• PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, ADS
• Clinical Director
• Diagnostic Evaluator
• Play Therapist

Dr. Koehler initially received advanced training in clinical psychology before completing her doctorate in counseling at the University of North Texas. The diversity of this path provided her with a unique view of mental health from both medical and wellness perspectives. During her doctoral training at UNT, she was introduced to play therapy where she learned to view the world through the eyes of children and in the context of the parent-child relationship.

While working at a local non-profit, Dr. Koehler encountered more and more children struggling with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. There seemed to be no satisfactory explanation for this unprecedented rise. “The trend I noticed was more and more children being diagnosed and medicated without a thorough explanation of what we were observing in our children. I wanted to understand more and figure out why this was happening.”

Because of this, Dr. Koehler felt an urgency to find better answers. Her goal was to understand the whole child to include mind, body, spirit, relationships, and environment throughout the process of diagnosis and treatment. She sought additional training from multidisciplinary professionals and acclaimed authors through EpidemicAnswers.org.  Through this training, Dr. Koehler gathered solid explanations that satisfied her questions regarding children’s diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. “The key is identifying and treating root causes of conditions, not just symptom suppression.”

She treats a wide range of children’s mental health difficulties and works with parents to develop an integrated, prioritized treatment plan designed to maximize progress.

She consults with other holistic and integrative professionals and authors across the U.S. to inform her work with children and stay on the cutting edge of scientific discoveries relevant to children’s wellness. She is licensed in the state of Texas as an LPC-S and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor.

“Diagnostic evaluation certainly fuels the investigator in me, but play therapy is my favorite way to interact with children.”

In order to create lasting change and healing for children and families, Dr. Koehler enjoys coaching parents and caregivers. She has studied and applied several parenting approaches and believes in providing a complete parenting program that fits with today’s children and challenges.

Dr. Koehler explains, “Parenting is not what it used to be. Mom’s and Dad’s need a parenting system that focuses on developing children’s sense of responsibility in relationships. Demanding compliance is just not effective anymore when there is an ongoing misunderstanding in the relationship.” Dr. Koehler was invited to lead a weekly parent group at a local hospital for families going through complex mental health issues.

In addition to working with children and parents, Dr. Koehler lectured at the Canine-Human Relationship Institute in Blue Ridge, Texas. “People’s relationship with animals is often remarkably similar to the parent-child dynamic. It requires healthy boundaries and communication for everyone.” Dr. Koehler joined the institute initially to learn more as a canine assisted play therapist. “I’m still learning what the relationship might really feel like from the dog’s perspective. Animals have amazing capacity to help us heal. They are great examples of the power of resilience!”

Dr. Koehler and her husband are involved in the children’s ministry through their church and have shepherded in the pre-k Sunday school ministry for twelve years. She holds certifications in yoga (RYT200) and auricular acupuncture  with the Texas Medical Board as an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist. She continues to expand her knowledge in order to provide specialized integrative care for children and parents.  Her ultimate goal is to others create healthy boundaries and emotional safety in relationships as a cultural priority.