Anima is the Latin word for “soul,” which reflects our belief that our life’s journey is about understanding and enriching one’s soul toward wholeness. While that may be the long-term goal, we also want our kids to be happy and resilient and our families to be strong and connected today. All those things are needed for that journey ahead and here at Anima Child and Family Therapy, we are alongside with you and your child.
At Anima Child and Family Therapy (ACFT) we provide Child-Centered Play Therapy, Sandplay, and EMDR to help children, teens, and families navigate life’s challenges. We partner with youth and families to better understand difficult emotions, strengthen relationships, and build practical tools for healing and growth.
Through connection, compassion, and collaboration, we help children and families move toward greater resilience, wholeness, and joy.
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. --Maya Angelou”
Meet Heather
Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor, and Registered Sandplay Practitioner serving children, teens, and families in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Heather (she/her) is trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Sandplay Therapy, and EMDR. Before entering private practice, Heather worked extensively in community mental health and school-based settings across Arizona, California, and Colorado. She has also been active in the counseling and play therapy professions and is currently the Vice President on the Colorado Association for Play Therapy Board.
Heather’s approach is rooted in the belief that every child and family possesses an inherent capacity for growth, healing, and resilience. She strives to create a safe, attuned, and authentic therapeutic relationship where children and families feel deeply seen, heard, and valued. Through collaboration, curiosity, play, creativity, and reflection, Heather supports clients in making sense of their experiences, strengthening connections, and moving toward greater wholeness.
Heather’s own journey has deeply shaped the heart of her work. Through navigating and healing from her own childhood experiences, she discovered the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of being seen, understood, and supported. These experiences inspired her path toward becoming a therapist and supporting children and families as they make sense of their own stories. Heather is also a working mom and understands firsthand the complexities of family life—the challenges, stressors, and constant balancing act, as well as the deep joy, love, and meaning that come with raising children. She believes that life holds both beauty and hardship, and that through connection, reflection, and healing, we can integrate both as we move toward greater wholeness.
Since 2018, Heather has proudly called Fort Collins home. When she’s not in the therapy room, you’ll likely find her enjoying Colorado’s outdoors, traveling, volunteering with the community, spending time with friends, or sharing everyday adventures with her family.
Children do not exist in isolation. Our services support the whole family system—from one-on-one therapy with a child or teen, to working with parents and caregivers, schools and service providers.
Services
Anima offers therapeutic approaches that meet children, teens, and families where they are—in the language of play, in the symbols of sand, and in evidence-based work that promotes change and healing.
Children often communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through play rather than words. In Child-Centered Play Therapy, children are provided with a safe and accepting space to express themselves, process challenges, build confidence, and develop healthy coping skills. Through the therapeutic relationship and the natural language of play, children can work through difficult emotions and experiences at their own pace.
Sandplay Therapy provides children and teens with a unique way to explore and express their inner world using a tray of sand and miniature figures. Sometimes experiences, emotions, and life challenges are difficult to put into words. Sandplay allows these experiences to be expressed symbolically, helping clients gain insight, process emotions, and move toward healing and greater self-understanding.
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps people process and heal from distressing or overwhelming experiences. When difficult experiences become “stuck,” they can continue to affect emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. EMDR helps the brain reprocess these experiences so they feel less overwhelming, allowing children, teens, and adults to move forward with greater resilience, confidence, and emotional well-being.
Individual therapy provides a supportive space for children and teens to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in ways that are developmentally appropriate and meaningful to them. Using approaches such as Child-Centered Play Therapy, Sandplay, EMDR, and talk therapy, we help young people build resilience, develop healthy coping skills, process difficult experiences, and grow in confidence and self-understanding.
Children do not exist in isolation, and challenges often affect the entire family system. Family therapy helps strengthen communication, deepen understanding, and foster healthier relationships among family members. Together, we work to identify patterns, navigate conflicts, and build stronger connections so families can move forward with greater harmony, resilience, and support.
For Clinicians
Supervision for mental health professionals pursuing the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential, or seeking to deepen their play therapy skills.
Heather Truschel, MC, LPC, RPT-S, RSP provides supervision grounded in Child-Centered Play Therapy principles and depth psychology, as well as reflective practice—with a focus on helping clinicians grow in confidence, competence, and authenticity as play therapists.
Supervision sessions emphasize the therapeutic relationship, the language of play, and the symbolic meaning that arises in the therapy room. We’ll work together to develop your clinical voice, reflect on your cases, and bring the depth of play therapy theory into your everyday practice.
“Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul. --Carl Jung”
Rates & Insurance
We strive to make care accessible. Anima is currently in-network with several major insurance plans and also offers private pay.
Please contact us to confirm benefits, copays, and availability for your specific plan. However, you may be directed to contact your insurance provider for the most accurate information.
Contact
Reaching out for therapy can feel like a big step. We’re glad you’re here. Send Heather an email or give her a call, and she’ll get back to you within two business days.
