🌟 🌟 Our Vision is Clear:
Families change, and we change with them.
We believe growth happens when we evolve with each transition, challenge, and change that families face. At YESSS, we are dedicated to creating a compassionate play spots and mobile pop up traveling play for youth and families to heal, grow, and thrive—through every step of the journey, including grief, loss, and major life transitions.
🌟 Our Mission:
At YESSS, we believe healing happens best when it’s woven into everyday life.
We provide safe, judgment-free spaces where children and families can heal, grow, and thrive through therapeutic play, creative expression, and community support. Our mission is to ensure that no child feels alone, especially in times of grief, loss, or major family changes.
By making youth support and emotional healing accessible within homes, neighborhoods, and communities without fear of CPS/DCS threats, we help families navigate the difficult transitions of divorce, death, illness, family separation, and other challenging events. Through a mix of therapeutic play, CBT, school support, family-centered experiences, and community engagement, we help families build stronger bonds, improve communication, and transform grief into opportunities for healing and connection.
Because when families grow together, communities thrive.
🌱 Our Roots:
Founded by a dedicated mother of 6 and grandmother of 9 with over 30 years of experience, YESSS was built on the understanding that families evolve, and so must the spaces that support them. Our founder is a multi-certified child and family therapeutic play practitioner, passionate about making healing accessible, natural, and filled with joy. We specialize in supporting children and families through grief, loss, and other major life transitions—ensuring that each member feels seen, supported, and understood.
Check out the interview with Road Trip Nation. Learn all about Amanda’s journey to starting Mental Heart, the challenges she overcame as an entrepreneur, and the vision she had for her programs.
As Featured On & Proud Member Of
For 2 years Mental Heart ran a beautiful school program called Mindful Hearts Learning Academy Microschool as part of the foundational growth of microschooling in AZ and championing personalized education combined with mental health for young children. In 2025 the crucial decision was made to transition back to a full mental health & school support program in local neighborhoods around Arizona to better assist families in our community right in our neighborhoods who need mental health in all areas, healthy social play options and school support Click to read.
FAQs
We still are confused about what you offer?
We help them through different types of grief, low confidence and self esteem, changing family dynamics.
Do you know what that means?????
We have changing seasons because, YOUR child and family does.
All families have a change in their season.
Have you ever had a hard year of emotions,
A time you felt unappreciated as a parent,
Had a baby, miscarriage
Has your child ever struggled in school or needed a mental health day off?
Has your child every gotten suspended?
Have you ever had to deal with CPS/DCS and are fearful?
Relocated or new to Arizona, heavy travel, demanding career,
Divorce, blending families, division in your family, incarceration
A death of a close human or pet?
Then YOU have a changing family.
Do you sit and talk with my child?
We provide an interactive, hands-on approach in all of our programs. We love talking through play and art. While we do engage in intentional conversation, we aim to authentically get to the core of the child’s emotions with relationship building, observation, scaffolding, and modeling.
Is this therapy or play? Will my child learn?
We support big emotions and challenges. Our services differ from therapy! Play therapists are hired to guide for you, Our therapeutic play lab helps your child by supporting them in learning and maintaining skills to help them in every area through a hands on interactive, immersive play lab. We work on emotions and behaviors and anything they are grieving that has changed or challenged them and their family. We sit next to you, hear, see and support you as you're diving into something new to support their unique needs and lifestyle. We provide the skills and mentorship you have been missing.
We use the medium of play because a child’s language is play. Therapeutic Play builds on the instinctual way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them
Do you offer parent coaching?
We recognize that parents need support and healing too, which is why we offer resources, referrals to parent coaching and therapy, several opportunities for parents to engage in the play lab alongside their child. We give parents their own 3 month packet to work through alongside their child at home and we meet with parents after each session and do text check in’s weekly. Designed to include and engage parents in the healing process. Our approach is family-oriented, and we believe that building connections is key to healing.
Every Quarter March, June and October we have a parent child group and field trips to end our 3 month programs and make sure everyone has learned their new skills. We then have a big graduation.
