Andrea Vargas — Andrea Vargas

Andrea Vargas, LMHC, RPT-S™

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist & Practice Owner

“It’s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together”

It all started when I was about ten years old when I picked up a book on child abuse. All I could think about was what would happen to the children and wondered who would help them.

In college, I majored in psychology while working in an elementary school and later for a psychologist’s office. I volunteered as a tutor for children in foster care and at a child advocacy center and later worked as a case manager for a children’s mental health agency.

I discovered Play Therapy during my practicum in graduate school. I fell in love with the playroom at the community counseling center. My first child client was getting into trouble at school, so I created a “classroom” using puppets to role-play more “appropriate behaviors”. My instinct was to use play to teach the new behaviors instead of just talking about the behaviors. My supervisor told me that I was doing “Play Therapy” and encouraged me to pursue it further.

The agency where I worked as a “mobile” therapist offered training in Play Therapy. Back then the trunk of my car was where I kept all of my play therapy supplies. I dreamed of one day having my own office with a play therapy space.

Six years later, I started my private practice in Weston, and over time with extensive and advanced training and experience, I earned the Registered Play Therapist™-Supervisor (RPT-S) credential. Becoming an RPT-S not only allowed me to officially call myself a Play Therapist but also to supervise child therapists working towards their RPT credential.

After finding my dream office space, the pandemic began, but my practice continued to grow. I was consistently booked and struggled to get to my waitlist, so I expanded into a group practice. I have found amazing therapists that share the same passion for play therapy and working with children, teens, and families. As a boutique group practice, we are able to offer quality specialized child and adolescent counseling to even more families in our West Broward community.

A little more personal…

I am originally from Bogota Colombia and immigrated to Queens, New York as a toddler. When I was a teen we moved to Miami and that was an adjustment. I am Bilingual and offer sessions in English, Spanish, and Spanglish.

I am married to my best friend and he is my biggest supporter. Life has given us two beautiful children, who have taught me so much about myself and are my daily motivation. I genuinely understand how exhausting yet unbelievably wonderful parenting can be.

License & Certifications: