Let's Play Therapy Institute

Sophia Ansari, LCPC, LPCC, RPT™, is a licensed mental health professional, Registered Play Therapist™, international speaker, author, educator, and owner of the Let’s Play Therapy Institute. She is a dedicated activist who is committed to driving positive change and making a difference in the world. Sophia coordinates wellness programs for displaced refugees and immigrants in Chicago, IL and is a Positive Education coordinator where she works with schools and organizations around the world to build safe, inclusive, and strengths-based educational environments. Sophia is also known for her work incorporating pop culture and video games in therapy through her numerous publications, Comic-Con panels, media appearances, and play therapy workshops. She co-hosts Hero Nation, a podcast on the Geek Therapy Network, which celebrates diversity in the media and explores how to use geek culture in therapy. Sophia earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Wright State University and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Sophia resides in a suburb of Chicago. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching cat videos, and visiting Comic-cons.

Josué Cardona, MS, earned a master’s in mental health counseling and trained in Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT) at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. He has worked with clients ages 4 to 84 through in-home, community, and outpatient counseling. As an educator, Josué has designed curriculum for social-emotional skills, technology, and language learning for K-12. At the university level, he co-created the course Geek Culture in Psychotherapy, taught at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and co-authored Gamification: A Pilot Study in a Community College. Josué also acts as a diversity and inclusion Design Researcher for the Office of the Provost at the University of Chicago. Josué is the founder of Geek Therapy, a therapeutic approach that believes the best way to understand people is through the things they care about. He created the Geek Therapy Network and community to educate parents, teachers, and helping professionals on how to use their favorite hobbies, pastimes, and interests to connect with others. Since 2011, Josué has presented on Geek Therapy through podcasts, blogs, book chapters, and presentations around the world.