Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig, PhD, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S™, is a Professor and Department Chair at Texas State University. She teaches play therapy, animal-assisted counseling, and clinical courses in the Professional Counseling Program. She specializes in strength-based approaches for working with children and families. Dr. Hartwig is the author of the book Solution-Focused Play Therapy: A Strengths-Based Clinical Approach to Play Therapy (2021), co-author of the book Canine-Assisted Interventions: A Comprehensive Guide to Credentialing Therapy Dog Teams (2020), and editor of the book Animal-Assisted School Counseling (2024). She is also the founder and director of the Texas State University Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy. She currently serves on the Association for Play Therapy Board of Directors and is a Past President of the Texas Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Hartwig has a private practice in New Braunfels, TX called Pawsitive Play Therapy, LLC, where she works with her canine partner, Holly.