Therapists - Psychotherapy Associates

Psychotherapy Associates is a group of multidisciplinary clinicians offering safe, nurturing and effective psychotherapy to children, adolescents, individuals, couples and families, who have various issues, ranging from everyday stressors to major life transitions.

K. H. Kim, LCSW, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Pediatric Psychotherapy Associates. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Baylor University in Waco and her Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington.

With over 20 years of experience as a therapist, Ms. Kim specializes in play therapy for young children, ages 0-12, as well as adolescent and family therapy. She has extensive training and experience in infant mental health, trauma, abuse, anxiety, depression, ADHD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, school and behavioral problems, gifted children, autism and sensory processing disorders, among others. Ms. Kim is the author of Therapeutic Parenting: How to Raise an Emotionally Healthy Child, as well as numerous articles in various parenting magazines and newsletters.

Ms. Kim believes in providing a safe and nurturing place for children, where they can feel free to speak up and act out their needs through play. She has an innate understanding of children and their world, and is able to translate their language for their parents, as well as other adults in their lives.

To help facilitate both immediate and long-lasting changes, Ms. Kim works very closely with her clients' parents throughout the therapeutic process. She also teaches therapeutic parenting skills to biological parents, foster parents and various organizations committed to improving the lives of children and their families.

Ms. Kim is the Past President of the Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Association for Play Therapy, and she is a member of the Texas Association for Infant Mental Health. Her other distinctions include membership in the Psi Chi Honor Society and the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. In addition to these, she received her Certification for Effective Supervision for Social Work Practice in 1999 and again in 2015.

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Megan Ibanez, LMFTA, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate. She received her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, OK.

Ms. Ibanez has over 7 years of experience in therapy, working with children ages 5 and up, as well as adults, couples and families. She specializes in anxiety, ADHD, Autism Spectrum, depression, family conflict, relationship issues and trauma.

When working with children, Ms. Ibanez utilizes play therapy, as well as art and other experiential techniques. She believes in meeting children where they are in development, to understand their functioning relative to their age vs. various developmental levels. With teenagers and adults, she is more person-centered and relies more on "talk therapy."

Ms. Ibanez prefers to be an active participant in therapy, where her clients can feel supported while also be challenged to look at alternative perspectives for coping and healing. With all clients, she uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with mindfulness techniques. She prefers to incorporate a personal approach with each client to ensure that their specific therapeutic needs are met.

It is Ms. Ibanez's priority as a therapist to provide a safe, comfortable environment where her clients' thoughts, feelings and experiences can be shared without fear of judgment or bias. She also relies on psycho-education and mindfulness as ways to empower her clients towards improving self-awareness and healthy coping skills.

Ms. Ibanez is supervised by Rachel Saenger, LPC, LMFT-S in her work towards private practice licensure.

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Shelby Solomon, LMSW, is a Licensed Master Social Worker with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Solomon is a compassionate, empathetic therapist who helps to build confidence in her clients, while at the same time, decease her clients' internal distress. She specializes in working with children and adolescents experiencing dysregulated behaviors, aggression, noncompliance, disruptive behaviors and sensory processing disorders.

Ms. Solomon also conducts parent coaching and therapeutic parent consultations to help parents and other caregivers come up with usable ideas that can be implemented at home. She is skilled in techniques to help increase attachment between children and their parents, and to help improve the overall functioning of the family.

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Marlon L. Bailey, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology and master's degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Bailey has many years of experience working with children and adolescents in schools, foster care, CPS, domestic and sexual violence shelters, as well as detention centers and private practice settings.

Mr. Bailey utilizes several different approaches to meet his clients' needs, but he primarily relies on person-centered, strength-based approaches. He also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma focused therapy, play therapy, and other evidence-based practices to help his clients improve their functioning and to help them meet their goals.

Mr. Bailey believes that people are strong and resilient and tat these qualities are often the foundation of healing and coping. He believes that taking a moment to laugh, even at something simple, can make the world a little better, and he finds a way to Incorporated his sense of humor during the sessions to help his clients build on their resilience.

