

Expression, Connection & Witnessing: The Use of Play Therapy and Other Expressive Approaches for the Assessment and Treatment of Kids, Parents & Families
February 27 @ 9:00 am - March 3 @ 12:30 pm
Expression, Connection & Witnessing: The Use of Play Therapy and Other Expressive Approaches for the Assessment and Treatment of Kids, Parents & Families
February 27 – March 3, 2023 | 9:00 am – 12:30 pm daily | USD$949 / CAD$1,234



About this workshop
Explore your own creativity as you learn how to integrate expressive therapies into clinical practice.
This experiential workshop will invite play therapists and other clinicians to explore their own creativity and imagination as they look at the benefits of integrating play therapy and other expressive therapies (art, sand, drama) into clinical practice.
This workshop will provide ample room for participants to participate in play and other expressive activities, with a focus on successful integration and implementation.
There is substantive evidence that play, art, and other expressive methods allow clients to sidestep well-established defensive mechanisms, activate the body-mind connection, and enliven and reshape relational interactions and connections.
Clinicians attending this workshop will gain not only a new repertoire of play therapy and other expressive interventions, but also feel prepared to tap into their own creativity to design novel invitations for their clients.
During each day of this workshop, play therapists and other participants will have a chance to engage in an expressive play therapy activity and discuss the clinical application of those activities.
Finally, this workshop is designed to allow each clinician to work from his or her theoretical model of play therapy and integrate accordingly. An emphasis will be placed on providing expressive therapies in an economic way, without expensive toys, and learning about adapting materials that might already be available in any clinical setting.
Come to this workshop with your therapeutic curiosity and willingness to explore play therapy and other expressive approaches, and a value of the importance of laughter and play in a therapeutic relationship.
During this workshop, the 20 central change agents of play therapy will be highlighted, and basic principles of play and other expressive therapies will also be defined.
Learning Objectives
CE Credits
This workshop is approved for 16.25 CE hours by Praxis Continuing Education and Training.
This workshop is approved for 15 APT CE hours.
This workshop is co-sponsored by Starbright Training Institute. Starbright Training Institute is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (APT Approved Provider No. 96-029). This workshop will provide 15 APT continuing education hours. APT CE credits are awarded only to mental health counselors.
Already registered for this workshop?
Additional Workshop Details
Target Audience:
Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Psychiatric Social Workers, Pastoral Counselors, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Counselors, Graduate Students in Accredited Programs in these fields
What level of knowledge should the attendee have in this topic?
Intermediate/Advanced
Daily Workshop Agenda
Time Frame | Content (Topics) |
---|---|
DAY 1 | |
9:00 am – 10:30 am | The use of metaphor and symbol to communicate, express, and connect Experiential exercise with play genogram and Relationship Question |
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Morning break |
10:45 am – 12:30 pm | Strengthening therapy alliances through the use of expressive therapies Clinical Discussion of Case and crafting expressive invitations that promote goals |
DAY 2 | |
9:00 am – 10:30 am | Designing and implementing expressive therapies to promote therapy goals Solution Circles exercise |
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Morning break |
10:45 am – 12:30 pm | Clinical Case Discussion to Family video of recent family crisis Participants will design a clinical response to the family’s puppet story |
DAY 3 | |
9:00 am – 10:30 am | Basic principles of drama therapy, embodied work, and movement Experiential exercises including milling, mirroring, affective charades, and other activities designed to allow clients to express nonverbally |
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Morning break |
10:45 am – 12:30 pm | Continuation of morning’s session, focused on creating drama therapy responses for children, teens and families Integrating drama and play therapy |
DAY 4 | |
9:00 am – 10:30 am | Family Play Therapy: A rationale for blending two approaches, systems theory and play therapy Experiential exercise: Aquarium project |
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Morning break |
10:45 am – 12:30 pm | More ways of integrating expressive therapies in our clinical practices Experiential exercise: Scribble drawings |
DAY 5 | |
9:00 am – 10:30 am | The art of therapeutic integration. How to conceptualize treatment direction, how to select treatment formats, how to invite families to participate Clinical case discussion |
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Morning break |
10:45 am – 12:30 pm | Clinical case presentation: Participants will discuss how to formulate a treatment plan and select approaches that promote goals Summary and Ending Art Exercise for Participants |
*Breaks not applicable for CEs.