We hire the best teens in the valley. 16+ with a clean record and love working with children and must be able to think outside of the box, be creative and work hard. Join our waiting list
Come meet our amazing Advisors
About Our CEO
Hi, I’m Amanda! I was inspired to create a vibrant, safe space where kids and teens can thrive without the pressure of adult expectations, co-healing and co-learning together across multiple ages and grades.
I hold certifications in child-centered therapeutic play and counseling, specializing in trauma, emotional support, and behavior analysis, particularly for highly intuitive and sensitive children. With over 30 years of experience working with children, families, and educators, I’m deeply passionate about fostering emotional well-being.
As a proud wife, mother of six, and grandmother of eight (yes, eight!), I understand the unique challenges that families face. I also navigate my own journey with anxiety and ADHD, which helps me connect with other parents who share similar experiences.
Raised in England and around the world as a military child and spouse, I eventually settled in Queen Creek, Arizona, with my children after transitioning from military life.
In my journey, I recognized the growing need for smaller, more personalized programs that teach children how to relax and feel safe in expressing themselves. I aim to help them learn to manage and take control of their feelings and actions in an engaging, low-stress environment.
After several years of working with high-risk children who struggled with social skills, friendship formation, and trauma management, I founded Mental Heart Therapeutic Play. My mission is to create an inclusive and flexible environment that meets the unique needs of every child.
At Mental Heart Healing House, our mission is to provide youth with an adventure into what happens outside of academics for youth. We are building strong social emotional resilience in a micro community, therapeutic play, school respite, family transitions, grief, anxiety, bullying, soft suspensions, mental health days, school relocation.
Our Mission
Check out the interview with Road Trip Nation. Learn all about Amanda’s journey to starting Mental Heart, the challenges she overcame as an entrepreneur, and the vision she had for her programs.
As Featured On
Mindful Hearts Learning Academy K-4 Microschool is part of the foundational growth of microschooling in AZ and championing personalized education for young children. Click to read.
What is the Flex school option?
Mental Heart Healing House is a program, offering mental, social, social & life skills. We support what happens outside of academics for youth that are multi-age, multi-grade in a co-healing, co-learning We are building strong social emotional resilience in a micro community, therapeutic play, school respite, family transitions, grief, anxiety, bullied, soft suspensions, mental health days, school relocation
What type of children do you see?
We work with mild forms of emotions and behaviors for ALL children. We are unable to serve highly aggressive or elopers at this time If it goes over our scope of practice or we feel your child is not a good fit for our level of care, during one on one, we will offer you a referral to our trusted doctors or licensed therapist and you or another caregiver or older sibling can stay to help your child. Youth who need a soft space to land with support. Children struggling with anxiety, grief, family & parental changes, big moves, illness, dying or death n the family. highly intuitive, sensitive children.
FAQs
Do you sit and talk with my child?
We provide an interactive, hands-on approach in all of our programs. We love talking through play and art. While we do engage in intentional conversation, we aim to authentically get to the core of the child’s emotions with relationship building, observation, scaffolding, and modeling.
Is this therapy or play? Will my child learn?
Though we support with big emotions and challenges our services differ from therapy! Play therapists are hired to guide for you, our therapeutic play helps your child by supporting with you and diving into the situation to support their unique needs and lifestyle. We provide the skills and mentorship.
We use the medium of play because a child’s language is play. Play therapy builds on the instinctual way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them
Do you offer parent coaching?
YES! We have options for parents. We are very family oriented and realize parents need to heal too. Our programs do embed lots of parent involvement and connection-building with their child. We also provide resources and information for parents to find further support and programs to help children as parents navigate these changes, such as our kids grief and Banana Split program for children of divorced/separated parents.
Do you provide diagnosis or medication?
NO, we are a holistic program and refer out to a licensed therapist, family psychologist, or children’s behavior pediatrician.
Therapeutic play teaches children holistic ways of handling their big emotions and behavior. We do work with ALL children and families including those who are on medication and/or being treated with CBD & THC for medical reasons.
