Title: Owner
Company: Healing with Laughter dba Sunny Shores Counseling
Location: Prescott, Arizona, United States
Christine D. Hayes, MS, Owner at Healing with Laughter dba Sunny Shores Counseling, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Healthcare Professionals for dedication, achievements and leadership in Mental Health Counseling.
Ms. Hayes is sought after for her expertise in mental health, marked by her dedication to empowering individuals and families to overcome adversity and achieve personal growth. For over a decade, she has served as the owner of Healing with Laughter, doing business as Sunny Shores Counseling, in Arizona, where she instructs clients on managing their responses to circumstances beyond their control. Through her private practice, Ms. Hayes enables individuals to navigate challenges with resilience and discover moments of enjoyment even amidst hardship.
As part of her expertise, Ms. Hayes’s role encompasses working with children and adults of all ages, providing couples, family and laughter therapy to her clients, and addressing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anger issues. Her commitment to these areas has positioned her as a respected authority in her profession.
Before founding her private practice in 2018, Ms. Hayes held several key leadership roles at Southwest Behavioral & Health Services between 2016 and 2022. Hired as a therapist, she provided direct care to clients while honing her clinical skills. She then transitioned into becoming a supervisor of children’s services, an opioid replacement services program coordinator, and finally a program director. As a director, Ms. Hayes managed three mental health clinics within the Prescott Valley region of Arizona, overseeing operations for both adult and children’s community mental health clinics as well as an opioid replacement services clinic. In these capacities, she was recognized annually for her exceptional contributions as a team player and for fostering cohesive teams that forged impactful partnerships with communities and agencies.
Ms. Hayes initially joined Southwest Behavioral and Health Services in 2011 as a children’s case manager, where she spent one year before transitioning into a therapist from 2012 to 2014. Additionally, she garnered success as a therapist at Desert Edge Mentoring Services between 2014 and 2015. Ms. Hayes’s foundational role in the field was as a seriously mentally ill adult case manager with Southwest Network from 2009 to 2011.
Highly educated in her respective field, Ms. Hayes completed a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe in 2009 and a Master of Science in professional counseling from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2012. She is licensed as a professional counselor and achieved certification as a certified laughter leader-expert level from World Laughter Tour. These academic achievements have provided a strong foundation for Ms. Hayes’s work with diverse populations and complex mental health needs.
Ms. Hayes’s professional journey is further distinguished by her active involvement in industry organizations. She has been a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, since 2008 and the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor since 2018. Additionally, Ms. Hayes holds the certified laughter leader-expert level credential from World Laughter Tour, reflecting her commitment to innovative therapeutic modalities.
Beyond her clinical work, Ms. Hayes has contributed significantly to civic initiatives through service on the board of directors for the Mental Health and Justice Coalition. Her leadership has had a meaningful impact on advancing mental health awareness and resources within the community. Additionally, Ms. Hayes has become an accomplished author, having published “Increase Your Happiness,” a workbook released in 2025 that reflects her commitment to practical tools for personal development.
Among Ms. Hayes’s notable recognitions was the Presidential Award from Southwest Behavioral and Health Services, underscoring her dedication to excellence in service delivery and organizational leadership. She attributes her success primarily to her strong faith, the steadfast support of her family and her inherently positive personality.
A lifelong learner and compassionate individual, Ms. Hayes is deeply committed to aiding others in navigating life’s challenges and finding fulfillment in their journey. Her decision to establish Healing with Laughter was motivated by a desire to address the lack of mental health support options for both children and adults in the Prescott Valley area while fulfilling her long-standing aspiration of founding her own practice. Looking ahead, Ms. Hayes aims to expand her facility by incorporating a team of dedicated professionals while pursuing opportunities for speaking engagements, authoring additional books and potentially teaching psychology.
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