About Us
Transforming lives of North Carolina's neurodivergent
adults and youth through experiential counseling.
Welcome to Kindred Art Therapy and Counseling, where we believe in the transformative power of creativity and connection.
Our mission is to provide a safe, compassionate space for neurodivergent adults and youth in North Carolina to explore their emotions, process life's challenges, and discover inner peace through experiential counseling.
At Kindred, we use art therapy and other creative modalities to help clients access calm, tap into their innate creativity, and navigate their personal healing journeys. Our approach is collaborative and client-centered, empowering individuals to rely not only on themselves and their therapist but also on the art-making process as a supportive container for growth and self-expression.
Our team of experienced clinicians specializes in addressing challenges such as work-life balance, mood regulation, executive functioning, and relationship dynamics. Whether you're seeking support for trauma, stress management, or improving self-awareness, we’re here to guide you in building the life you deserve.
Offering both in-person and online services, Kindred is dedicated to making therapy accessible and meaningful for every client. Explore how creativity and connection can transform your life—because healing begins with a single brushstroke.
Creative expression happens in-person
Our Story
Kindred Art Therapy and Counseling was born from a passion for helping individuals find calm, clarity, and connection through creativity. Our founder envisioned a practice where art and counseling could seamlessly merge to provide a safe space for healing and self-discovery. Rooted in the belief that everyone possesses innate creativity, Kindred was established to guide neurodivergent adults and youth in North Carolina toward lives of balance, purpose, and fulfillment.
Over the years, we have grown into a trusted resource for those seeking experiential counseling that goes beyond traditional talk therapy. Our approach emphasizes the power of art as a tool for transformation, offering clients a supportive container to explore emotions, process pain, and embrace growth. At Kindred, we are proud to witness every breakthrough, brushstroke, and step forward, celebrating the courage and resilience of our community.
About Aubrey
Aubrey Baptista, LCMHC, ATR-BC
Founder, Kindred Art Therapy and Counseling
Aubrey Baptista is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Board Certified Art Therapist with a passion for helping individuals harness their creativity to foster growth and healing. With over a decade of experience, Aubrey has worked with diverse populations, including neurodivergent youth and adults, blending evidence-based practices with the transformative power of art therapy.
Guided by a compassionate and collaborative approach, Aubrey creates a safe and supportive space where clients can process emotions, explore their inner worlds, and discover lasting resilience. She holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy from Lesley University and is dedicated to empowering her clients to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and clarity.
MEET YOUR CLINICIAN
Kristy Little, LCMHC
Kristy is a seasoned trauma therapist with a heart for helping people reconnect with themselves after life’s most difficult chapters. With over a decade of clinical experience, she’s walked alongside teens, adults, couples, and families through anxiety, grief, identity loss, and relational struggles—always with deep empathy and unwavering presence.
Clients love Kristy’s calming, grounded style and the way she blends evidence-based techniques like CBT, DBT, and trauma-focused therapy with mindfulness and creative practices. Whether you’re navigating the aftermath of trauma, managing anxiety, or trying to repair relationships, Kristy brings clarity, compassion, and a clear plan for healing.
She’s also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and she gets how trauma lives in the body. Her sessions are safe, structured, and built around what matters most to you. You don’t have to “be strong” here—just come as you are.
MEET YOUR CLINICIAN
Migna Du Plessis, LCMHCA
Migna specializes in working with children and teens, helping them express emotions in ways that feel natural and comfortable for them. Kids don’t always have the words to explain what they’re feeling, so emotions often show up through behavior, art, music, play, imagination, or storytelling. Migna helps young clients explore those emotions in a safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment.
She works with children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficulty communicating, life transitions, behavioral challenges, and other emotional struggles. Her approach is gentle, creative, and relationship-focused, allowing kids and teens to build confidence, emotional awareness, and healthier ways to cope.
Migna understands that reaching out for support for your child can feel overwhelming as a parent. She strives to create a warm and welcoming space for the whole family and would love to connect about how therapy may support your child’s growth and wellbeing.
MEET YOUR CLINICIAN
Ashley Yawn, MA, LCMHCA, offers a compassionate and creative approach to therapy grounded in expressive arts, play therapy, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care. She works with children, teens, adults, and families, helping clients process emotions, build coping skills, and reconnect with a sense of safety and self-expression.
Ashley has experience supporting children, neurodivergent individuals, and clients navigating trauma, grief, emotional overwhelm, behavioral challenges, and major life transitions. Her therapeutic style is warm, relational, and nervous-system informed, integrating approaches such as expressive arts therapy, child-centered play therapy, sand tray, mindfulness, theraplay, and animal-assisted interventions.
Ashley is especially passionate about helping children communicate emotions in ways that feel natural to them through creativity, movement, storytelling, play, and connection. She believes therapy should feel safe, supportive, and collaborative, creating space for clients to explore challenges while building resilience, emotional regulation, and confidence. Ashley also has additional training in grief and loss, trauma-informed care, disaster response support for children, and play therapy interventions.
Ashley Yawn, LCMHCA
MEET YOUR CLINICIAN
Alicia Allman, LCMHCA
Alicia brings over 15 years of experience in education and several years of direct counseling experience supporting children and families. Her background as a school counselor has given her extensive experience helping children navigate anxiety, emotional regulation challenges, peer conflict, grief, family stress, and social difficulties.
Alicia’s approach is warm, patient, and relationship-focused. She works to create a supportive environment where children feel safe expressing themselves, building confidence, and learning healthy coping skills. She values collaboration with families and believes strong therapeutic relationships help children feel understood and empowered.
While much of Alicia’s experience has been working with children, she is also passionate about continuing to grow her clinical work with adolescents and adults. She incorporates creative and developmentally appropriate interventions into therapy and is committed to helping clients feel supported through life’s challenges with compassion and care.
Frequently asked questions
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