Do you provide diagnosis or medication?
NO, we are a holistic program and refer out to a licensed therapist, family psychologist, or children’s behavior pediatrician.
Therapeutic play teaches children holistic ways of handling their big emotions and behavior. We do work with ALL children and families including those who are on medication and/or being treated with CBD & THC for medical reasons under a doctor holistic or regular pediatrician.
Class Breakdown
At Mental Heart, we provide a variety of support services designed to help children, families, and communities navigate difficult life transitions such as grief, loss, and major life changes. We offer a nurturing, healing space for youth to process their emotions and regain a sense of stability through play, art, and immersive experiences.
Funeral Buddy Program
Supporting children before, during, and after funerals to help them process grief. Our Funeral Buddy program offers emotional and social support, providing children with the opportunity to understand and express their feelings in a safe and comforting environment. This is especially helpful for children who may struggle with traditional grief counseling. We use play-based techniques, such as sand tray and sensory room, healing art, to help children express their emotions and create meaningful memories of their loved one.
LOUD (Loss Of U Dying)
A special support program designed for grieving moms who have experienced the miscarriage or death of a child, partner, or loved one. LOUD focuses on emotional support through personal reflection, group discussions, and coping strategies. Moms are given tools to work through their own grief while supporting their children, enabling the entire family to heal together.
School Hours Emergency Grief Respite
For children struggling with grief or emotional overwhelm during school hours, we offer a safe space for them to take a mental health day. Our program provides an environment where children can rest, reflect, and engage in healing activities. This respite is designed to help students manage their emotions, process grief, and return to their educational environment feeling supported and more at ease.
Funeral Celebration of Life Addition
We offer a unique, play-based Celebration of Life experience designed to help children and their peers grieve in a healthy way. After a funeral, we organize a dedicated event where children can remember their friend through creative and therapeutic play. This allows children to process the loss in a way that feels natural to them—through art, play, and interaction with others who are experiencing similar feelings. It’s a beautiful way to honor the memory of the child, while giving their peers the opportunity to express their emotions in a safe, meaningful way.
Funeral Home Support Services
We assist funeral homes by creating calming, therapeutic corners specifically designed for children who may be attending funeral services. These spaces are equipped with comforting activities like sensory play, art, and calming visuals, giving children a chance to express their emotions or simply feel comforted during a difficult time. Our goal is to create a peaceful, non-threatening environment where children can feel supported, no matter their emotional needs.
Family Support Services
Our family support programs are focused on fostering emotional growth, understanding, and connection for all family members, especially when navigating through challenging circumstances. These services offer vital resources and a sense of community to ensure every family member feels heard and supported.
Parent-to-Parent Safe Child Exchange & Supervised Parenting Time
For parents needing supervised exchanges or parenting time, we offer a safe and supportive environment for children. At $50 per drop-off, parents can rest assured that their child is in a comfortable space with nurturing supervision. During the exchange, children can enjoy therapeutic play in the play lab, helping them feel at ease while waiting for the transition. We also provide appetizers for parents and an opportunity for them to reflect or socialize with others in similar circumstances.
Super Siblings Support Group
(November 2-week class, 4:00 PM–5:00 PM)
This support group is dedicated to children who have a sibling or parent with a mental illness, physical disability, or terminal illness. We offer a nurturing space where siblings can share their experiences, gain emotional support, and learn how to cope with the unique challenges they face. Through play-based activities and group discussions, children can connect with others in similar situations and build resilience in the face of difficult family dynamics.
COP (Child of Power) Support Group
(December 2-week class, 4:00 PM–5:00 PM)
This program is designed for children who have parents in high-risk or demanding careers, such as police officers, military service members, first responders, government and politicians , pastors children or those in high-profile roles. Children in these situations often face stress, anxiety, and the fear of losing a parent or guardian due to the nature of the work. Our COP support group offers a space for these children to explore their emotions, connect with others facing similar experiences, and develop coping mechanisms for dealing with the stress of their family situation.
