Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow
Dr. Sarah Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP, EMDR Trained
Owner & Director
Intake Counselor: Helena Reese, MS, LPC Associate
972.591.1572
intake.mightyoaks@gmail.com
Mighty Oaks Counseling and Wellness is currently accepting new clients in-person and by telehealth.
Off-Site LPC Associates
Along with our on-site LPC Associates, Dr. Carlson also supervises these great members of the Mighty Oaks team!
Griselda Ruvalcaba, MS, LPC Associate, NCC
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Griselda Ruvalcaba, MA, LPC Associate, NCC was born in Wylie, Texas and her family is from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. English is her second language and she is now fluent in both Spanish and English. She loves to travel and before becoming a school counselor, she was a nursing assistant 6 years, a flight attendant with American Airlines for a few months (9-11 happened soon after she graduated Flight Academy) and then she taught
15 years in Plano ISD (1 st grade bilingual, 3rd grade bilingual and 4th grade bilingual). She discovered her love for teaching after volunteering as a Sunday school teacher in her church’s Sunday school and then discovered her love for counseling as she taught students in the classroom. One career has led her to the next.
This is Griselda’s 16 th year in Plano ISD and her 1st year serving full time in the role as a bilingual elementary school counselor. As the school counselor, she is able to serve students through guidance lessons in the classrooms, provide individual counseling, group counseling, responsive services when students are going thru things like grief or stress, and she also communicates with parents and has held parent meetings to keep parents informed. Griselda has also helped provide families with basic needs like clothes and food by referring them to programs like Operation School Bell and Food 4 Kids from the North Texas Food Bank.
Griselda is Person-Centered and believes that each
person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change. To help facilitate change, Griselda provides clients with empathy and unconditional positive regard. She hopes to eventually get certified as a Registered Play Therapist, since she has a huge love for Play Therapy and be able to serve children at Mighty Oaks part-time.
Emilee Crowder, MS, LPC Associate, NCC
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Emilee Crowder, MS, LPC Associate, NCC received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Texas. Emilee is the owner of Therapy with Emilee PLLC, her counseling practice where she meets with clients virtually or in her Dallas office.
Emilee worked as a practicum intern at the Counseling and Human Development Center at UNT. During that time, she worked with adults who experienced anxiety, depression, body image issues, sexual and physical abuse, low self-esteem, as well as struggles with life transitions and interpersonal trauma. Emilee also interned at The Haven at Rockbrook, where she worked with adolescents and adults who experienced a variety of issues stemming from family of origin trauma.
Emilee specializes in women’s emotional health, working with young adult females. Her areas of interest include anxiety, depression, trauma, body image issues, low-self-esteem, as well as working through relationship stressors and family-of-origin issues. She has a special interest in codependence, people pleasing and life transitions, including faith transitions resulting from religious trauma.
Emilee focuses her efforts on fostering a safe and strong therapeutic relationship in which clients can experience their own vulnerability, emotional intimacy, and acceptance. Emilee also finds importance in exploring past experiences to understand the significance of each client’s current stressors as well as the origin of their beliefs, values, and needs. Emilee believes that change comes from within and healing comes through self-validation and experiencing ourselves authentically.
Emilee enjoys spending her free time creating, spending time in nature, or exploring new places. She loves hiking, biking, rollerblading, playing pickleball with her partner, embroidering, eating ice cream, solving crosswords, traveling to visit friends and going on walks with her dog, Potato.
Emily Phillips, MS, LPC Associate
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
.jpg)
Emily is currently on leave, while she pursues her teaching certification.
Emily Phillips, M.S., LPC Associate, CTMH-A has over 6 years experience working with children and adolescents in various settings. Her different titles and roles have included pre-school teacher, mentor for teenage mothers, TA for college students, and her favorite: play therapist.
Her work experience includes working with children, adolescents, teens, parents, and adults with various mental health concerns at UNT's Counseling and Human Development Center. Additionally, she provided counseling services and crisis intervention to children and adolescents with experiences of trauma at a domestic violence shelter in Denton, TX. Emily also has experience providing telemental health and is considered a Certified Telemental Health -Associate . She has provided virtual sessions to children, teens, and adults as well as running a virtual parenting group during the pandemic.
