Meet the NCAPT Board

Anna Trietley MA,  LCMHCS (NC), LPCS (SC), LPC (CO), RPT-S™ is a graduate of Liberty University with a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling.  Anna's education and professional career have been focused on children and families with a specialization in infant mental health and trauma.  She is also trained in Theraplay - Level One and is certified as a Foundational Practitioner.  In 2010 Anna completed a fellowship program to become specialized in infant and young mental health from ZFive in Mecklenburg County.  Anna has trained other professionals, including law enforcement, social workers, and early childhood specialists on the effects of toxic stress on infants and children.

Anna has worked as a Mental Health Clinician, then Clinical Supervisor for the Child Development-Community Policing Program. During her time there, she worked with children and families exposed to trauma and violence while partnering with uniformed law enforcement officers.  Anna also spent her time training law enforcement officers on responding to children exposed to trauma.  Anna believes in the importance of early intervention; not only for infants and young children, but intervening early after a trauma.  She has seen first hand the positive impact of acute trauma care on the well-being of children and families.  Anna has ten years of supervisory experience and has supervised several associate licensed therapists to full licensure as well as supervision toward their Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential. In addition to having a private practice servicing North and South Carolina, Anna is a clinical supervisor for a practice in Colorado, as well as an adjunct instructor in behavioral health sciences. 

Courtney Clement, LCMHC Courtney attended UNC Pembroke for a Master's in CMHC and a play therapy certificate. She has a solo private practice in Wilmington, NC where she specializes in working with children, parents, neurodivergent folks & LGBTQIA+. Courtney is basic trained in EMDR and sand tray therapy. When Courtney is not in her office, she enjoys various activities in the water like kayaking and paddle boarding, hiking, traveling to state parks, camping, baking bread, listening to Taylor Swift, watching Ina Garten videos, and spending as much time as possible with her dogs (fun fact: one of her dogs is deaf!).

Kristie Opiola, PhD, LCMHC-QS, RPT™ is an Associate Professor at UNC Charlotte and sees clients in a small private practice in Charlotte, NC. She is a certified Clinician, Trainer, and Supervisor for Child-Centered Play Therapist and Child Parent Relationship Training Certifications. Previously, she worked as a child life specialist for 12 years before she became a counselor and worked as a play therapist in agency, school and college settings. Her work experience is with children, families, and caregivers (including teachers) who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma, specifically relational trauma and medical trauma. Kristie completed her dissertation on CPRT with adoptive parents and is a strong advocate for systemic support for children. She has served in various leadership roles on the national and regional levels and has presented national, regional and state level on play and filial therapy, supervision, expressive modalities and other counseling related topics. When she is not in the playroom, Kristie enjoys playing with her dog Bailey, gardening, cooking and exploring nature.

Megan Numbers, PhD, LCMHC-QS, RPT-S™, is a dedicated owner of a group practice in Moore County, NC, specializing in play therapy for children, adolescents, and families. As a member of the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy, she is well-trained in Clinical Pediatric Hypnosis, EMDR, Theraplay Level 1, and Sandplay techniques. Her favorite play therapy tools include magic clay, which fosters creativity and emotional expression, and the sand tray—a powerful medium for storytelling, healing, and symbolic communication. When she is not helping children navigate anxiety, grief, trauma, or significant life transitions through the healing power of play, Megan enjoys spending time with her kiddos, reading, hiking, traveling, singing, and sipping on a warm cup of coffee!

Rebekah Byrd, Ph.D., LPC, (TN), LCMHC (NC), NCC, RPT-S™, ACS (she/hers) is a Professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Director of the Institute for Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Education and Research at Sacred Heart University.  She has been a counselor educator for over 15 years with over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field in varying capacities and settings.  Her research specialization falls primarily in issues pertaining to children/adolescent counseling, play therapy, LGBTGEQIAP+ advocacy, school counseling, social justice/multicultural concerns, self-injury, and women’s wellness. She recently co-authored a textbook on counseling children and adolescents and edited a book about common encounters in school counseling and has written many journal articles and chapters for multiple texts.  She serves on many national and statewide committees and just recently received the Service Award from the Association for Play Therapy. 

Rebecca BlanchardI is passionate about helping children and families accept themselves and each other.  She has experience supporting clients with anxiety, adoption/attachment needs, depression, grief/loss, mood disorders, parenting support, relationship issues, and trauma. As an EMDR trained therapist together she helps clients process feelings, memories, and trauma that may be too difficult to manage alone. 

Briana (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in the state of North Carolina. She earned her Master of Science degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Briana has served in the mental health field for over six years as an outpatient therapist. She has a strong passion for working with children and adolescents facing various challenges related to mental health and development and believes that children are highly capable, intelligent, and loving beings who deserve opportunities to grow and develop. Briana is especially interested in creating safe and sacred therapeutic spaces for people of color, as this is a population that is often underserved.

Briana has held various roles that have allowed her to work with children and adolescents, including program manager for a youth mentoring program, Guardian ad Litem court advocate, and a teacher assistant in both special needs and preschool classrooms. 

Ellen McNeill MA, LCMHC, RPT™ (she/hers) received a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and Family Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNC Charlotte. Ellen works in private practice, using infant-toddler mental health principles and Child-Centered Play Therapy to support the social, emotional, and behavioral growth of young children. With experience partnering with families and colleagues as an early childhood educator, Ellen also enjoys providing support to others caring for children, using Child-Parent Relationship Training to help empower caregivers to improve the quality of their relationship with their child and presenting professional development to schools on supporting all students through a curious, compassionate, and consistent approach to classroom management. Ellen is very passionate about the mental health of infants and toddlers and is a member of several professional organisations who focus their work on advocacy to support young children in NC.

Christa Phipps, PhD, LCMHCS, RPT-S™, is a licensed therapist based in North Carolina with over 25 years of experience and the owner of Tabonuco Counseling and Consulting. She specializes in trauma-focused care for both children and adults, with a particular emphasis on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and play therapy techniques. Christa earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2017. She is also EMDRIA Certified™ and an EMDR Approved Consultant™. Her practice is recognized by the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy (APT™) and the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA™), providing specialized training on integrating EMDR with children. In addition to her clinical work, Christa is passionate about mentoring and educating future therapists. She has served as an adjunct professor at both UNC Charlotte and UNC Pembroke, sharing her expertise with graduate students in the mental health field. Outside the office, Christa enjoys spending time with her family, running, and hiking local trails with her partner and friends.