Are you seeking a space to build a deeper connection and understanding with your child?

You’re in the right place.

Our mission is to create a warm, compassionate environment where our clients can feel seen, heard, and valued. We strive to help children, teens, and their families feel more connected through the use of the therapeutic powers of play and attachment-based therapeutic approaches. Carolina Counseling and Play Therapy, PLLC is here to support you/your child/your family on your journey towards healing.

Hannah Edwardson, LCMHC, NCC, RPT

Child & Teen Therapist in Raleigh, NC

Owner & Founder of Carolina Counseling and Play Therapy, PLLC

Pronouns: she/her

Specialties Include:

  • Anxiety

  • Life Transitions

  • Issues of Adolescence

  • Nervous System Regulation

  • Parent/Child Relationship Issues

  • Anger/Low Frustration Tolerance

Types of Therapy Used:

  • Child-Centered Play Therapy

  • Synergetic Play Therapy® (SPT)

  • Art Interventions

  • Parent Coaching

  • Attachment-Based Interventions

 My Approach to Therapy

I strongly believe that every child knows what they need and will find ways to express themselves and their inner world - we simply have to slow down enough to listen. The main mission of my practice is to welcome all parts of clients, just as they are. In Child-Centered Play Therapy, a huge part of the process is to prioritize being “in relationship with” each client - meaning that the therapeutic relationship between the child and the therapist is the most important thing in the playroom.

This might look like:

  • comfy clothes and snacks always welcome

  • having multiple sensory-friendly zones in the playroom and office, including a sensory corner filled with a crash pad, fidgets, weighted blanket, pillows, weighted stuffies, sensory wall tiles, etc.

  • allowing clients to take their shoes off during session

  • creating time in sessions for clients to teach me about their personal interests - and finding ways to work that into the therapeutic work (ex: listening to K-Pop and making slime while talking about something that made them feel anxious earlier in the week)

I also strongly believe in “not one therapy approach fits all” and individually tailor my theoretical approach with each client. My main goal is for your child (and you) to feel seen, heard, and valued exactly as they/you are.

When not in sessions, I enjoy exploring in nature, finding new crafts to try, and playing with my puppy nephew, Troy.

My “Why”

As a child, my parents went through a really difficult, high-conflict divorce. I went from being the “straight A goody-two-shoes” kid to failing every class, crying nonstop, and expressing really dark thoughts/feelings.

My pediatrician recommended that my parents put me in counseling and my life was forever changed because my parents made that difficult decision and gave me the resources and support I so desperately needed. I don’t remember a lot from the experience of being in play therapy, other than there was a closet full of toys and for a short time I didn’t have to worry about everything happening outside. My only job was to be myself and to be with someone who had my best interests at heart.

I knew as early as high school that I wanted to one day be able to give other kids the chance to feel safe and valued, just like that therapist gave me so many years ago. As someone who has been both the client and the therapist in the playroom, I wholeheartedly believe in the process of child-centered play therapy and the healing powers of play.

More About Hannah

  • Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in the state of North Carolina - 2023

    Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) - 2019

    Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) - 2024

  • Gardner-Webb University

    M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling - 2019

    University of North Carolina at Wilmington

    • B.A. Psychology - 2016

    • Minor in Applied Behavior Analysis and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

  • Certifications:

    Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT)

    • Intro to Synergetic Play Therapy® - 2022-2023

    • Starting a 10 month certification program in August 2025

    Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) - 2024

    Memberships:

    Association for Play Therapy

    National Board for Certified Counselors

    Chi Sigma Iota, Gamma Alpha Omega Chapter (Gardner-Webb University)