Kailee
McMahon

The Basics

Hi! I am Kailee, one of the co-owners of Play Therapy House. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor as well as a Registered Play Therapist. I’m from Boise, and stayed close to home for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, attending the College of Idaho for Art and Psychology and Northwest Nazarene University for my master’s in Counseling.

Why Play

I have always had a passion for art and creativity since I was little. As I got older, I discovered how freeing expressing myself with paint on paper could be. I was not naturally gifted with art, but the process of creating felt fantastic. It allowed me a place to process feelings and experiences without words. I truly believe there are feelings words can’t quite capture, but perhaps a color or shape can. Shortly after discovering how art could be therapeutic, I discovered the field of counseling. For me, play therapy was the perfect intersection between art and therapy.

I absolutely love seeing children experience play therapy for the first time. I see the excitement in their eyes when they enter a room filled floor to ceiling with toys. Play therapy can include a lot of fun, but it can also address more challenging emotions. This is where the power of play kicks in, when children feel safe because there is no pressure to talk about the emotion or “issue,” but rather they are invited to express themselves in their natural language of play. As a person who identifies as more introverted, I understand the importance of having multiple avenues for emotional expression. On the other hand, sometimes I see children and teens who like to express themselves verbally, which is just as great. I believe we all should have a safe place to express ourselves in whatever way feels right in that moment. I love play because it allows for so much freedom, choice, and control. I believe we all have the tools within us to find solutions to the problems we face, but sometimes we just need someone to come alongside us on that journey.

How I Play

No matter the age, we all play. Play looks different for everyone, but in my free time I try to make it a priority to be playful. Besides being creative through art or craft projects, I love to turn up the music a little too loud in our kitchen and dance or sing along to the radio in the car. If you get to know me, you know my cats Peach and Perry (after Princess Peach and Perry the platypus) are very important members of my family. I like to “walk” (more like sit) them on their leashes in the backyard for an evening stroll in our garden. I have recently been loving gardening and making yummy dishes from our vegetable garden for friends and family. I am also a lover of traveling and experiencing new food and cultures. Some of my favorite times to play are with my nephews or nerdy game nights with friends. I also feel very lucky to have a career where I get to play daily. I often come home smelling like play-dough, with paint stuck on my fingernails and I love that