Gretchen was first introduced to Sand Play in 2000 and found the process to be transformational both personally and professionally.  Frustrated with the practice limitations placed on clinicians at that time in community mental health, Gretchen opened a private practice in a basement office in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ that same year (a week before her 26th birthday). The practice was co-owned with her mother Mary Pat McGeehin, LCSW and they decided to name it Lighthouse Counseling as an homage to Old Barney on L.B.I. where Gretchen grew up. Lighthouse Counseling was focused on providing superior trauma-informed treatment to children and families in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. 

After years of study and practice, it became clear that there was limited access to professional Sand Play Training in the State of New Jersey, as well as a perception that formal Sand Play Therapy Training was too costly, required extensive travel, and was too time-consuming to pursue. Gretchen felt that all Healing Arts professionals should have the ability to access training in Sand Play so that this culturally sensitive, client-centered healing technique could be available to clients everywhere. To that end, Gretchen moved the practice to a larger and more accessible office space in 2004 and began developing the Lighthouse Sand Play Therapy Training Program. 

Gretchen, along with Lighthouse affiliates, have trained over 4000 clinicians in Sand Play Therapy since 2005 (both nationally and internationally), and offers the only Certificate in Sand Play Therapy in NJ that is approved for CE by NBCC and the NJ CE Collaborative. Gretchen is a former adjunct professor in Graduate Level Social Work Programs (Monmouth University) and is a Registered Clinical Supervisor with the State of New Jersey since 2005. Gretchen has had articles published about Sand Play Therapy and has undergone hundreds of hours of personal Sand Play Therapy Training, supervision, and personal process work. Additionally, she has had over 200 hours in training in trauma and body-centered psychotherapy (including EMDR, Thought Field Therapy, IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Trauma Sensitive Yoga, and 75+ hours of training with Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.).  

Gretchen received her Certified Professional Coach designation in 2019 and does business consultations for private practice owners. She maintains a virtual clinical practice with a focus on supervision, consulting, coaching and clinical training. Gretchen is an avid and vocal supporter of the Social Work Compact and looks forward to a day where there are no geographical barriers to mental health treatment.

Gretchen’s greatest passion is travel, and when not working, she can be found in Europe or Costa Rica with family and/or friends. She lives in Monmouth County, NJ with her husband, daughter and Chihuahua Sophie.