Monica is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a BCBA, and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), one of the few in Southern CA. Monica owns a Group Private Practice in Torrance called, Play 2 Learn, providing counseling and play therapy to children, teens and families. Monica also earned a Foundational Certification in Theraplay®, which is an evidence-based, attachment approach for caregiver and child. Monica is a Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider® and is also a Certified Provider for The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for adolescents and young adults. She is also trained in introductory JASPER under Dr. Kasari at UCLA.
Monica Fyfe graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology. It was at UCLA where Monica first began supporting autism under Dr. Lovaas, and a passion for working with neurodivergent children and families was born. She went on to receive two master’s degrees. The first M. A. degree from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology with a Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis. The second MS degree from California State University, Los Angeles in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Play Therapy, Child & Adolescent Therapy, Family Therapy, Neurodiversity
Monica loves supervising in her Private Practice and teaching and mentoring “the next child therapist generation” in University & clinical settings.
Currently Monica is an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University and at Antioch University in their Master’s of Marriage and Family Therapy Program. She is also an Instructor in the University of California San Diego (UCSD Extension Program), providing classes in their Play Therapy Certificate Program.
Monica previously worked as a Behavior Consultant and Specialist for Wiseburn Unified School District (WUSD), helping to create an Inclusive Pre-School Setting using Best Practices, and helping to create an infrastructure of skilled Behavior Technicians. She has also provided Behavior Consulting for Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) as well, with focused support at MBMS and MCHS. Monica was also a Clinical Director at two of LA’s top NPA/ABA agencies.
Monica has written and published a therapeutic children’s series of books called “Welcome to Petsville” with two books thus far entitled “Sibling Shenanigans” and “Tumbling Towers.” You can read more about them at: https://www.p2lfamilytherapy.com/books–resources.html, and you can buy them at Amazon.com
Monica was honored to be a textbook contributor and authored Chapter 7 on “Integrative Play Therapy and Social Skills Group Model” developed by Monica Fyfe and published in “Implementing Play Therapy with Groups, Contemporary Issues in Practice” by Routledge Publishing, 2022. Edited by Clair Evans-Mellenthin, Dr. Robert Jason Grant, and Dr. Jessica Stone!
- South Bay Families Connected, Special Needs Page Expert Videos: https://www.southbayfamiliesconnected.org/special-needs
- “Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Function of Behavior” by Monica Fyfe, MFT, BCBA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CRz52_Mhxk&t=7s
- “Teaching Interactions to Facilitate Social Skills” with Monica Fyfe , MFT, BCBA, RPT-S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzQ-FWNTN6M
- “Connecting with our Neurodivergent Peers” with Monica Fyfe, MFT, BCBA, RPT-S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIzmsf_2mL0
- And read and share Monica’s most recent written online Article on “Sharing a Diagnosis with your Child or Teen” at: https://dana-brawer-ehhy.squarespace.com/blog/discussing-the-diagnosis
- “ACT in Play Therapy: A developmentally sensitive and playful approach to supporting children with social skills from an ACT perspective,” a live webinar for Mindful Behavior, LLC, on June 3, 2021, with 1 BACB CEU available. The recording is available anytime to view by registering online for their recorded, non-contact CEU event at: https://mindfulbehaviorllc.org/courses/monica-fyfe/
- “Group Play Therapy to Facilitate Play & Social Skills and Self-Regulation,” an annual course for UC San Diego’s Extension for their Play Therapy Certificate Program.
- “Evidence-based Play Therapy Interventions for Autism” presented at the National Association for Play Therapy (APT) Conference in Dallas, Texas
- “The Art of Social Skills Groups” An Integrative Approach Utilizing Both Indirect Methods of Peer Mediation Instruction & Intervention (PMII) and Direct Methods of Behavior Skills Training (BST), presented at The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), 44th Annual Convention.
Monica served on the Board of SB-LB CAMFT, as their executive board Secretary. Monica is also a Lifetime member of CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists). Monica also served her Play Therapy community as President of the LA Chapter of CAL APT.
Currently, Monica is a Member of the Beach Cities Health District- Student Mental Health Task Force and their Social Skills Committee, and they created 2 videos for the community during COVID-19. https://www.bchd.org/video-series-staying-well-while-staying-together
And Monica is a main contributor of content, articles and videos for South Bay Families Connected and their Special Needs Resource page for the community as a site ambassador. She also supports their great work as part of their Virtual Advisory Board.
Monica also follows her passion to help children, teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorder in providing evidence-based social skills support, as the Founder and Executive Director of OUR VILLAGE, A Social Learning Community, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency. Please visit www.ourvillageslc.org for more information!
- LB-SB CAMFT
- Cal-APT
- LA Cal-APT
- Introduction to Play Therapy