Ashley S. Lingerfelt, Child & Perinatal Therapist

02/10/2026

Hi friends,

My surgery was completed on Friday and I now have a shiny new (very bruised) hand with a total of seven screws and an additional unexpected plate. There were a few complications to the surgery due to one of my metacarpal bones being too small to insert a screw directly into (I didn’t even know that was a possibility!), which resulted in a more invasive procedure.

I have extremely limited mobility and essentially cannot use my hand at all right now. I start physical therapy soon and hopefully that will help a lot.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent well wishes. It means a lot!

-Ashley 🩷

02/05/2026

Hi playtime families,

I know your children are going to ask, so feel free to give them a heads up that I will have a funny looking arm for a little while.

I broke my hand and will be having surgery on Friday. All will be well!

See you all soon! 💕

12/30/2025

It’s true. 🩶

Most popular posts July 2025

Quote of the Day

12/29/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me and Clover! 🍀🐶🎄🔔🎆

12/19/2025

At home today with my baby goat learning a new treatment for childhood anxiety. 🩷

I worked super hard to get into this training hosted by the Yale Child Study Center. It took months of being waitlisted and waiting and waiting but it’s finally paying off! Day 1 and I have already learned so much in just a few hours.

I can’t wait to bring this evidence-based program into my practice to help all the children who suffer from anxiety. The research supporting this interpersonal method of anxiety management for parents and children is fascinating and has impressive outcomes. Brain imaging shows that it literally reshapes how a child regulates their stress response.

Can’t wait to share the knowledge with all of you. 🩷

Happy weekend!

-Miss Ashley 🧸

11/20/2025

🌈🌩️It’s time for rainbows and thunder clouds!🌈🌩️

Do you often ask your child “what did you do today?” and they respond with “nothing”?

Sometimes asking them to explain their day is too big of a demand. It’s a complex question and requires a complex response. As a result, many children choose to withdraw and disengage. They feel overwhelmed!

You will see much more engagement if you break this task down into smaller, more manageable questions and answers.

An easy way to break the ice and support your child with talking about their day includes asking them about their rainbow and their thunder cloud. You could also call this their unicorn and their stink bug or any other creative “opposites.”

Here are the directions:

🌈🌩️ It's always important to share the best and worst parts of your day! Which part of your day was great, fun, or special?

We call this your rainbow.

It can be something simple, like having your favorite food for lunch, or something big, like seeing someone special or going somewhere fun!

Which part of your day was hard, boring, or maybe even sad or frustrating?

We call this your thunder cloud.

This might be something small like not getting your turn with a toy or something big like getting hurt. It's important to let your grown ups know how you feel!

It's normal to have both a rainbow
AND a thunder cloud! Most people
feel both of these things each day! 🌈🌩️

In my office, we enjoy telling about our rainbows and thunder storms. It gets kids to open up about their day and takes the pressure off. 🩷

11/04/2025

Hi, Playtime Families!

I have partnered with Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care of Atlanta to sponsor a family for Christmas.

This particular family includes a newborn, a toddler, a mother and father, as well as a grandmother and grandfather.

There are several items this family has on their wishlist. Some are as simple as a stuffed animal, some are more complex - like a stove.

While it is not required for me fulfill every single item, I know it would mean the world to this family to have each item on their list.

For clothing sizes for the children, or for mom and dad’s special requests, please email me at ashley@playtimetherapy.org and I will share the specifics with you.

All donations can be dropped by my office and I will deliver to the organization by 12/1.

I will personally be fulfilling this family’s items to the best of my ability, but any help is greatly appreciated! Together, we can do a lot, even if it’s just a couple of dollars donated to the family or to the hospice organization itself.

Please let me know if you’d like to help. And here’s a link to the local organization who organizes this for families: https://www.phpcofga.com/

Thank you ❤️🎄

08/07/2025

Hi, Playtime families!

Sweet little Clover had two seizures yesterday evening after work. She is completely fine today and acting normal, but she will be taking a few days off to make sure this was an isolated event and to get some bloodwork and follow up visits completed.

Here she was yesterday evening at the emergency vet wearing a bell collar to alert the doctor if she had any more seizure activity. She was not a fan of the bells, but I personally thought she looked cute. 🥰

Please think of her today and in the days ahead! She is 99% likely going to be totally fine! Just wanted to share because so many kids notice her absence when she is not here. 🩷

07/09/2025

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s almost time for another school year!

Ashton has some openings available for teens. There’s still time to get on her schedule before the school year so your teen is prepped with skills to boost confidence, have positive social relationships, and manage the stress of classes and sports.

Everyone who has worked with her so far has loved her - she is kind, professional, and easy to connect with. 🫶🏻

Reach out and I can connect you! 🩷

Pic of Clover for fun 🍀

https://playtimetherapy.org/about-ashton/

07/08/2025

Do you want to know about a huge problem in the field of infant and early childhood mental health?

Did you know that a common issue for toddlers and preschoolers is that their stories aren’t believed?

Just let that sink in for a second.

It often happens like this:

A child comes forth with an experience.

They share this experience with a caregiver.

The caregiver seeks appropriate support.

The systems in place claim that due to the child’s age, nothing can be proven AND/OR the child cannot be supported because they are “too young.”

It’s as if the system is saying “your child is too young to matter.”

The families don’t know where to turn.

Sometimes, they find me. Sometimes, they don’t.

For those who do find me and choose to work with me, I sit with their child. I listen. I listen to the parents. I listen to the child. I watch play themes emerge. I see how events impact development. I guide parents through what to say, how to say it, when to say it. I answer questions.

I make calls.
I work with forensic interviewers.
I work with psychologists.
I work with case workers.
I work with the legal system.

We all try to navigate a complex system while holding space for the child’s emotional experience.

It’s tiring. At times, it can feel defeating.

It’s also some of the most intimate, complex work I experience. It teaches me the most about humanity, developmental trauma, and empathy.

If you ever need resources for yourself or your child, reach out.

Your child is not too young to matter.

07/02/2025

Using children as communicators is an issue I see a lot in my work with high-conflict divorce and custody cases. When parents struggle/refuse to communicate with each other directly, this burden is placed on the child. It’s not a fun (or healthy) position for the child to be in.

When I see this pattern emerging, I try to support the parents and the child to shift the responsibility back onto the appropriate parties.

One such activity is “I’m not the messenger!” where parents and children learn about the types of inappropriate “asks” to make of their child.

I actually created a whole guide for this. I’m proud to say people have actually purchased it.

https://playtimetherapy.org/product/playtime-through-divorce-a-brief-guide-for-parents/

🤎🤎🤎

06/25/2025

I don’t work with a ton of adults individually, but when I do, they’re normally parents with young children. They struggle each day to get up and create a blanket of safety and security for their child(ren) amidst divorce, amidst job loss, amidst loss, amidst war.

This is worded really well. 🤎