Hello! My name is Mrs. Alexus Samuel-Lopez, but I go by Lexi. I am a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Intern currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Healthcare from the University of South Florida, with a concentration in Children’s Mental Health and a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis.

My passion and primary area of focus is working with children ages 3–12 and their families. I especially enjoy using play therapy and developmentally appropriate approaches to help children express emotions, process difficult experiences, build confidence, and develop healthier ways of coping. Children often communicate through their behavior and play before they have the words to fully explain what they are thinking or feeling. My goal is to meet children where they are and create a space where they feel safe, understood, and supported.

My professional background includes working with children involved in the child welfare system, as well as children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), developmental disabilities, behavioral concerns, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation difficulties, and trauma histories. My background in Applied Behavior Analysis also helps me look beyond a child’s behavior to better understand what may be contributing to it and identify practical ways to support positive change.

I strongly believe that helping a child often means supporting the parents and family as well. In addition to individual play therapy, I offer parent education sessions designed to help parents better understand their child’s emotions and behaviors, strengthen parenting strategies, establish healthy and developmentally appropriate boundaries, and feel more confident responding to challenging behaviors at home. These sessions can also provide parents with practical tools to reinforce the skills their child is learning in therapy.

I also offer family therapy sessions when it would be helpful to bring family members together. Family sessions can focus on strengthening relationships, improving communication, navigating family transitions, reducing conflict, and helping parents and children better understand one another. Depending on each family’s needs, treatment may include a combination of individual sessions with the child, parent education and support, and family sessions.

Above all, I want children to experience therapy as a place where they can be themselves, feel successful, and discover that they are capable of handling hard things. I consider it a privilege to partner with parents and families as we help children build resilience, strengthen relationships, and find HOPE.

Outside of counseling, I enjoy kayaking, hiking, spending time outdoors, and being with my family. I am married to a wonderful husband, and together we are raising our two boys, Jaxon and Maddox, along with our fur baby, Rocky.

Specialties:

• Play Therapy (3+)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Child & Adolescent Trauma

• Parent Education & Support

• Family Therapy

• Anxiety & Emotional Regulation

• Behavioral Concerns

• Autism & Developmental Disabilities

• Depression & Self-Harm

Meet “Mrs. Lexi” 🎙️

Want to get to know Mrs. Lexi a little better? Listen to our Early Career Spotlight, where Dr. Frey sits down with Lexi to talk about her journey into the mental health field, what inspired her, and the heart behind the work she does today.

Listen to Mrs. Lexi’s Early Career Spotlight: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2466524/episodes/19676743