Our Specialists
Sara Sefret CCLS, ITDS, Trauma Certified
CEO and Founder of Soul Skills
Sara Sefret founded Soul Skills in September of 2018 with the unwavering passion of innovating what healing looks like for children and families. With a B.A. in child development psychology and a focus in family studies from University of Maryland, Sara went on to be certified as a Child Life Specialist and Infant Toddler Development Specialist. She has completed intensive trainings in trauma and grief support as well as animal assisted therapy. Sara and her therapy dog, Bella work together to deliver the highest quality of supportive services during children and families most vulnerable moments.
Sara began her career as a Child Life Specialist at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital and relocated to St. Petersburg, FL for an opportunity to work at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Sara has significant experience providing child life services in both inpatient and outpatient settings including the emergency room, intensive care units, pediatric surgery and oncology clinics. After two years of supporting patients and families in the hospital, in April of 2021, Sara stepped away from that setting to wholeheartedly delve into her private practice and program development with Soul Skills.
In her practice, Sara shares her past struggles with anxiety and depression in hopes of creating a judgement free environment where empathy and understanding are always felt. Sara specializes in teaching children positive coping skills that are meaningful to them. In doing so, she is able to build resiliency in children who have faced challenges, loss and adversity. When Sara isn’t working, she can be found on the beach, hiking, and celebrating life with friends and family.
Kelli Haley, CCLS
Senior Child Life Specialist with Trauma Informed Training
Kelli Haley joined Soul Skills in February of 2021. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Child Life and a minor in Psychology with a 4.0 from Auburn University in 2017. After graduating and passing the international board certification for Child Life, Kelli began her career as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Within this setting, Kelli gained extensive expertise in aiding individuals of all ages cope through life-altering diagnosis and trauma. This included but was not limited to providing developmentally appropriate education to patients and their siblings about their diagnosis and treatment plan, prepping patients and facilitating positive coping skills within high-stress experiences such as procedures, and supporting families through end-of-life care. Kelli also has experience teaching communication, social, and behavioral skills to children diagnosed on the autism spectrum from her time working as a Registered Behavioral Technician. Kelli applies these experiences and more to help her clients navigate past and current challenges and ultimately to empower them to successfully face future obstacles. Since Kelli joined Soul Skills, she has attended many trainings and seminars to foster her passion for aiding individuals in navigating O.C.D. through carefully developed individualized care plans focused around exposure based therapy. Kelli utilizes a compassionate approach to support her clients in achieving success through the many challenges life can bring.
In addition to Kelli’s passion to support her clients, she loves to travel, crochet, and play pickle ball with friends!
Kendall Kemp, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Grief and Trauma Certified
Kendall graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and received a certification in Grief Treatment Across Lifespan. As a masters level therapist, she is passionate about working with both children and adults. Kendall began her journey as a Therapist at 4Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides trauma informed care that is also rooted in attachment theory. Kendall joined our team in 2023 and specializes in evidenced based treatment of anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, trauma and loss. Through a client centered approach, she utilizes a combination of techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, exposure therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy in her sessions. Kendall’s compassionate demeanor allows for her to build meaningful rapport with clients where therapeutic goals can be maximized.
Outside of work, you can always find Kendall being active, whether its on a soccer field with friends or the beach with dogs!
Jill Doty
Administrative and Billing Specialist
Jill received a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Eureka College in 2011. Since then Jill has worked in numerous roles including Customer Care, Human Resources and Project Management. Jill is extremely passionate about children’s mental health as she is deeply connected with her nieces and nephews. Jill is an immensely valuable resource to our families in helping them navigate insurance, billing and all things administrative.
When Jill is not in the office, you can find her horseback riding, playing with her dog or watching live music with friends and family!
Erica Tooker
Certified Child Life Specialist
Erica completed dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Grand Valley State University in 2017. Passionate about research in the field, she went on to receive a Masters of Science in Family and Child Studies from Texas State University with a concentration in Research in Human and Family Development in 2019. Erica also completed a thesis evaluating how child life services can be utilized in therapeutic outdoor spaces in hospitals.
After passing the National Certification Exam, Erica completed a year long fellowship at Helen Devos Children’s Hospital in outpatient and inpatient hematology/oncology while conducting research to assess the impact of Child Life Services on anesthesia use in Radiation Therapy. She continued her work as a Certified Child Life Specialist for 3 years in hem/onc, also supporting patients and families in the emergency department, inpatient units, outpatient clinics, PICU, radiology/sedation, and surgery. Additionally, Erica co-founded the child life Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee during her time at the hospital, passionate about raising awareness and providing resources for the field.
Erica prioritizes meeting clients where they are, learning more about their unique interests and strengths, and utilizing this information to make individualized and comprehensive care plans. She enjoys using a wide variety of activities and interventions in her sessions to more effectively reach therapeutic goals. In her free time, Erica likes to take advantage of what her small town in Colorado has to offer, including hiking, perusing bookstores, walking with her Australian Shepherd, Dakota, and trying new outdoor sports!