MEET THERESA BLACK, LISW-S
Bring connection, grounding, and balance back into your home.
Right now, it may feel like your family is stuck in survival mode—caught in cycles of big emotions, stress, or disconnection that are hard to shift.
But it doesn’t have to stay this way.
With the right support, families can begin to feel more connected, more regulated, and more grounded in how they move through hard moments together. Children can grow in confidence, flexibility, and emotional awareness. And parents can feel more steady, supported, and confident in how they respond.
This is the kind of change I support in my work.
When a child is struggling, there is always something deeper beneath what we see on the surface. My work is rooted in slowing things down enough to understand what is being communicated, and responding in ways that foster connection, safety, and emotional regulation.
I don’t see children as “the problem,” and I don’t see parents as failing. I see families doing their best while navigating moments that feel overwhelming and heavy.
Rather than focusing on fixing or controlling behavior, I focus on understanding it.
Change unfolds when we can move from reactivity to understanding—when children and parents feel more supported, more connected, and less alone in what they are carrying.
HOW I THINK ABOUT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
I believe that behavior is communication.
MY APPROACH
My work is grounded in how humans are wired for connection, safety, and relationship. With specialized training in interpersonal neurobiology, I understand emotional and behavioral challenges through the lens of the nervous system—how we respond to stress, seek regulation, and develop patterns over time through lived experience.
What appears to be “misbehavior” is often a child’s body and brain doing exactly what they are designed to do in moments of stress—protecting, adapting, and responding to what feels overwhelming.
I view individuals through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, honoring that each child’s brain and nervous system works in its own unique way. Rather than focusing on changing who a child is, I focus on understanding their wiring, building on strengths, and supporting what helps them thrive in their relationships and environments.
This work is relational at its core. Healing happens through connection, co-regulation, and the experience of being understood—creating space for patterns to shift through curiosity and attunement.
HOW I WORK WITH FAMILIES
Play Therapy
With children, I use play therapy to help them express what they cannot yet put into words. I am actively engaged in sessions—reflecting emotions, modeling regulation, and supporting children in moving through big feelings at a pace that feels safe. Learn more.
Parent Consultation
With parents, I offer a supportive space that is practical, thoughtful, and grounded in everyday family life. Together, we make sense of what your child may be communicating through their behavior and explore responsive, connected ways of navigating challenges that feel more aligned, steady, and sustainable. Learn more.
WHY I DO THIS WORK
I know how overwhelming it can feel to love your child deeply and still feel unsure how to help them.
And I know how isolating it can feel when you are doing your best, but things still feel hard.
I do this work because I believe families deserve support that feels grounded, compassionate, and attuned to what is actually happening beneath the surface.
DEGREES
Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude and with Distinction, University of Illinois
Master of Social Work, The Ohio State University
LICENSURE
Licensed Independent Social Worker Supervisor - State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board. License #I.0600045
Licensed School Social Worker - State of Ohio Department of Education
CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist
Experiential Level One Sandtray Worldplay
Certified Child-Centered Play Therapist with Neurorelational Emphasis
Certified Synergetic Play Therapist
FORMER CERTIFICATIONS
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma and Resilience Specialist
Schools Attuned®
EDUCATION & TRAINING