Education & Experience

Crystal has an extensive background of work with young children and teens. As a graduate of Texas State University with a BS in Family and Child Development, Crystal went on to complete an internship and certification as a Child Life Specialist, serving children in the hospital setting for 12 years. She continues to serve in a child life specialist capacity at Wonders & Worries, a non-profit in Austin supporting children with a parent with an illness.

Her love of working with children prompted her to pursue her Master’s in Counseling from the University of North Texas in Denton, a program well-known for their proficiency in play therapy. She gained experience counseling children in the hospital setting, private practice setting and within a Montessori school while working towards her Licensure as a Professional Counselor and Registration as a Play Therapist. Crystal moved to Austin in 2015 to work as an LPC and RPT at Dell Children’s Medical Center. It was during that same year Crystal took the Equipped to Counsel course through Austin Stone. She loved learning more about the faith that has shaped her and how the Gospel that saves is also the Gospel that can speak life into the circumstances that often lead children and adults alike into counseling. Her hope for the children in her care is that they would know the love of their Eternal Father and the grace that restores and strengthens them in the midst of the brokenness in this world. For parents she is serving, she hopes to encourage them in their faith while assisting them in tuning into the unique language of their children.

Interests & Specialties

Crystal has counseling experience working with children 3 years of age to young adulthood. Crystal has been trained in Filial Therapy also called Child-Parent Relationship Training; this curriculum teaches parents the art of connecting to their children through intentional and routine special play times. Crystal has received training in attachment based interventions TBRI and Theraplay which are helpful for children and youth who have experienced trauma, abuse or inconsistent attachments. Crystal also has training in Sandtray therapy and expressive arts, useful for tweens and teens in combination with talk therapy. Crystal is a Certified Educator of Infant Massage and would welcome counseling new moms and dads in connecting to their babies through positive touch. Specific populations Crystal has experience with include: illness, grief, divorce, abuse, selective mutism, self-injury, eating disorders, anxiety, autism, domestic violence, familial addictions, and stage of life transitions.