About Us
"Play is a child's work and this is not a trivial pursuit."
- Alford Adler
Meet Our Team
At Play Therapy Omaha, our mission is to facilitate meaningful change in playful ways by supporting all individuals on their mental health journey throughout the lifespan.
Each provider offers a unique set of skills and specialties tailored to support children, adolescents, adults, and families.
Each provider offers a unique set of skills and specialties tailored to support children, adolescents, adults, and families.
Sarah Barnes
MS, LMHP, LPC, RPT™ Owner/Founder sarah@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) *Currently not accepting new clients
A mother of three and with over 15 years working in a variety of mental health and educational settings, Sarah knows kids. She is passionate about helping children & adolescents find their voice in this world through healing, empowerment, & development of a positive self-concept. Sarah also understands the unique challenges that anxiety disorders present, and has specialized training in Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) to deliver the best, most evidenced based practices to treat OCD and anxiety related disorders. Sarah is a trained provider by the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) and is also a registered provider of the IOCDF.org. She works with adults, teens, and children utilizing this gold standard treatment. Sarah holds Bachelor Degrees in Psychology & Education, and earned a Master's in Counseling from UNO in 2008. Her credentials include: Licensed Mental Health Practitioner, Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist™, and holds a Certificate of Play Therapy. Sarah has previously held certifications as a Certified Teacher and Certified School Counselor. Sarah believes passionately in the power of play and that all children are valuable, capable, & worthy of love & opportunity. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, phobias, trauma, school-related problems, anxiety, depression, low-self esteem & attachment Adult Specialties include: OCD, stress management, anxiety, parenting issues, & parent training Sarah has completed training in:
Insurances Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Medica, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay 
Jen Ortmeier
MS, LIMHP jen@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Jen has always had a heart focused on the well-being and healthy development of children and adolescents. Jen started her career as a middle school English teacher, and her passion for supporting the emotional health of students grew from there. Now as a therapist, Jen sits with her clients as they journey through these developing years, highlighting strengths, and understanding emotions, guiding clients in learning to communicate these emotions and build skills to improve their daily living. Jen's hope is to provide a safe environment for children and adolescents to heal and grow and support them in achieving their goals. She believes she is an intermediate resource to equip and empower both the client and family unit into building deep-rooted strengths within themselves.
Experience includes four years of teaching, play therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training at the Children’s Advocacy Training Center in Plano, TX, and four years working in a collaborative team approach with medication prescribers and community resources. Jen holds a Bachelor’s degree in education and earned Master’s degree in counseling in 2013. She is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: school-related problem solving, divorce, grief, ADHD, stress, behavioral issues including anger, low self-esteem, anxiety, and self-regulation. Adult Specialties include: Parent-child relationship issues, stress management, life transitions, anxiety and grief Jen has completed additional training in:
Insurances Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, UHC, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay 
Sam Bunnyfield
LCSW, LIMHP, RPT-S™ sam@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) With more than a decade of clinical experience and the transition to becoming a parent herself, Sam knows the importance of being an empathic and understanding support for parents and children alike.
She recognizes the complexity of family systems and works to create a therapeutic environment for children and the important adults in their lives to feel free to be themselves, feel empowered to work through their struggles, and engage in opportunities to develop healthy relationships. Sam earned undergraduate degrees in Women’s Studies and History at the University of Kansas and later earned a Master’s degree in Social Welfare in 2013. She is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, and Certified Theraplay® Practitioner, Trainer, and Supervisor. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: attachment, acute trauma, developmental trauma, mood disorders, emotional regulation, divorce, foster/adoption related concerns, developmental transitions, and child-parent relationships Adult Specialties include: parenting, parent-child relationships, foster/adoption related concerns, developmental trauma, and divorce Sam has completed training in:
Insurance Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, UHC, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay 
Rye Ling McIntosh
LCSW, LMHP, MPA rye@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Rye understands children “act out” or display anxiety when they need help handling difficult feelings. Rye empathetically provides kids with an engaging, effective way to process feelings, learn new skills, and improve behaviors through utilization of a wrap-a-round approach. Having worked in both schools as well as in private practice, Rye has experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and is committed to collaborating with both families and schools when providing therapeutic interventions. Rye’s ability to integrate and collaborate with the client, family, school, outside providers and/or community is an integral piece to her work and quintessential to help children generalize important skills in a variety of settings and cultivate effective, real-life solutions to behavioral, emotional, and social challenges.
