The following are the talented and experienced professionals that will be leading your playgroup:
Jessica Brickey, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Jessica Brickey is endorsed in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, which focuses on the multiple relationships in the lives of infants and toddlers. Jessica incorporates expressive arts and play in her clinical work to help build trust in the therapeutic relationship and the caregiver-child bond. She also assists the caregiver to explore how his or her upbringing and current or past life stressors can be impacting parenting as well as the child’s development and behaviors. Jessica is trained to administer the ADOS-2, ADI-R and M-CHAT for autism diagnostic purposes, specializing in the early childhood population.
In addition to families with infants and toddlers, she is interested in working with children, adolescents, and adults with and without intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder and their families. Furthermore, Jessica enjoys working with children in the elementary and middle school years on issues of grief and loss, adoption, attachment, trauma, and anxiety using a mixture of mindfulness, play, and expressive arts.
Jessica earned her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education from State University of New York at Geneseo. She also specializes in: Autism Assessment, Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood, Expressive and Play Therapy, Attachment Therapy, and Parenting.
Claudie Marshel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Claudia Marshel has worked in the Richmond area for over 25 years in a variety of settings. Her primary focus is on helping give children the best chance for successful relationships by helping their families provide the care and nurturing they need.
Ms. Marshel has provided Mental Health Consultation to Head Start programs, intensive in-home services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families, and outpatient therapy to children and their parents. In particular, Ms. Marshel focuses on providing services to help parents of children with attachment problems understand the child’s experience and learn new ways to interact with their children to promote a secure and healthy attachment with the parents.
Ms. Marshel has worked with foster families, adoptive families, birth families, multi-generation families, and single parent families. She has extensive experience collaborating with the multiple community agencies and services with which many of her clients are involved.
Ms. Marshel received her B.A. from Louisiana State University and her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a certified Circle of Security® therapist and also specializes in Attachment Evaluation, Parent-Child Intervention, and Marschak Interaction Method Theraplay.
Sheridan Simeck, Speech-Language Pathologist
Sheridan Simeck has been a speech-language pathologist since 2017 and absolutely loves her profession! She graduated with a bachelors of science degree in communication sciences and disorders with a minor in special education at Longwood University in 2015. In 2017, she graduated with a masters of science degree in speech-language pathology.
She has worked in a public school system, pediatric outpatient clinic, and early intervention programs in Virginia. Sheridan has expertise in working with children with augmentative alternative communication systems (AAC) and feeding difficulties. She recently completed extensive training to earn her certification as a breastfeeding specialist.
Holly Timberline, Occupational Therapist
Holly Timberline started OT school after 20 years spent raising her four children, during while time she also worked as a writer/editor, performing arts teacher, and labor/postpartum doula. She draws on all these experiences in her clinical practice, prioritizing clear, compassionate communication with parents and playful, engaging treatment strategies with children.
Holly has completed continuing education in pediatric feeding, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), sensory integration, self-regulation, autism, trauma, infant and child mental health, infant massage, craniosacral therapy, neurobiology, and clinical reasoning.
Helen Williams, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play TherapistTM
Helen works with children, adolescents, and families, specializing primarily in anxiety, mood disorders, grief/loss, trauma, and adjustment disorders. She has particular expertise in working with autistic children, ADHD, children and families diagnosed with chronic medical conditions, and developmental disabilities.
Helen focuses on strengthening parent-child relationships and individual skill development. She is passionate about supporting parents and caregivers to understand their child’s needs and behaviors to facilitate emotional and behavioral change. Helen works collaboratively with families using a strengths-based, supportive, and affirming approach.
Helen received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master’s in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. In her free time, you can find Helen reading, spending time with her family and her dog, exploring Richmond, and traveling.