformative.
My work blends child-led therapy sessions with parent consultation and coaching, so we’re always working together. You’ll be supported, not blamed. Informed, not overwhelmed. And reminded that you already have what it takes. I’m not here to fix your child. I’m here to help your whole family feel more connected.
Also, more important than any credential, who I am as a human being (aka real person) is part of every therapeutic relationship. So I think it is important that you know I believe humor belongs in therapy. And honesty. And keeping myself off the expert pedestal. Because parenting is hard, and connection doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful.
The Messy Middle of Parenting: I’ve Been There
Training helps. Living it changes everything.
At home, I’m still raising two of my greatest teachers, now a high schooler and a college student. I’m on the tail end of the parenting lift (although let’s be real, launching a young adult and navigating high school come with their own brand of hard). Even with all my professional training, I’ve still found myself in the thick of it: navigating bedtime battles, sensory overload, strong-willed standoffs, executive functioning chaos, and those big, baffling meltdowns that leave everyone drained.
The hard stuff is more common than we admit
And here’s the truth: the intensity, the struggles, the day-to-day battles, they’re more common than people talk about. That doesn’t make them any less exhausting. And it doesn’t stop you from wondering, Why is this so hard?
You don’t have to parent perfectly to feel connected
My own parenting journey has reshaped how I show up as a therapist. I’ve used the tools I teach, some days with calm and clarity, and other days while muttering “deep breaths, deep breaths” behind a bathroom door. I don’t expect perfection from you. I don’t hold it for myself either.
This isn’t about performing as the “right kind of parent.” It’s about staying attuned, connected and (mostly) regulated (not calm) in the middle of the mess. It’s about understanding what your child’s behavior is really trying to say and helping you feel equipped to respond with compassion, not confusion.
What Working Together Really Looks Like
It’s not about perfection, it’s about connection
Your child will have a space where they can explore big feelings through play because play is how kids process what’s too big or confusing to put into words.
What Therapy Really Is Infographic provided by Robyn Gobbel
But here’s the thing: I don’t just “fix the kid.” I work with you, too. Through one-on-one parent consultation sessions, we’ll dive into what’s driving the behavior, help you feel more confident, and support the connection you’re craving with your child. All with practical tools that actually make sense on a Wednesday afternoon when everything's falling apart, and someone just spilled applesauce on the dog.
This is work that goes deep, but it doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time. We’ll make space for the hard and celebrate the awkward, hilarious, heart-melting wins too.
It’s okay to reach out before it gets worse
You’ve probably felt afraid to reach out for help because somewhere along the way, shame crept in and whispered, You should have this figured out by now.
That voice? It’s lying. You’re here because you care deeply, and because you haven’t given up. That matters more than you know.
There’s no perfect time to start therapy; there’s just the moment you decide you don’t want to do this alone anymore.