Deepening your connection with: your child, your relationships, yourself.
Thrive Through Connection is the natural expansion of Thrive Through Play Therapy. While our roots began with a deep focus on supporting young children through Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), our vision has grown to encompass individuals throughout the lifespan. As we have expanded, our core truth remains entirely unchanged: connection is the heartbeat of everything we do.
Welcome! If you are navigating a season of change, seeking deeper understanding for your child, or looking for a safe space to process your own life transitions, you have found the right place.
Why We Do What We Do
We believe: true healing and growth begins when we deeply connect with our children, our relationships, and ourselves—transforming life's transitions into opportunities to truly thrive.
Hello!
I’m Shayla, and I bring a warm, grounded, and unhurried heart to the therapeutic space. I believe deeply that you are the absolute expert on your own life’s journey. Because of that, I view my role not as an outside expert who is here to fix you, but as someone who has the profound honor to witness and journey alongside you as you grow.
My work across the lifespan is deeply rooted in Person-Centered Counseling, Narrative Theory, and certified training in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT). Whether I am working with children, teens, or adults, I look at every client through a gentle, supportive, and non-directive lens. Guided by Narrative Theory, I hold the firm belief that no matter what your past looks like, you possess the innate capacity to rewrite your own story.
Additionally, I bring extensive experience working alongside neurodiverse individuals, and I love tailoring the therapeutic environment to be safe, flexible, and deeply respectful of the unique ways each person experiences the world. Whether I am connecting with a child through the natural world of play or collaborating with an adult or parent navigating a complex life transition, my goal is always the same: to create a safe, accepting space where you feel fully seen, respected, and empowered to heal at your own pace.
When I’m not in the therapy space, you can usually find me embracing life’s simpler joys—whether I’m finding balance on my yoga mat, exploring the open roads of the Pacific Northwest on my Vespa, or spending quality time outdoors with my husband and our three dogs.
Shayla Wittenberg, MS, Professional Counselor Associate and Certified Child-Centered Play Therapist