Rye holds Bachelor Degrees in Psychology and Sociology, and earned her Master Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration in 2006. Rye is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed mental health practitioner. Rye utilizes a holistic approach to treatment drawing from strengths-based and solution-focused brief therapy, motivational interviewing, trauma-focused CBT, and family systems theory meanwhile integrating elements of art and play into the therapeutic process in order to strengthen the client’s foundation for a lifetime of well-being. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: ADHD, stress, anxiety, divorce, emotional regulation, self-esteem, social skills, peer-related concerns, parent-child relationships, and school-related behavioral concerns. Rye has completed training in:
Insurance accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay. 
Anna Wheeler
MA, LMHP, LPC anna@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Anna understands the anxiety and stresses that life can bring, especially negativing adjustments and change. She is passionate about helping individuals find their voice through play and believes change can happen when we feel heard, cared for, and understood. Anna’s hope is to create a safe environment for all to express big feelings and process experiences to move forward. She desires to equip individuals with tools to function more effectively in the future and throughout life.
Anna uses play therapy, art therapy activities, client-centered therapy, solution-focused therapy, as well as interventions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Attachment Therapy. Anna has experience working in the foster care system and working with foster/adopted children. Anna holds a Bachelor Degree in Psychology with a minor in Child and Family Studies from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master’s in Counseling from Crown College. Anna is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Professional Counselor. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: Postpartum Depression & Anxiety, School-related issues, divorce, grief, ADHD, attachment, parent-child relationship, trauma, stress, anger, impulse control, low self-esteem, anxiety, and self-regulation. Anna has completed training in:
Insurances Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, Medica, Aetna, and Private Pay 
Lisa Brodie
MS, LMHP, NCC lisa@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) In all aspects of her life, Lisa has found truth in the quote “only a life lived for others is a life worth living” by Albert Einstein. This has been the foundation for many of the choices which led her on the journey to serve others. Working in mental health, she is able to utilize her knowledge, training, and experience to help empower clients, remove barriers, heal from trauma, and develop a healthy self-concept. In her personal life, she is dedicated to fostering an environment where her daughters can flourish as strong, hard-working, and compassionate humans.
Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology from University of Illinois at Chicago, her professional career began as a Child Welfare Specialist where she spent years strengthening families within the foster care system. Witnessing firsthand the transformative power of the mental health professionals who worked with these youth and families inspired Lisa to become one herself. After earning her Master’s Degree in Counseling, she spent a decade serving children/youth and their families in schools: supporting individual students therapeutically, facilitating counseling groups, and delivering whole class social emotional instruction. She is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner, a board-certified counselor, and has completed the training required to become a Registered Play Therapist. Additional experiences include working with children ages 0-3 and their families in Early Head Start and counseling adolescent and adult women. We as individuals seek to learn who we truly are and to obtain acceptance, both internally and externally. This discovery of our identity can be particularly daunting to undertake as a child or adolescent, as well as for caregivers who wish to understand and support them. Being bicultural has provided Lisa with a unique understanding of racial-ethnic identity formation. Throughout the collaborative partnership of therapy, you will work together to achieve your goals in a nurturing and supportive environment utilizing the approach that is best suited for your needs. Bilingual: Fluent in Spanish Lisa has completed training in:
Child/Adolescent specialties include: depression, anxiety (general, social, separation), grief, emotion regulation, racial identity, self-injury, complex and acute trauma, and gender identity Insurances accepted: BCBS, Aetna, Private Pay Midlands Choice, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, Medica, Cigna |
Kaleigh Paben
MS, LMHP kaleigh@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers)
Kaleigh’s passion is helping children discover their unique gifts, talents, and abilities. Her extensive knowledge working with children, families, and the educational system will allow her to support you in meeting your child’s needs. Kaleigh knows that through opportunity, experience, and play, children build coping skills and resiliency; empowering them to see themselves as capable, worthy and loved. She will consider your whole child to ensure his/her social-emotional, behavioral, and academic needs are met, allowing for healing, learning, and growth to reach their highest potential. Kaleigh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, a Master’s in Counseling and a Masters in Educational Leadership. She is a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner, Certified School Counselor, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and is currently working towards obtaining certification in Play Therapy (RPT). Child/Adolescent Specialties include: school-related problem solving, divorce, grief, stress, behavioral issues including anger, handling overwhelming emotion, anxiety, opposition Kaleigh has completed training in:
Insurances Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, UHC, UMR, Optum and private pay 
Katie Tessin
MS, LMHP, RYT-200 katie@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Katie believes therapy is a place to be heard and understood, as well as a place for growth and change. She is enthusiastic about providing youth the tools to develop an awareness of their inner and outer experiences, to recognize their thoughts as just thoughts, and to understand how emotions manifest in their bodies. Drawing on her training with emotional intelligence and mindfulness, Katie helps to arm children with effective life skills and self/social awareness.
