Child-Centered Therapy Practice Creates Space for Kids to Play and Heal

When Carly Schrimpl, founder of Power Within Child Therapists, moved to Utah, one statistic stopped her cold: Utah has more children, per capita, than any other state in the nation, yet there were very few mental health practices devoted exclusively to children. Kids were being squeezed into adult-centered therapy models, despite the fact that childhood is the most formative and vulnerable stage of life. She knew children needed something different, designed specifically for how their brains learn and heal.

Drawing from her experience at a child-only therapy practice in Chicago, Schrimpl set out to build a practice that centered on play, curiosity, and intention. Power Within Child Therapists opened with the model of serving only children. They opened offices in Tooele and Provo, a move some would call risky, but it worked.

The practice doesn’t look or feel like traditional therapy. Offices are colorful and airy. Toys line the shelves. Goldfish crackers and juice boxes welcome families at the door. On the walls, core values serve as daily reminders of the mission: sacred vow, freedom, being different, perseverance, and curiosity.

“Our values are our guiding light,” Schrimpl said. “They show up in how we serve families and how we show up for each other as a team.”

At the heart of the practice is play therapy, an approach grounded in research, showing that the brain learns and heals faster through play. Through this model, therapists help children work through challenges while also guiding parents through doubt, shame, and uncertainty.

Building the business wasn’t easy. Progress was slower than hoped, and life delivered personal loss and change early in the journey. But those challenges became part of the mission itself: the belief that adversity can shape growth and that people can emerge stronger on the other side.

Schrimpl did not have any business experience, as grad school focused on therapy rather than building a strong entity. So, she sought out help from the SBDC.

“Jess Clifford, from the SBDC, has been my saving grace and voice of reason,” Schrimpl said. “He helped me think like an entrepreneur. His guidance, compassion, and willingness to fight for my dreams when I had doubts gave me courage. He encouraged me to stop and look at the success instead of what was going wrong. His coaching has helped Power Within be as successful as it is now!”