Mr. Bailey is currently a Doctoral Student in Counseling Psychology at UT Austin.

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Emily Beasley, MA, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Communication, as well as her Master's degree in Professional Counseling from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

Ms. Beasley has years of experience working with children and their families in schools, as well as in a non-profit agency and private practice setting. She holds a special interest in supporting parents through difficult life struggles and unifying families.

Ms. Beasley is skilled at working with children of any age who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, grief and anger. Through play therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy and attachment-based work, she has found success in providing children a place to heal. She also specializes in working with LGBTQ and gender-fluid families.

During sessions, Ms. Beasley works with each person present to allow them to feel heard and deeply understood. She believes in every child and family's ability to move towards a happier and more connected state.

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Latina Griffin, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication from BYU and her Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas.

Ms. Griffin uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as her primary therapeutic approach. However, she believes in using an integrated treatment approach that incorporates strength-based therapy, family systems and attachment theories as well. In addition to these, she also uses play therapy, art and movement in her work with younger clients.

Ms. Griffin also works with older children, adolescents and parents, and she specializes in helping clients adapt to major life changes, as well as family relationship issues, depression, anxiety and trauma. She believes in the importance of guiding her clients to develop their internal strengths and to identify new strategies to cope and succeed. Ms. Griffin has worked as a school counsel/social worker, and she has worked in non-profit agencies and in private practice settings as an individual and family therapist.

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Dr. Sarah Keramati ("Dr. K"), Ph.D., LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.A. in Psychology and her M.S. in Child Development, M.S. in Counseling Psychology and M.S. in Family Therapy, as well as her Ph.D. in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University in Denton.

Dr. K has experience working in diverse clinical settings and with clients of all ages. Trained in many different styles of therapy and also guided by the latest discoveries from the field of neuroscience, Dr. K uses a holistic approach to therapy when working with children and their families. She believes in the importance of using thorough and systematic approaches to identifying the source of her clients' present life difficulties, and offers practical and relevant counseling interventions to help her clients achieve their goals. In this way, she is able to guide her clients to live effective, happy and meaningful lives.

Dr. K specializes in helping clients with depression, anxiety, abuse and neglect, grief and loss, PTSD, school or behavioral problems, ADHD, family issues, parenting, crisis and trauma, as well as chronic pain and medical conditions. She focuses on using effective evidence-based techniques, including culturally-sensitive, relational approaches, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Relational Therapy and other approaches best suited to each of her clients, their families and their present situation. Dr. K also works very closely with pediatricians, schools, psychiatrists and other providers out in the community to help advocate for her clients and to help ensure continuity of services for her clients and their families.

Dr. K has taught and lectured at various colleges and universities, including Oklahoma Community College and Texas Woman's University. In addition to this, she is the author of several publications including a journal article in the Texas Childcare Quarterly on childhood attachment and articles at a state and international conference focused on promoting learning in children.

Additional Affiliate Therapists

Shelly McCurdy, MA, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

Ms. McCurdy specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults and their families, as well as groups, in a variety of settings, including schools, private practice settings and in-home settings. She specializes in grief and loss, anxiety, depression, trauma and behavioral issues at home and in school. When working with children, Ms. McCurdy encourages parents to be a part of the therapeutic process, through therapeutic parent consultations, psycho-education and family therapy.

During the sessions, Ms. McCurdy integrates Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with other therapeutic approaches to ensure that her clients are receiving the type of counseling they are needing at the time. She adapts her approaches as her clients move through the therapeutic process, with the main focus on short-term goals that ultimately lead into the long-term goals. She believes that small steps now create big leaps later. With children, Ms. McCurdy also incorporates techniques, such as play therapy, into the counseling sessions to open up new doors and ways for her clients to view and relate to the world around them.