Katie has over 15 years of experience working with youth, as a classroom teacher, school counselor, children’s yoga teacher, and a Licensed Mental Health Practioner (LMHP). Katie holds a Bachelor Degree in Education, and earned a Master's in Counseling from UNO. Her credentials include: Certified Teacher, Certified School Counselor, Registered Yoga Teacher-200 hour, Certified Mindfulness Educator, Social Emotional Learning program trainer, LMHP, and trained in Play Therapy. She enjoys working with youth to understand and reduce anxiety, cope with change, grow self-love, structure enriching and dynamic self-compassion practices, and explore the rich internal world that resides within each of us. Katie strives to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for youth. She utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches including child-centered play, Mindfulness based, solution-focused and strength-based. A key component to her practice is in developing a collaborative, compassionate, authentic and comfortable therapeutic relationship with youth clients and families. Therapy is a safe place in which Katie will assist you in exploring the past, creating peace in the present and feeling hope for the future. Child/Adolescent Specialties Include: working withchildren ages 3-12 Katie's additional trainings include:
Insurances accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Medica, Aetna, UHC, UMR, Optum and private pay 
Machaela Hackendahl
MA, LIMHP machaela@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Sometimes something unexpected occurs with ourselves or our family. This can produce many emotions that we are not sure how to handle. Therapy is a great place to process these emotions and unexpected events. With over 10 years of practice and extensive trainings focusing on trauma, attachment and undesirable behaviors, Machaela understands kids, teens and families.
Machaela is a mother of three and “gets” the stress that comes along with parenting, especially while navigating emotions and life experiences. Whatever your child/teen/family is experiencing, Machaela understands and is here to help! Machaela holds two Bachelor of Art degrees one in Psychology and one in Sociology. She also obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Human Services. Through the state of Nebraska, Machaela is able to practice as a LIMHP. When meeting with Machaela, she will use a client centered approach and find a modality that works best for yourself and your family. Machaela understands that therapy needs to be individualized and what works for one individual will not work for another. TAC: It is not uncommon for adoptive and/or birth parents to reach a point at which they or their family feel they would benefit from professional intervention. These feelings could be due to increased behaviors, attachment concerns or simple questions on how to move forward with adoptive relationships. Machaela is a TAC trained therapist who is ready to help you navigate this life event. Always remember “just because no one can heal or do your inner work for you, doesn’t mean that you can, should, or need to do it alone”. – Lisa Olivera Machaela has training/certificates in the following modalities:
Insurance Accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay. 
Eric Depue
MS, LCSW, LMHP eric@playtherapyomaha.com (he, him, his) From a very young age, Eric has known that his place was working with children. He views every interaction with a young person as an opportunity to build and sustain a positive and healthy relationship. He is passionate in his pursuit of helping children find the strength within themselves to find their way in a challenging world.
Eric believes strongly that all people hold the skills and knowledge necessary to instill positive change within themselves. Throughout the therapeutic process, Eric will work to examine all areas of a child’s life in order to leverage their strengths and utilize support systems available to them. Eric will utilize open and honest communication between the child, parents, family members, and school personnel in a collaborative effort to identify and solve problems. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: anxiety, depression, anger, divorce, school-related problem solving, emotional regulation, peer related concerns, and self-esteem issues. Eric earned Bachelor Degrees in both Criminal Justice and Sociology from the University of Sioux Falls and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2014. He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and a licensed mental health practitioner (LMHP). Eric has over 12 years of experience working with children as a school social worker, CPS investigator, residential treatment specialist, case manager, and drug and alcohol educator. His vast array of experience helps provide him a wide lens of understanding when working with children and their families. Insurance accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay. 
Liz White
LCSW, LIMHP, MSW liz@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Liz White is an Independent Mental Health Practitioner and a Licensed Clinical Social worker. Her background includes working with teens and families, with a major focus on empowering women and girls. She volunteered, worked, and lived in Chicago for 15 years before moving to Omaha with her husband and three children. She has her Masters Degree and is certified in Women’s Studies and School Social Work.
