Mariam Jensen, LCMFT, RPT - Joyful Heart Therapy, LLC

01/11/2026

These principles guide how I show up, working with children every single new day ✨

Children are not problems to fix or timelines to rush.
They are whole people with their own pace, voice, and inner wisdom.

In play therapy, and in the heart of the Child-Centered Play Therapy modality, as put by the Father of Child-Centered Play Therapy, Garry Landreth, the therapist honors children’s natural language—play—and trust their capacity for growth when they are met with safety, respect, and most importantly a therapeutic relationship. Healing doesn’t happen because we push it… Healing happens because we create the conditions for it.

When we slow down, follow the child’s lead, and truly listen, children take us exactly where they need to go, for growth and healing 🌱🧸

12/24/2025

Playfulness doesn’t end when the therapy session does 💛

For play therapists, creativity, curiosity, and connection live beyond the playroom walls. Play is a way of being—a language we carry into relationships, learning, and even moments of fun like this.

This little game is a playful extension of the same spirit we bring to our work: Inviting imagination, lowering pressure, and creating connection through joy. Play is therapeutic. Play is fun. And often, it’s both.

Your turn—using only emojis, name a holiday song below 👇🎶
Let’s play together.

12/13/2025

That’s a great tip for any Santa believing families 🎅🏼 🤶🏻

🎅❤️ A gentle reminder this holiday season…

When we tell kids that expensive gifts—iPads, phones, big-ticket toys—come from Santa, it can create heartbreaking confusion for children whose families can’t afford the same.

Many little ones quietly wonder:
❓“Was I not good enough?”
❓“Why did Santa bring my friend something so much bigger?”
❓“Does Santa like them more than me?”

For some families, this time of year already carries financial stress. The stories children make up in their minds can add unnecessary pain.

✨ So if you’re in a position to give big gifts this year, take the credit as the parent.

Let Santa bring the simple, accessible things.
It protects the magic and protects children’s hearts.

Kindness and empathy don’t cost a thing—and they go a very long way. 💛

12/08/2025

It’s Monday, and this post is for all the Therapists out there, who work hard to connect and build healthy, safe and ethical therapeutic relationships with their clients, young and old:

✨ Sometimes the clients we support are ready to receive care… and sometimes they’re not. In the therapy room—and in life—we’re reminded that willingness looks different for everyone. What matters in our profession, is showing up with gentleness, patience, and small acts of kindness 💛

Even the tiniest moment of connection can become a lifeline for someone who truly needs it 🌱 And for those who aren’t ready yet, our therapeutic compassion still plants seeds that may grow later…

Keep offering support with an open heart. Your care makes a difference, even when it isn’t immediately seen or accepted 🌷

11/27/2025

🧡 Happy Thanksgiving! 🧡

Today, I’m especially grateful for the therapists who show up with empathy, patience, and presence—helping children feel safe, seen, and supported in their big feelings.

I’m also thankful for every teacher, caregiver, and helper who pours love into the lives of little ones, and for the parents who keep showing up with courage and heart, even on the hard days.

May this season remind us of the incredible impact that gentle guidance, connection, and compassion can make in a child’s world 🍂✨

Wishing you all a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving🦃💛

11/25/2025

When kids shut down, it’s not defiance — it’s protection 💛

That quiet stare, that silence, that “nothing” response — it’s not your child ignoring you…
It’s their nervous system saying, “This feels like too much right now.”

Children don’t open up when we push harder — they open up when they ‘feel’ safe.

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do in that moment, is slow down, soften our tone, and simply stay close - Because your calm presence tells their body, “You’re safe here.”
And that’s what helps them find their voice again 💛

💭 Have you noticed your child shut down like this? What helped you reconnect?

11/22/2025

When kids say “I don’t know,” they usually mean something else.
It’s not defiance — it’s protection.

Sometimes “I don’t know” means:
💭 “I can’t find the words, yet.”
💭 “I’m scared I’m in trouble.”
💭 “I need to feel safe before I can talk.”

When we slow down, stay curious, and offer safety instead of pressure, we help kids learn to understand and name what’s really going on inside.

Because every “I don’t know” is really an invitation for connection — not correction 💛

💬 What’s a moment you’ve heard your child say “I don’t know”? How did you respond?

11/08/2025

Oftentimes, it’s not the big adventures that stay in their hearts — it’s the laughter, the cuddles, the moments when you’re fully there, as their beloved parent 💛

Whether it’s feeding animals at the zoo, sharing ice cream, or simply holding their hand, those little bursts of love become the memories that last a lifetime ✨

Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy the moment, be present - which may mean you may need to put your phone away - and just remember that your young ones will always treasure your presence with them in those love-filled moments, that are literally being imprinted in their developing brains forevermore; they are constantly freezing moments in time by taking pictures with their brains 🧠 🥰

Have a joyful and loving, weekend 🦋

11/06/2025

Every small moment spent guiding, listening, and loving helps a child grow into their best self 🌱💛 Parenting isn’t about perfection — it’s about planting the tiny seeds that bloom into courage, kindness, confidence, and more, over time🌻✨ Growth is a slow, sometimes hectic and tiring process. No tree goes to be ginormous over night… It takes a lot of patience and energy for a tree to grow. Likewise, in parenting, each day offers a new chance to nurture those qualities we want our children to master and have, and watch them take root in beautiful ways 🌱🌷🌳

11/05/2025

Sometimes life feels like a race — full of moments when our legs feel heavy, our energy fades, and the finish line seems just out of reach🏃‍♀️💨

But perseverance isn’t about running fast; it’s about not stopping when things get hard 💪

Every challenge, every setback, and every breath taken in exhaustion can bring us closer to growth, strength, and resilience 🌟

Keep moving forward — One step at a time 🐾
You’ve got this 💛

11/04/2025

💛 In the Play Therapy room, healing doesn’t come from trying to “fix” a child — it comes from being with the child. When a therapist sit beside a child in their play, their pain, or their joy, the therapist shows the child that who they are in this moment is enough 🌿

It’s in that shared presence — not solutions or advice — that trust, safety, and growth begin to develop 🌷

11/02/2025

Sometimes, what a hurting heart needs most isn’t advice—it’s presence 💛

A gentle hug, a quiet moment, or a listening ear can say more than words ever could 🤝✨

Empathy begins when we choose to feel with someone, not fix them 🌙💐