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Christina Carson, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She received her Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation (Applied Life Sciences) from the University of Illinois in Champaign and received her Master in Education (Guidance and Counseling) from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

With over 16 years of experience as a therapist, Ms. Carson specializes in working with children, adolescents and women, who are affected by abuse, neglect, trauma, loss, divorce, depression, low self-esteem, ADHD, and behavioral and school issues, among others. She has provided therapy in numerous settings, including residential treatment centers, non-profit organizations, schools and in-home settings. She believes in the importance of working with parents and other family members, as well as teachers, doctors and other providers out in the community to create a strong circle of support for her clients.

Ms. Carson uses various interventions to help facilitate the therapeutic process, including play therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, experiential therapy, Adlerian Therapy, and strength-based activities to help her clients develop better coping skills. When working with adults, Ms. Carson also supports her clients to derive meaning from their struggles on both personal and spiritual levels. She provides a safe place for them to work through their emerging issues, as well as their issues from past trauma and loss. While honoring their past experiences, she challenges her clients to grow and to move forward.

As a holistic practitioner, she also believes in the importance of understanding family patterns, such as roles, rituals, and trans-generational influences. Ms. Carson helps her clients to improve their communication and social skills so that they can express their feelings, wants and needs, as well as cultivate connections with their family members, friends and others out in the community.

Ms. Carson is the co-creator of the therapeutic game, "The Medicine Wheel Game," which helps people of all ages come to a closer understanding of their environment and relationship with others. She is also a recipient of the Golden Apple Award in the past years for her supportive work with children with special needs at AISD.

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Samantha S. Supernaw, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA and her Master of Science in Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. Supernaw primarily uses Cognitive-Behavioral and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, as well as play therapy with younger children. Although she believes that the therapeutic relationship is vital to change, she also belles that client empowerment is essential to chagne as well. She believes that positive changes to our thoughts and beliefs can positively change our feelings and behaviors.

Ms. Supernaw has worked extensively with both children and adults who have experienced abuse and other forms of trauma. She has spent several years working with military families and consider it a privilege to serve those that have served our nation, as well as their loved ones. Ms. Supernaw also specializes in working with clients with mood disorder, PTSD, behavioral problems, depression, anxiety and the LGBT community.

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Dr. Richard Yuen, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Texas. He graduated cum laude from Carleton College with a B.A. in Psychology, his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and his Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago.
Dr. Yuen has worked in a diverse array of clinical settings and with clients from all ages. Trained in many different styles of therapy, he uses a holistic and eclectic approach when working with clients and their families. He believes that no one clinical approach can ever meet the specific needs of all clients and that each client brings a unique perspective, insights and experiences to the table. Therefore, Dr. Yuen is highly adept at tailoring his approach to the personal strengths and specific needs of his clients and their families.
His expertise is in the area of conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations and in using strength-based, preventative psychology during the counseling sessions. Dr. Yuen specializes in helping clients with depression, anxiety, abuse, neglect, grief and loss, PTSD, school or behavioral problems, ADHD, crisis and trauma, as well as chronic pain and medical conditions. He focuses on using effective, evidence-based techniques, to not only treat the current symptoms, but to prevent other symptoms or problematic behaviors from resurfacing at a later time.
He provides assessment services for all age groups, including toddlers, children, teens and parents. The most commonly requested assessments include General Psychological Evaluation, Child Custody Evaluation, Substance Abuse Evaluation, ADHD Evaluations for both adults and children, Evaluations for Autism or Learning Disabilities, as well as Intelligence and Achievement Evaluations. Dr. Yuen works very closely with pediatricians, schools, psychiatrists and other providers out in the community to help advocate for his clients and to ensure continuity of services for his clients and their families.
Over the years, Dr. Yuen's excellence in scholarship has earned him a number of prestigious awards, including the Manuel Teurel Award, Heckler Fellowship, Dana Award, Okada Memorial Prize, Tanaka Fellowship, ACM Research Scholarship and a Ford-Mellon Foundation Fellowship. Dr. Yuen has also taught and guest lectured at numerous colleges and universities, including the Carleton College, Southern Illinois University and the Loyola University.