Emily earned her Master of Science degree in Counseling from the University of North Texas, the top-ranked play therapy program in the world. Aside from Play Therapy, Emily also received extensive training in Activity Therapy, Adolescent Counseling, and Child Parent Relationship Training. Emily completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology.
Emily's counseling style reflects her belief that everyone (no matter the age) has the capability within themselves to live their most authentic life. Emily utilizes a person centered technique where she believes that true healing and growth is possible within the context of a warm and supportive relationship. Emily's goal is to make you feel accepted and understood as you work through your struggles and allow you the choice of what we focus on in session. Emily utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities including play therapy, activity therapy, talk therapy, sand tray, mindfulness, and expressive arts to meet you exactly where you are.
Emily is currently serving full time in the role as a Site Coordinator for Communities In Schools where she is placed at a middle school in Plano. In this role, she gets the privilege of supporting students in the school setting by providing counseling, peer support groups, academic assistance, financial, and basic need resources.
In the new year, Emily's goal is to do more of what she loves: play therapy. She is planning to do this by starting to see clients at Mighty Oaks after school and providing play therapy and activity therapy to children and adolescents.
Born from her experience professionally and personally, Emily's specialities and interests include struggles with perfectionism, highly sensitive persons (HSPs) ,anxiety, self-esteem and body image, spirituality and religion, teen pregnancy, trauma, and other mental health concerns. Emily is also passionate about educating and working with clients to develop healthy boundaries and positive relationships.
Emily lives in Dallas and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her fiancé and their chocolate lab, practicing yoga, trying new teas, and doing all things creative.
Emily spends her time working at Wilson Middle School in Plano ISD, with Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region. This program provides additional social and emotional support to students and families, many that the Texas Education Agency deems "at-risk". To read more about CIS Dallas, please click here.
In 2021, Emily plans to begin play therapy services at Mighty Oaks. She is overjoyed to be a part of Mighty Oaks and would consider it a gift to work with you or your child.
Contact Emily: 469.666.4599
Griselda Ruvalcaba, MS, LPC Associate, NCC
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Griselda Ruvalcaba, MA, LPC Associate, NCC was born in Wylie, Texas and her family is from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. English is her second language and she is now fluent in both Spanish and English. She loves to travel and before becoming a school counselor, she was a nursing assistant 6 years, a flight attendant with American Airlines for a few months (9-11 happened soon after she graduated Flight Academy) and then she taught
15 years in Plano ISD (1 st grade bilingual, 3rd grade bilingual and 4th grade bilingual). She discovered her love for teaching after volunteering as a Sunday school teacher in her church’s Sunday school and then discovered her love for counseling as she taught students in the classroom. One career has led her to the next.
This is Griselda’s 16 th year in Plano ISD and her 1st year serving full time in the role as a bilingual elementary school counselor. As the school counselor, she is able to serve students through guidance lessons in the classrooms, provide individual counseling, group counseling, responsive services when students are going thru things like grief or stress, and she also communicates with parents and has held parent meetings to keep parents informed. Griselda has also helped provide families with basic needs like clothes and food by referring them to programs like Operation School Bell and Food 4 Kids from the North Texas Food Bank.
Griselda is Person-Centered and believes that each
person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change. To help facilitate change, Griselda provides clients with empathy and unconditional positive regard. She hopes to eventually get certified as a Registered Play Therapist, since she has a huge love for Play Therapy and be able to serve children at Mighty Oaks part-time.
Emilee Crowder, MS, LPC Associate, NCC
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Emilee Crowder, MS, LPC Associate, NCC received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Texas. Emilee is the owner of Therapy with Emilee PLLC, her counseling practice where she meets with clients virtually or in her Dallas office.
