Crisse Milner, LPC, EAGALA

Crisse Milner is a Licensed Professional Counselor who obtained her Master’s
degree from Lewis and Clark College. She has over 16 years experience
working with young children and their families, focusing on building bridges
between parents and young children while helping to increase awareness of
how our behaviors are impacted by the relationships we have with those
around us. Her focus on supporting the development of strong and healthy
attachments between parents and young children has been supported by her
training in Child-Parent Psychotherapy and the Circle of Security Parenting
program. Through her work as a Parent Educator she was able to help parents
learn about child development and the social/emotional needs of their young
children to enhance and strengthen relationships and support these families
in optimal success.

Crisse utilizes a playful approach to working with children and families,
recognizing that play is the language to communication for children. Her
training in Child Centered Play Therapy helped ground her in her
understanding of the role play has in the culture of childhood and the
importance of understanding a childs world view when addressing their
emotional and behavioral needs. Crisse incorporates many different creative
and expressive activities in her work with children and families and brings a
solid foundation and understanding of child and family development.

Crisse and her canine co-therapist, Daisy, work together as a team to support
the emotional needs of children and families. Crisse has her Animal Assisted
Human Health Play Therapy Certification through Firefly Counseling as well as
Level 1 Animal Assisted Play Therapy training. Crisse has also incorporated
equine assisted therapy into her work with children and families after having
completed EAGALA certification level 1.

Crisse also works to support the team at Alliance Counseling as one of the
Program Directors and Clinical Supervisors. She enjoys sharing her knowledge
and training to enhance and support the development of both graduate
student interns and professional associates. She brings a passion for
incorporating child development, play and family systems understanding to all
her supervisees.

In addition Crisse has completed numerous professional trainings to build her
depth of knowledge in working with children and families. Through these
trainings she has developed an ability to incorporate sand tray therapy, nature
based therapy, expressive and creative arts into her work. She is currently a
candidate for becoming a Registered Play Therapist which she hopes to
obtain this fall.

In today’s high paced and technological world we sometimes miss out on the
wonder and magic that nature has to offer. Crisse has sought to share her love
of the natural world and animal interactions with those she works with in
hopes of helping people experience all the unique and interesting ways the
world operates and reconnect them with the magic that is nature.