was conceived in 2000 by Gretchen Morgan and Mary Pat McGeehin. At that time, they opened a small psychotherapy practice in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, that operated under the name, Lighthouse Counseling. The primary focus of the practice was psychotherapy, specializing in children, families and trauma. Their search for effective treatment led them to include their use of both Sand Play Therapy and EMDR. This evolution was in response to the expanding body of research which illustrated that the mind-body connection was integral to the healing of mental health issues. In 2003, they expanded their practice to include like-minded affiliate clinicians and moved to a larger facility in Eatontown, New Jersey.

In 2004, after hearing many fellow clinicians discuss a lack of Sand Play Therapy Training courses in New Jersey, Mary Pat and Gretchen designed the Lighthouse Sand Play Training Program and became approved providers for Continuing Education for the Association for Play Therapy, The California Board of Social Sciences and the National Board of Certified Counselors. From 2005-2018, Lighthouse Counseling & Sand Play Training Center, LLC was the only Association for Play Therapy approved training center in the Northeast of the United States that exclusively specialized in Sand Play Therapy Training. In 2013, the Center obtained approval from NASW-NJ to offer a Certificate In Sand Play Therapy, a comprehensive training curriculum that offers 87 hours of Continuing Education and 10 hours of clinical supervision. To date, they have trained over 4000 clinicians both nationally and internationally (including Costa Rica and Ireland).

In 2018, Lighthouse added two additional trainers to teach the Lighthouse Sand Play Therapy technique (Heather Koenigsfest, LPC, Toni-Zachos Kaplan, LCSW), and they took over facilitating the New Jersey based Certificate in Sand Play Training curriculum. In 2022, Joana Couto, LPC joined the list of approved providers, and, most recently, in 2024, Bill Heath, LCSW and Sara Abbatiello, LCSW were approved to teach the Lighthouse training as well.

Lighthouse lost Mary Pat McGeehin, LCSW in 2022 after a prolonged illness. Gretchen has continued to operate the Certificate in Sand Play trainings internationally in her memory.

All facilitators are Level I or II EMDR practitioners and have had extensive training in trauma. Gretchen,Toni, Bill and Sara are members of the National Association of Social Workers and are Certified Clinical Supervisors for the State of New Jersey (Sara will complete 2024). Heather and Joana are members of the National Board of Certified Counselors, and are Approved Clinical Supervisors through the NBCC Center for Credentialing and Education.

Lighthouse moved to a new modern office suite in Tinton Falls in 2024 after operating for 20 years in Eatontown. In addition to in person and virtual therapy and coaching services, we are excited to announce that Joana and Yvonne will be offering Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy beginning in fall, 2024.