Emilee worked as a practicum intern at the Counseling and Human Development Center at UNT. During that time, she worked with adults who experienced anxiety, depression, body image issues, sexual and physical abuse, low self-esteem, as well as struggles with life transitions and interpersonal trauma. Emilee also interned at The Haven at Rockbrook, where she worked with adolescents and adults who experienced a variety of issues stemming from family of origin trauma.
Emilee specializes in women’s emotional health, working with young adult females. Her areas of interest include anxiety, depression, trauma, body image issues, low-self-esteem, as well as working through relationship stressors and family-of-origin issues. She has a special interest in codependence, people pleasing and life transitions, including faith transitions resulting from religious trauma.
Emilee focuses her efforts on fostering a safe and strong therapeutic relationship in which clients can experience their own vulnerability, emotional intimacy, and acceptance. Emilee also finds importance in exploring past experiences to understand the significance of each client’s current stressors as well as the origin of their beliefs, values, and needs. Emilee believes that change comes from within and healing comes through self-validation and experiencing ourselves authentically.
Emilee enjoys spending her free time creating, spending time in nature, or exploring new places. She loves hiking, biking, rollerblading, playing pickleball with her partner, embroidering, eating ice cream, solving crosswords, traveling to visit friends and going on walks with her dog, Potato.
Emily Phillips, MS, LPC Associate
Supervised by Dr. Sarah E. Carlson, LPC-S, RPT-S, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Emily is currently on leave, while she pursues her teaching certification.
Emily Phillips, M.S., LPC Associate, CTMH-A has over 6 years experience working with children and adolescents in various settings. Her different titles and roles have included pre-school teacher, mentor for teenage mothers, TA for college students, and her favorite: play therapist.
Her work experience includes working with children, adolescents, teens, parents, and adults with various mental health concerns at UNT's Counseling and Human Development Center. Additionally, she provided counseling services and crisis intervention to children and adolescents with experiences of trauma at a domestic violence shelter in Denton, TX. Emily also has experience providing telemental health and is considered a Certified Telemental Health -Associate . She has provided virtual sessions to children, teens, and adults as well as running a virtual parenting group during the pandemic.
Emily earned her Master of Science degree in Counseling from the University of North Texas, the top-ranked play therapy program in the world. Aside from Play Therapy, Emily also received extensive training in Activity Therapy, Adolescent Counseling, and Child Parent Relationship Training. Emily completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University and holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology.
Emily's counseling style reflects her belief that everyone (no matter the age) has the capability within themselves to live their most authentic life. Emily utilizes a person centered technique where she believes that true healing and growth is possible within the context of a warm and supportive relationship. Emily's goal is to make you feel accepted and understood as you work through your struggles and allow you the choice of what we focus on in session. Emily utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities including play therapy, activity therapy, talk therapy, sand tray, mindfulness, and expressive arts to meet you exactly where you are.
Emily is currently serving full time in the role as a Site Coordinator for Communities In Schools where she is placed at a middle school in Plano. In this role, she gets the privilege of supporting students in the school setting by providing counseling, peer support groups, academic assistance, financial, and basic need resources.
In the new year, Emily's goal is to do more of what she loves: play therapy. She is planning to do this by starting to see clients at Mighty Oaks after school and providing play therapy and activity therapy to children and adolescents.
Born from her experience professionally and personally, Emily's specialities and interests include struggles with perfectionism, highly sensitive persons (HSPs) ,anxiety, self-esteem and body image, spirituality and religion, teen pregnancy, trauma, and other mental health concerns. Emily is also passionate about educating and working with clients to develop healthy boundaries and positive relationships.
Emily lives in Dallas and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her fiancé and their chocolate lab, practicing yoga, trying new teas, and doing all things creative.
Emily spends her time working at Wilson Middle School in Plano ISD, with Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region. This program provides additional social and emotional support to students and families, many that the Texas Education Agency deems "at-risk". To read more about CIS Dallas, please click here.
In 2021, Emily plans to begin play therapy services at Mighty Oaks. She is overjoyed to be a part of Mighty Oaks and would consider it a gift to work with you or your child.
Contact Emily: 469.666.4599