Tia Grey
About Tia
Tia Grey is a storyteller of the unseen—the tales woven by the unconscious, the unspoken language of play, and the quiet resilience of young hearts and minds finding their way. A therapist and educator with a natural gift for illuminating the inner worlds of children, she dances between depth psychology, wild curiosity, and the sacred work of guiding parents as they learn the art of witnessing growth.
Her journey spans decades of psychological inquiry—from her early studies in human development and marriage/family therapy at Colorado State University to her deep dive into the unconscious at Pacifica Graduate Institute. But her greatest teachers have always been children: their fearless wonder, their unfiltered emotions, and their instinctive knowing that the body is the first compass.
In 2009, as her own daughter embarked on her creative path at the Art Institute of Chicago, Tia channeled her love of wild places into founding a high-altitude adventure preschool in Carbondale. Here, children discovered that snowdrifts make the best classrooms, puddles are portals to joy, and every scraped knee holds a lesson in courage. Parents, too, learned to trust—not just their children’s resilience, but their own capacity to nurture it.
Now, with Shuteye, she returns to her first love: helping families rewrite their stories through play, attunement, and the radical belief that healing begins when we let children lead.
When not in the therapy room, you’ll find her chasing light—paddleboarding alpine lakes, listening to the whispers of the aspen trees, or plotting global escapades with her 7-year-old grandson, who already knows the world is meant to be explored.
Her work is an invitation: to listen deeply, to risk wonder, and to remember that within every child—and every parent—there are mountains yet to climb, and treasures yet to be found.
About Me
How did you pick play therapy?
Play therapy chose me! It is the native language of both the unconscious and the child. My master’s in depth psychology trained me to listen for the soul’s symbols. My years guiding children through mountain adventures taught me to trust the body’s innate wisdom. In SPT, I found a practice that doesn’t just listen to the story a child tells, but journeys alongside them into the landscape of their inner world, equipped with both a map and a sense of wonder.
Are you a cat or dog person?
A perfect blend of both. I connect with the dog’s infectious passion and desire to please, and I cherish the cat’s discerning curiosity and empowered self-sufficiency. In many ways, it mirrors the therapeutic journey: holding space for both enthusiastic engagement and the quiet, independent process of integration.
Morning person or night owl?
I love the creative potential of a late night, but at 62, my body has a hard stop at 10 PM. So let’s call me an “enthusiastic morning person” who dreams of being a night owl.
What do you want your clients to remember most about what you teach?
That symptoms and struggles are not just random faults, but meaningful messages from the unconscious. By approaching them with curiosity instead of fear—through the language of play—we can decipher these messages together and uncover the hidden wholeness that already exists within.
Qualifications and Degrees
Qualifications and Degrees:
- Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate
- MA Counseling Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute
- BS Psychology, University of Central Florida