Liz believes that building relationships is the foundation from which people can learn, grow, and thrive in each of their diverse and unique lives. She sees her role as being a guide who can assist in unlocking and reflecting on the gifts and strengths that each person possesses through the therapeutic relationship. Liz has experience in schools and community organizations. She has also worked in private practice, where she enjoyed working with teens, women, couples, parents, and families. As a clinician, she works to empower clients to reach their goals through skill building, self awareness and increasing confidence. Liz utilizes Mindfulness practices and a Strengths-Based perspective to help develop positive coping for anxiety, depression and stress management. Balance within ones self, and in relationship with others always being the goal. Liz uses Motivational Interviewing techniques to work with teens and adults struggling with substance abuse. Through Cognitive-Behavioral and Family Systems Theory, Liz helps individuals, parents and families get to a place where they can create more harmony and understanding by integrating practical skills and decreasing conflict. Adolescent/Adult Specialties: Liz works with individuals 15+, parents, families, and couples. Insurance Accepted: Insurance accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, Cigna, Aetna, Medica, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, and Private Pay. 
Susie Jones
LCSW, LMHP, MSW susie@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Susie believes every child is a precious gift and should be seen and treated as such. Children and adolescents are capable of much more than they often realize. She is dedicated to helping them discover the strength they already have within themselves and develop the skills needed to be successful in achieving their dreams. Children have a natural ability to absorb information, but more often than not need assistance when it comes to interpretation. With that in mind, Susie creates a safe, inviting space for children and youth to have the freedom to explore their thoughts, feelings and beliefs.
Susie uses a mixture of strengths-based, solution-focused, faith-based and cognitive behavioral approaches to integrate skills based on the needs of each individual in order to be prepared for a successful adulthood. She has spent the last 10 years working directly with children and families in an educational setting at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Her wide range of experience has allowed her to gain a unique understanding of the importance of healthy relationship building and she uses a wrap-around approach to address all systems involved in a child’s life. Life is full of both joy and challenges, and having someone to walk through the inevitably diverse seasons along the journey is imperative. Susie provides encouragement, support and advocacy so children and youth can fulfill their innate need to be heard and validated. Susie earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Marketing and Communications from the University of Kansas. She decided to embark on a career advocating for children and in 2012 received her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is a Licenced Clinical Social Worker and a Licenced Mental Health Practitioner. Child/Adolescent Specialties include: self-esteem issues, school-related concerns, emotional regulation, grief, depression, anxiety, anger, peer related concerns, parent-child relationships Insurance accepted: BCBS, Midlands Choice, United Health Care, UMR, Optum, Medica, Cigna, Aetna, and Private Pay 
Anne Rosenkranz
MS, NCC, PLMHP anne@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) Anne has built a rewarding career helping others and dedicating herself to the kids and families she serves. With nearly a decade of experience, Anne understands the importance of creating a welcoming environment to facilitate meaningful relationships with both her clients and their families.
Anne has practiced in a variety of settings in various states, including Illinois, Ohio, and now Nebraska. As a licensed school counselor in Illinois she worked with students and families in both middle and high school settings before she and her family moved to Northeast Ohio. In Ohio, Anne wrote and managed federal grants to support out of school programming with a focus on social emotional learning. She and her family recently moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she further followed her passion and pursued a license to provide mental health services for children and their families. Anne is also actively completing ongoing training to become a Registered Play Therapist(RPT) and a Clinical Mental Health Counselor – she is currently provisionally licensed in the state of Nebraska. She is committed to the belief that play provides space for children of all ages to learn to identify and process big emotions. Her child and adolescent specialties include: anxiety (loss, separation, social, general), grief, acute trauma, gender identity, emotional identification and regulation, self-harm, social skills, school-related challenges as it relates to behavioral issues, impulses, school refusal and ADHD. Anne has completed trainings in:
Insurances accepted: BCBS, Aetna, Private Pay 
Michele Snyder
Clinical Intern michele@playtherapyomaha.com (she, her, hers) While building skills and experience as an upcoming therapist, Michele believes connection and communication between children and their families is the key to developing brighter futures.
Before pursuing a career in counseling, Michele has worked with children and teens in various spaces for over a decade; from camp counseling as a teen to assisting in schools, child care centers, and hospitals up through her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, Michele is passionate about working with children and families. Michele holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from UNO, and is currently wrapping up her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, graduating in December 2022. Michele aims to become certified in Play Therapy following graduation in December. Previously, Michele has done internships at CHI Immanuel and the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition. Insurances accepted: Michele is unable to accept insurance at this time, but offers affordable services at $25/session. |
