Participants will be exposed to play therapy interventions designed to engage the brain from a neurosequential perspective. These play therapy interventions that target the brain stem, diencephalon/midbrain, limbic system, and cortex along with a rationale for use will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Practice and utilize at least 3 play therapy interventions designed to target the brain stem.
• Practice and utilize at least 3 play therapy interventions designed to target the midbrain/dicephalon.
• Practice and utilize at least 3 play therapy interventions designed to target the limbic system.
• Practice and utilize at least 1 group or family play therapy intervention for each brain region discussed.
• Identify what types interventions to use based on symptom presentation in children
• Identify and describe the neurosequential model of therapeutics and understand the utility of play therapy interventions and approaches within a neurodevelopmental framework.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

The workshop will present the theoretical model of Jungian Analytical Play Therapy to lay the foundation for the effective interpretation of children's play in a clinical setting. Concepts from JAPT will be presented for the interpretation of children’s play.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the development and structure of the psyche from birth into childhood.
• Describe the psychodynamic process by which symptoms are attached to unresolved issues in the child’s psyche in play therapy.
• Describe the development and the psychological properties of a complex.
• Describe the process by which play creates temenos allowing for the child to safely engage with unconscious, troubling material in play therapy.
• Teach the different ways that children use symbol in play therapy, and the different uses of symbol that can be personal, cultural, or universal.
• Teach the different aspects of the Analytical Play Session Review form and its components.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• History
  
• Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
• Skills and Methods

Effective supervision provides the scaffolding by which play therapists grow. This workshop highlights models of supervision, discusses professional considerations, and illustrates supervision techniques that promote play therapy skills and reflection. Concepts are explored through lecture, group discussion, and experiential activities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe 2 effective supervisory models specific to play therapy.
• Explain the professional, ethical, and legal considerations unique to play therapy supervisors.
• Identify 3 professional characteristics and accompanying needs of a play therapy supervisee and will be able to link these needs with goals for supervision.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Learn to navigate the challenges of groups in a school using play therapy to build social skills and coping strategies in children. Participants will practice techniques and work within metaphors, before leaving energized ready to engage in new, creative ways.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify a time and space where small group can happen in a school setting.
• Describe how to articulate to parents, teachers and school administrators the concept of metaphors as they apply to play therapy.
• Demonstrate one play therapy technique to be used with small groups in a school setting.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Offering a path for integrating non-directive and directive play therapy approaches, TraumaPlay™ supports clinicians in tailoring trauma treatment to individual clients while grounding work in attachment theory, maximizing neurobiological co-regulation, and building coherent narratives for more delight and better outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• List the seven goals that provide the framework for TraumaPlay™.
• Describe five play therapy interventions that aid in soothing the physiology.
• Explain the difference between stuck post-traumatic play and coherence enhancing post-traumatic play.
• Articulate four mitigators of the approach to trauma content encoded on the Play Therapist's Palette.
• List the three roles of the TraumaPlay™ therapist.
• Describe five play therapy mediums that can be used to help children and families create trauma narratives.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
• Skills and Methods
• Special Topics

In Child-Centered Play Therapy, therapists don't impose their own expectations on clients, which can make writing treatment plans tricky! Come to this presentation to learn how to translate the child's language of play into the adult language of treatment plans.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply four client conceptualization questions to a case example using tenets from child-centered play therapy.
• Identify ways to obtain answers to conceptualization questions in child-centered play therapy.
• Demonstrate the ability to use case conceptualization to write a treatment plan consistent with child- centered play therapy.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
• Skills and Methods

Writing and presenting can be intimidating. Participants will be challenged to consider how to write and present play therapy case material in informative yet interesting ways, unlocking their inner Muse while abiding by ACA, APA, and NASW ethical codes.

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize their ethical responsibilities in reporting client information and play therapy case material for research, publication, presentation, and teaching purposes according to ACA, APA, and NASW ethical codes.
• Describe their ethical responsibilities for keeping/storing, using, reproducing, and/or adapting any work produced in play therapy according to professional ethical codes, including obtaining and maintaining permissions to do so (parental/legal representation).
• Apply two ethical scholarship principles, including citing others’ work to avoid plagiarism and keeping conclusion in context to avoid overreaching.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Estimates suggest that 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. This workshop explores the use of play therapy as an intervention for treatment of this complex population. Individual and group therapy applications will be explored.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify common dynamics of childhood sexual abuse as defined by the literature.
• Identify components of evidence-based treatments which can be used to ground play therapy interventions.
• Describe 10 play therapy techniques for use in individual and/or group therapy with victims of sexual abuse.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

When families experience substance use it can alter the family and child functioning in profound ways. This workshop will address healing the child and family using play and family play therapy.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify a minimum of 5 ways substance abuse affects children and families.
• Identify a minimum of 4 directed play therapy techniques to help children process parental substance use disorder.
• Identify a minimum of 3 family play therapy techniques used to help children and families heal from substance use disorder.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Special Topics

Adverse childhood experiences are potentially traumatic events that have negative and lasting effects on young children. During this workshop participants will explore clinical applications from a neurobiological perspective and learn play and music therapy interventions to incorporate into trauma-responsive interactions.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify at least 5 trauma informed play therapy interventions.
• Describe effective use of trauma informed play therapy interventions with diverse populations.
• Identify 5 strategies to assist in the stabilization and support of children and families with traumatic histories.

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

• Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
• Skills and Methods
• Special Topics