Kristen Watkins, DMFT

Assistant Professor, Counseling and Family Sciences

Contact Information

Email [email protected]
Phone 909-558-4547

Department of Counseling and Family Sciences
Loma Linda University, Griggs Hall
11065 Campus St., Loma Linda, CA  92350

Social Media

Instagram @campmorningca

Instagram @lets_play_therapy

Degrees and Certifications

  • DMFT, Marriage and Family Therapy - Loma Linda University, 2025
  • MA, Marriage and Family Therapy - George Fox University

Areas of Specialization

  • Grief and loss
  • Child development
  • Play therapy

Professional Licenses and Memberships

  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Registered Play Therapist
  • Professional Member of the Association for Play Therapy
  • Professional Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) 
  • Professional Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)

Recent Publications and Presentations

Publications

  • 2024. "Recognizing and Responding to Grief and Loss in Foster Care and Adoption." Play Therapy.
  • 2024. "Encouraging parental support after grief and loss to promote developmental well-being and educational success." Book chapter in Parental Influence on Educational Success and Wellbeing.

Presentations

  • 2025. Play with Bereaved Children: Play Therapy Interventions for Childhood & Adolescent Grief. Association for Play Therapy International Conference.
  • 2023. Autism Panel Discussion. 18th Annual Nursing Research Symposium
  • 2023. Camp Morning: Grief camp and resources for children and families. Poster presentation. Vibrant Emotional Health's 3rd Annual Disaster Behavioral Health Symposium.
  • 2023. Camp Morning: Using In-Vivo play supervision and enhanced clinical training around play to increase clinical skill in master level clinicians. Poster presentation. Association for Play Therapy International Conference.
  • 2023. Virtual Interprofessional Education Events to Increase Student Confidence and Interdisciplinary Awareness. Poster presentation. Inter-professional Education Collaborative Virtual Poster Fair.

Community Engagement

  • Camp Morning, a grief and loss summer camp for children ages 5-15