Board of Directors
President: Dana Hillman-Sabato, LPC, RPT-S™, PMH-C is the Senior Manager of Clinical Operations for Child First at Changent and the owner of The Playful & Connected Practice in Southbury, Connecticut. She specializes in infant and early childhood mental health, play therapy, trauma, attachment, and relationship-based interventions, and is endorsed by CT-AIMH as an Infant Mental Health Mentor-Clinical. Dana is also EMDR trained and PSI-certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Dana is passionate about dyadic play therapy and partnering with parents and caregivers to strengthen the relationships that support children’s healing and development. She has presented nationally and regionally on dyadic play therapy, partnering with parents in treatment, early relational health, attachment, and the impact of early childhood trauma on the developing brain. Dana lives in Connecticut with her wife and their three children.
How I like to play: I believe relationships are strengthened through play. Whether I’m building connection with children and their caregivers in the playroom or being silly with my own kids at home, I love creating moments of laughter, curiosity, and joy that bring people closer together. One of my favorite things to do is bring my own children to my play therapy office, where we can unplug, play together, and simply enjoy being connected.
Vice-President: Kimberly Mossman, LICSW, RPT-S™
Secretary: April Mack, PhD, LMHC, RPT™
Treasurer: Brooke Hackett, LCSW, RPT™, C-AdPT received her professional degrees from the University of Maine and has roughly 15 years of supporting children and their families. Brooke began her career as a Behavioral Health professional, supporting families in their homes and communities, and it is in this role that Brooke learned the importance of working with a child’s family system. Brooke has worked for local non-profit organizations in Maine in both clinical and case management capacities and spent a few years working out of a Maine school as a School Based Clinician. Most recently Brooke has been employed by the Family Center of Maine where she has worked individually with children, families and parents/couples navigating challenging parenting dynamics. Brooke also supervises conditionally licensed professionals working towards full licensure at The Family Center of Maine and is the Play Therapy Coordinator for the agency. Brooke is passionate about growing the field of play therapy, bringing high quality training to the New England Region, and ultimately empowering more child therapists to work with children using their first language; Play! Throughout her career as a therapist, Brooke has pursued training in a variety of therapeutic models and techniques including Child Centered Play Therapy, Adlerian Play Therapy, Theraplay and, Sand tray, Neurosequential model for Therapeutics and TF-CBT. Brooke holds credentials as a foundational level Theraplay practitioner and is a Certified Adlerian Play Therapist. Brooke describes some of her favorite moments in the playroom as those when caregivers and children are able to come together, rediscover joy, and build stronger, more compassionate relationships through dyadic work and parent coaching. Brooke is a graduate of Robyn Gobbel’s Baffling Behavior institute and is certified as a facilitator of the course.
How I like to play: Outside of work you can find Brooke engaged in playful moments of her own with her two children, at a local beach or hiking with her family and two dogs (Jackson and Moose), relaxing with a book, or enjoying one of the many amazing local eateries/food trucks around Portland, ME!
Board Member: Dorothy Derapelian, LCMHC has a private practice in Meredith NH since 1986 specializing in play therapy. She is the creator and author of Core Attachment Therapy©, an advanced trainer for The Nurtured Heart Approach®, an adjunct instructor for the University System of New Hampshire and an international speaker on developmental trauma, attachment development, The Nurtured Heart Approach® and of course Core Attachment Therapy©.
How I like to play: I am playful by loving the outdoors and my new endeavor as a beekeeper.
Board Member: Teresa Dias, LMHC, LPC, RPT™ works with children, families and adults in private practice in Boston. As a skilled clinician and educator, Teresa has led workshops at international conferences and integrates her trauma-sensitive, play-based approach to foster both connection and change. Professionally, she is a Registered Play Therapist™ and playfully engages with expressive therapies, sand tray, movement and full body imaginative play.
How I like to play: I have been a playful actor in a local Playback company for 18 years. TrueStoryTheater.org. Also called Playback Theater, True Story Theater uses deep listening and embodied empathy to foster connections and break down barriers.
Board Member: Jenny Sheehan, LCMHC, RPT-S™ is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ dedicated to supporting children and families in central Vermont. Her journey began in Virginia and Washington, D.C., where she provided specialized counseling services to families navigating domestic abuse. In 2005, she brought her practice to Vermont, serving through a designated agency before launching her private practice in 2016. Furthering her commitment to the professional community, she joined the NEAPT Board of Directors in 2025, where she manages membership enrollment alongside the organization's Newsletter and Newsflash publications. A passionate advocate for the power of play in healing, she has been a member of the Association for Play Therapy (APT) since 2002 and the New England Association for Play Therapy (NEAPT) since 2005. She deeply believes that play is essential for connection and growth, both inside and outside the office.
How I like to play: When I am not working with clients, you can find me enjoying family board games, playing name charades, playing lawn games, attending trivia nights with friends, or recharging at craft retreats with my close friends.
Board Member: Chelsea Welch, LICSW, RPT™