Presenter Spotlight: Kelly James, PhD, LPC, NCC, CCTP, CATP, CPC, RPT-S (ret)
- RTC Staff
- Jan 27
- 2 min read
Meet Kelly James, PhD, LPC, NCC, CCTP, CATP, CPC, RPT-S (ret), who is conducting the Techniques, Techniques, and More Play Therapy Techniques workshop aboard our inaugural Play Therapy Symposium at Sea!
Who is Kelly?
Kelly is a trauma-focused clinician, professor, and former Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor with a long-standing commitment to healing, education, and experiential learning. Her work reflects a deep belief in addressing past experiences to help individuals move forward with confidence, purpose, and resilience.
What does Kelly do?
Kelly has been in private practice since 2008, transitioning from part-time to full-time private practice in 2013. She began her career working with individuals who were chronically mentally ill, later shifted to working with children, and now works exclusively with adults who have experienced trauma through telemental health services.
In addition to clinical practice, Kelly has been teaching in master’s-level counseling programs since 2012 in roles including adjunct professor, associate professor, and currently as a full-time professor and Associate Chair, where she oversees and manages faculty members.
How does Kelly work?
Kelly values experiential, hands-on learning and believes that meaningful change often happens through doing rather than solely through lecture. She emphasizes having a wide range of therapeutic tools available and integrates approaches that support developmentally appropriate processing, creativity, and emotional expression. Her background includes training in non-directive, client-centered play therapy, as well as extensive use of expressive modalities such as art and sand tray therapy.
Why play therapy?
Kelly’s journey into play therapy was shaped by reflections on her own childhood trauma and how her life might have unfolded differently with access to counseling at a young age. These reflections inspired a commitment to helping children and adolescents heal from adverse experiences and supporting lives no longer defined by past pain.
What drives Kelly?
Kelly is passionate about helping individuals heal from their life experiences by addressing the past so they can move forward with clarity and purpose. She is equally committed to supporting students as they develop into confident, compassionate therapists. Her professional interests also include lifelong learning, personal growth, and quantum physics, including energy healing approaches. She is certified in Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code.
Why does Kelly's session matter?
At the heart of play therapy are the techniques that allow children to work through experiences in developmentally appropriate ways. Drawing from her experience as a Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor (retired), Kelly’s session will highlight non-directive, client-centered strategies and experiential activities (particularly art and sand tray interventions) that clinicians can use to support children’s healing and expression.
What are some fun facts about Kelly?
Proud grandmother to a three-year-old and loves letting her use play therapy toys (part of her house looks like a play therapy room!)
Loves reading, studying quantum physics, and making organic, toxic-free products
First cruise ever — and celebrating 30 years of friendship with her best friend
Loves to travel and has been to Italy 12 times, as well as Spain, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Great Britain, Scotland, and about two-thirds of the United States
