Sylvia received her Master Degree in Counseling from Kansas State University and completed the WSU Play Therapy Program; in 2015 she became the first recognized APT School-Based Play Therapist in the U.S. Sylvia worked in the Wichita Public Schools as a counselor and did professional development in the district for 24 years. She has been using Certified Therapy Dogs in Animal Assisted Therapy since 1994 and is an evaluator for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). She taught workshops for fifteen years at Friends University teaching educators and therapists how to safely and effectively utilize professional therapy dogs. Sylvia was named Counselor of the Year in 2014 for her work in school counseling and for her support of counselor training and development. She is a member of the Kansas Counselor Association (KCA) as well as the Kansas Association of Play Therapy (KsAPT) and has served on the state boards of both of these organizations.