Khristine Turner Rolfe LCMHC, RPT-S
As a parent trying to decide if I would be a good fit for you and your child, you might come to this page to find out more about my qualifications, experience, and education. I have a lot of that resume type of information coming up, but I wanted to begin by giving you a sense of who I am and what draws me to this work.
First, I love working with children and bearing witness to their incredible wisdom, strength, and full-embodied living. Every time I connect with a child, I experience a reciprocal learning process and am reminded that children are truly our greatest teachers about ourselves and our world. Every child is absolutely unique and brilliant and full of gifts to offer; however, sometimes aspects of our world do not allow for the full expression of a particular child’s individuality and uniqueness. The world often tries to fit children into preconceived protocols for how children “should” act, think, and speak. My passion for this work revolves around recognizing and honoring each child’s gifts and uniqueness and supporting them in deepening their sense of self and self acceptance, while also helping them learn to navigate the challenges that come with moving through external expectations and norms. I want to help children thrive where they are without giving up who they are.
I am also drawn to this work because I know how challenging it is to be a parent. For over twenty years, I have been a parent to two beautiful beings whose ways of moving through the world are as dramatically different as their ages (thirteen years apart!). Parenting for me has been many things… fulfilling, difficult, fun-filled, demanding, rewarding, terrifying, time-consuming, enlightening, exhausting, inspiring, confusing, self-defeating, soul-filling, and most definitely humbling. As a parent, I have seen myself at my best and at my lowest. Parenting is not easy, and there is no one set of rules to follow, no cookie cutter advice that can free us from the particular challenges we face in our relationships with our children.
One thing I have learned from being a parent is that relationship is key. An authentic relationship that honors who my children are, and also honors who I am. When I manage to parent from love and not fear, I have found that even when the challenges come up, we are able to return to connection. I have come to rely on tools and practices that help me reconnect to my own inner wisdom and allow me to fully “show up” as a parent. These experiences within my own family have deeply informed my work with children and inspired my passion for helping all children and parents access their own unique strengths, courage, and innate wisdom in the service of living their highest authentic lives.
The other passion that drives my work is a love for spending time in nature. Being in nature, I can truly feel and connect to myself. I can breathe. I can open and receive. I feel present and alive and more aware. Being in nature is a powerful mindfulness practice for me. Here, I can feel my true inner knowing and light, and when I re-enter my daily life, I am more open, receptive, and able to connect to others with greater authenticity. I deeply believe in the emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits that come from spending time in the natural world, and I feel a strong commitment to helping children access the intuitive healing that is possible through this connection. When we take away the distractions, the electronics, the noise, the toys, and the physical constriction of life indoors, it is as if we step onto a fast track for accessing inner resources and knowing.
Now, about my experience and education:
My professional and educational experience includes over twenty-five years of work with children and their families. Fifteen years as an Early Childhood Educator truly solidified my love of working with children, and I continue to hold a deep belief that a child’s early years are a keystone in their development. I also worked in home visiting programs as a Family Support Specialist and as Early Interventionist working with children and families facing numerous life challenges and obstacles. These experiences opened my eyes and heart to the mountains that many parents will climb, even in the midst of extreme hardship, to find a way to be the best parent they can be.
When I moved into a more therapeutic role, I continued my focus on working with children and their parents. After extensive training in the field of play therapy, I received the internationally recognized Registered Play Therapist (RPT) certification, and I am one of only three RPT’s in this area of Western North Carolina. With additional in-depth training, I became a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) which allows me to supervise other Play Therapists in training. I am also a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor™ and the Supervision Trainer for the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute providing consultation and training for other therapists learning play therapy.
These days, I am excited to call Asheville home and look forward to working and growing with children and families here, as well as spending a lot of time exploring our beautiful mountains, streams, and forests.
Professional and Educational Qualifications:
