By Janet Wight
Milton Square, St. Anthony Park’s historic commercial and residential landmark, is home to a unique new therapy practice.
Playing with Purpose, which opened in March, allows children to express themselves and heal through play. Owner Lily Ferreira is a licensed independent clinical social worker and an experienced therapist.
Prior to opening Playing with Purpose, Ferreira was a therapist in a group practice in the Highland Park neighborhood for three years. Content with her position, she had not considered venturing out on her own.
However, Ferreira’s mindset shifted after her daughter was born in 2024. At that point, Ferreira realized how much she valued flexibility in her work schedule. She also wanted the ability to make decisions in her clients’ best interests.
“I can advocate for my clients without the barrier of getting permission from anyone,” she explained. “I want my daughter to feel that confidence as she grows up, to start her own business if she chooses.”
As a fan of Finnish Bistro, the popular restaurant located across from Milton Square, Ferreira had often admired the charming complex. When she looked for office rentals and saw an opening at Milton Square, Ferreira knew it was “meant to be,” so she took the leap into business ownership.
Ferreira’s new office, tucked away on Milton Square’s upper level, provides a private setting for therapy sessions. The space features a welcoming playroom stocked with toys and games as well as a comfortable lounge for older clients and families.
Ferreira was able to retain many clients from her previous role. New families learn about her therapy practice primarily through word of mouth.
Ferreira offers a free 30-minute screening call for prospective clients. The cost of a 60-minute intake assessment is $225. Additional 50-minute sessions for children are $175, while 50-minute sessions for adults are priced at $195.
Ferreira is a firm believer in face-to-face therapy for children, she explained, but she also offers virtual sessions for tweens, teens and adults.
Although Playing with Purpose is an out-of-network provider, it is possible that a client may be able to receive reimbursement by submitting an insurance claim. However, Ferreira stressed that this is not guaranteed.
Instead, many families opt to use flexible spending or health savings accounts to pay for these services, she said.
Additionally, Ferreira belongs to Foster Adopt Minnesota, a network of providers who offer therapy to foster and adoptive families, funded by stipends provided by the organization.
Ferreira was raised in Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. In Utah, she worked for three years as a school social worker, at both the elementary and middle school levels.
Once the pandemic happened in 2020, Ferreira and her husband were ready for an adventure. They made a list of places they would consider to reside in and Minnesota was one of the options, she said. They decided to visit in the heart of winter to test it out and then made the move to St. Paul in 2022, where they live with their toddler and two cats, Alfie and Amelia Bedelia.
After moving, Ferreira served as an elementary school social worker for one year. She then decided to seek training to become certified as a registered play therapist, a designation that allows her to support children and families.
The Association for Play Therapy, a national professional society established in 1982, is an organization that supports the growing field of play therapy.
According to its website, the organization was established to “foster contact among mental health professionals interested in … applying the therapeutic power of play to communicate with and treat clients, particularly children.”
Ferreira’s training took place at Bethel University as well as through a variety of independent studies that provided additional learning opportunities, she said.
There are many reasons that parents seek therapy for their children. These include the children’s unwillingness to go to school, battles surrounding food or other daily tasks, ADHD and anxiety or depression.
“A big part of my job is having kids and parents find new ways of relating to each other,” she explained.
Ferreira said she is passionate about play therapy.
“Play is inherently healing for kids,” she said. “I am on a mission to advocate for this. Talk therapy with little kids doesn’t work. When they play it is amazing how quickly they are able to feel better.”
Additional information about Playing with Purpose is available on Ferreira’s website. Visit playingwithpurposechildtherapy.com to learn more.
Playing with Purpose is the latest of several new tenants to join Milton Square. Others since the start of 2026 include Present Company, Mind’s Eye Comics and The Acorn Bookshop.
Janet Wight lives in the Como neighborhood and is a regular freelance writer for the Bugle.
