Medical anxiety impacts children with chronic medical conditions, children with minor or acute illnesses or injuries, and healthy children. Attendees will gain insight into the developmental needs of children experiencing medical anxiety and play therapy tools to enhance their practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Define medical anxiety as it compares to the DSM 5 diagnosis of Blood-Injection-Injury phobia.
• Discuss case studies highlighting needs of children with medical anxiety impacted by acute illnesses and injuries and those with chronic medical conditions.
• Explore therapeutic play therapy activities utilized with children with medical anxiety to promote coping and discuss strategies to support parental advocacy and collaboration with the medical team.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

In this experiential workshop, attendees will learn the art of combining expressive and play therapy. The tenets of both approaches will be explored in relation to when, why, and how to use an integrative approach.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a minimum of 1 benefit and 1 potential caution of combining modalities.
• Describe at least 3 ways to integrate expressive and play therapy into your practice.
• Apply practical techniques/activities and learn how and when to implement them with your caseload.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Research in neurosciences and trauma have transformed our understanding of the impact of trauma and interventions which reduce symptoms and promote healing. As this has unfolded, support has emerged for the use of expressive interventions including play therapy and other expressive modalities. Exploring this crucial intersection empowers the work of the play therapist and aids the recovery and healing process for those who have been abused and traumatized. Join us to understand the interconnectedness of the neurosciences, trauma, and the power of play therapy.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the impact of trauma on the developing brain.
• Identify how play therapy and expressive interventions address the effects of trauma.
• Describe the importance of the play therapy relationship when working with traumatized children

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

The brain is a complex system of structures and neural connections that develops in a bottoms-up fashion; yet, is designed to regulate from a top-down mechanism. Understanding brain structures, neural connections, and neurotransmitters provides a basic foundation for understanding how change and growth occur as well as how incorporation of play therapy and creative activities support and bring about change and growth.

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate the complexities of brain functioning in maltreated and non-maltreated children and adolescents.
• Illustrate the interaction of neurobiology, maltreatment, and play therapy.
• Match play therapy and expressive interventions to treatment goals.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Technology alters children's language, communication, and play. Play therapists must understand how technology impacts play therapy treatment. A general understanding is essential for meeting children where they are in the playroom, regardless if play therapists decide to integrate innovative techniques.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the new age world of technology for children and develop greater knowledge for how this influences play therapy.
• Recite the present research about the positive and negative impacts of technology on child’s play and incorporation of technology in play therapy sessions.
• Describe the current standards and ethics to incorporating technology in play therapy.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Skills and Methods
• Special Topics

Come explore sword fighting, gun play and death play from a neuroscience and brain based perspective in the context of play therapy. Learn how to work with the intensity of aggression and death play without causing your own nervous system to shut down.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how to facilitate aggressive play in the play therapy process without increasing or promoting aggression.
• Describe how to keep yourself regulated in the midst of intense play/trauma play and death in the play room.
• Identify the link between a child’s dys-regulated states of their nervous system and their play.
• Summarize the significance of congruence and authentic expression in the play therapy process.
• Recite how our own “windows of tolerance” can impact the child's healing process.
• Describe "The Set Up" in play therapy and how to use this information to teach a child how to self-regulate.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

It’s time to SPARK IT UP! By releasing stress, alleviating burnout and compassion fatigue and replenishing your inner player through experiential interventions. This workshop will ignite the spark of self-care by applying play-based interventions; play therapy, expressive arts, mindfulness and meditation to treat and prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify at least 3 indicators of burnout & compassion fatigue for the psychotherapist.
• Identify 2 assessment tools that a play therapist can utilize to assess psychotherapist burnout & compassion fatigue.
• Identify and utilize 3 play therapy/expressive art based interventions for the treatment of burnout & compassion fatigue.
• Identify and utilize at least 2 play therapy based interventions to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics