Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade

About

Background and Approach

Every child is trying to belong.

When children feel connected, capable, and understood, they are better able to face challenges, express themselves, and grow into who they are becoming.

I’m Dr. Erica Tatum-Sheade, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and Certified Adlerian Play Therapist. For more than 20 years, I have worked with children, adolescents, families, and the clinicians who serve them.

My work is grounded in a simple belief: behavior has a purpose. Before we rush to correct what a child is doing, we need to understand what they are trying to communicate, protect, or accomplish.

That is where our work begins.

Therapy that looks beneath the behavior.

Children do not always have the words to explain what hurts, what they need, or why they responded the way they did. Play gives them another language.

In therapy, I use play, games, art, movement, storytelling, and honest conversation to help children and adolescents explore their experiences and develop practical skills. The activities may change based on the child, but the purpose remains the same: creating a space where they feel safe enough to be seen and supported enough to grow.

My approach is Adlerian, attachment-focused, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed. I pay close attention to the child’s relationships, identity, environment, and overall sense of belonging - not just the behavior that brought them to therapy.

I am also direct and collaborative with parents. I will help you understand what may be happening beneath your child’s behavior, identify what is already working, and build new ways of responding that strengthen connection without abandoning structure or accountability.

You do not have to have everything figured out before seeking support. Reaching out does not mean you have failed your child: on the contrary, it means that you are paying attention.

Practice Areas

Focus Areas
and Expertise

Beyond individual therapy

Anxiety, sadness, and emotional overwhelm
Difficulty regulating emotions or behavior
Friendship challenges and social disconnection
Family changes and difficult transitions
Identity development and questions of belonging
Cultural, multiracial, transracial, and adoption-related experiences
Trauma and disruptions in attachment
Low self-worth, self-doubt, and difficulty recognizing personal strengths

G.E.M.S.®

I am the founder of G.E.M.S.® (Girls Empowered, Motivated, and Strong), an empowerment and psychoeducational program for girls ages 8–18.

G.E.M.S. helps girls develop clarity, connection, consistency, and courage. The goal is not simply to tell girls they are confident. It is to help them build the skills, relationships, and self-knowledge necessary to move through the world with a stronger sense of who they are and where they belong.

Play Well with Dr. Erica

Through Play Well with Dr. Erica, I provide clinical supervision, consultation, and professional development for therapists seeking to deepen their work with children and families, including clinicians pursuing play therapy credentials.

My supervision style is reflective, practical, and direct. We look beyond choosing the right activity and focus on developing the clinical judgment, cultural responsiveness, and therapeutic presence that make the activity meaningful.

Speaking and training

I speak and train on play therapy, belonging, culturally responsive practice, child and adolescent mental health, identity development, and the emotional lives of Black and Brown children, particularly girls.

My presentations are interactive, clinically grounded, and designed to give professionals ideas they can carry directly into their work.

Professional background

Doctor of Social Work, University of Southern California
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arizona and Nevada
Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
Certified Adlerian Play Therapist
Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator
Founder of G.E.M.S.® and Play Well with Dr. Erica
Co-owner of the Arizona Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training
Former President of the Arizona Association for Play Therapy
Author of Layla Goes to Therapy, Fernando Has Feelings, and The ABCs of Empowerment

Selected honors

2026 Arizona Association for Play Therapy Diversity in Play Therapy Award
2025 Scottsdale Leadership Frances Young Trailblazer Award
2024 Black Play Therapy Symposium Black Excellence in Play Therapy Honoree
2024 Phoenix TITAN 100
2022 NASW-Arizona Social Worker of the Year

I work with children, tweens, adolescents, and families experiencing:

Let’s connect

Whether you are looking for therapy for your child, an upcoming G.E.M.S.® group, play therapy supervision, or a speaker for your organization, I would be glad to help you identify the right next step.

Let's Connect