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While adoption is often seen as the solution to the problem of child maltreatment, the disruption of primary attachments is also a risk factor for children after placement. Play therapists can play an important role in recognizing the impact of these attachment wounds as well as themes of belonging and identity formation that become increasingly pressing for children as they grow up in adoptive families, foster families, and kinship adoption. In this session we will look at a prescriptive play therapy approach to this work including the themes that can emerge in the child’s play, approaching the traumatic history of disruption and placement through the attachment narratives, and how to support the adoptive parents in adjusting their expectations and strategies. Of special note will be the important considerations related to race, ethnicity, and culture that often impact the adoption kinship network and ways to invite those themes in the play therapy process. -
Aggression and death are common parts of the play therapy process, yet many therapists don’t have a clear understanding of what to do and how to facilitate intensity. This can lead to inadvertently promoting aggression and low brain disorganization. It can also lead to the therapist feeling beat up, exhausted, and hyper-aroused, ultimately impacting their ability to stay attuned, remain present, and find inspiration in this field. Enter Synergetic Play Therapy! Through an SPT lens, and a heavy dose of neuroscience, this 2-hour course helps therapists learn how to use play in a way that supports regulation – their own and their client’s! See course details below. -
Research in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology sheds light on the need for the play therapist to act as the external regulator supporting the child to move towards the intensity they are experiencing allowing for integration. This 3 hour video course explores this need during trauma integration for two primary reasons: 1) The child need to borrow the play therapist’s regulatory capacity as they work through their traumatic thoughts, feelings and sensations in play therapy and 2) The play therapist’s ability to regulate themselves during the intensity increases the capacity for presence and attunement with the child, while simultaneously supporting the health and longevity of their own nervous system. Without the ability of the play therapist to become the external regulator for the intensity that arises during trauma integration, both the child and the play therapist are at risk for emotional flooding and high levels of dysregulation in their nervous systems. Over time, this can significantly impact a play therapist’s longevity in the field, as well as the ability to stay attuned and present to a child in sessions. This course is a recording of a 3 hour live webinar with Trusted Provider Network. See course details below. -
Whether you're looking for how to engage the resistant child, turn Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) into opportunities for growth and resilience, use yoga to increase your ability to connect to yourself and your clients, or create a neuroception of safety in the playroom, we have you covered. Explore these topics and so many others in our one-hour courses below. Then choose 4 courses to create a bundle for only $119 and save (valued at $140 USD!) You can buy as many bundles as you would like (each as a new order)! See below for course descriptions. To view course details and objectives, click to the right of the title. -
In today’s digital era, children’s play has expanded into new realms, where they engage, connect, and communicate in transformative ways. To support young clients effectively, play therapists must understand and embrace the evolving world of digital play. This insightful course with Dr. Rachel Altvater explores how the digital landscape shapes children’s engagement, self-expression, and identity. Starting with a reflection on your own perspectives about digital native culture, you’ll dive into how digital environments influence children and adolescents, equipping you to meet them where they are. Through practical strategies, you’ll learn to connect with clients in their digital spaces, foster meaningful therapeutic relationships, and seamlessly integrate digital tools into your play therapy practice. The session also examines the vital role of digital identity, uncovering how this space serves as more than entertainment—it’s where young clients form relationships, build resilience and navigate their world. By the end of this course, you’ll walk away with fresh insights and actionable techniques to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, deepen connections, and achieve meaningful outcomes with the digital natives you serve. -
The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute in collaboration with PIP Solutions presents “Conceptualizing Cases from a Synergetic Play Therapy Lens”. Translating a right brain play experience into a left brain conceptualization is not an easy task. Play therapists often grapple with a sense of uncertainty when trying to comprehend a child’s unique therapeutic progression and assessing whether goals are being achieved. This course, led by Lisa Dion, aims to address this issue by introducing a structured framework derived from Synergetic Play Therapy. Students will gain insights into how to conceptualize cases effectively and apply this framework to enhance the efficacy of their therapeutic interventions. -
Transgender and gender-diverse children face unique challenges in navigating their identities and experiences. Their families face challenges, too, but can often be fearful of voicing them due to worries about how others may perceive them. Clinicians are often well meaning but can do unintended harm due to the blind spots they are not aware of when working with this population. Play therapy offers a dynamic and effective approach to support these children and their families in understanding and expressing themselves in a safe and affirming environment, given the appropriate knowledge offered by the clinician. This workshop aims to equip therapists with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to provide effective and affirming play therapy for transgender and gender-diverse children - and their families! Scroll down for all of the course details! -
This webinar will explore the myriad ways in which children show us the hard things that have happened to them. There are as many ways for children to share their pain with us as there are stories to be told. After three decades of Storykeeping, TraumaPlay has identified three primary posttraumatic play pathways that children use to create coherence in their internal narratives. These three pathways allow for play-based gradual exposure to occur while integrating thoughts, feelings, and sensory impressions connected to the trauma. TraumaPlay gives permission for a “yes, and” approach to the sometimes overwhelming question of whether to use directive or non-directive play therapy approaches with traumatized children and expands our conceptual framework for following the child’s need in trauma processing. -
Helping children learn how to regulate is essential, but without first strengthening the child's interoceptive sense, regulation may not be successful. This experiential workshop offers various opportunities to explore how play can develop this fundamental part of the sensory system. As play therapists, there is an understanding that regulation and co-regulation are essential skills that must be developed in order to have successful relationships and manage emotions, and are essential for trauma integration; however, what many play therapists may not fully understand is that there is a prerequisite that needs to be in place for regulation skills to be effective. What has been understood for years in the world of Occupational Therapy is now becoming a primary focus of education for play therapists. This important understanding is that the child’s interoceptive sense, the 8th sensory system that is responsible for letting the brain know how the body is doing, must be developed first before a child can successfully regulate and co-regulate. Without the development and strengthening of the interoceptive sense, a child may have all kinds of regulation knowledge and tools but will not be able to read their own body cues to know when to use any of them. Examples such as knowing when to use the bathroom, when to take a deep breath, when to ask for help, the ability to read non-verbal cues, knowing when emotions are feeling overwhelming, etc. all rely on interoception. This playful workshop is designed to help play therapists learn what the interoceptive sense is and how to use play to develop interoception in their child clients setting the stage for successful regulation and co-regulation. Play therapists will have fun experientially exploring this fundamental part of the sensory system! (This course is a recording of a 2 hour live webinar held in November 2023) See course details below. -
Eating challenges in children can show up in many ways. From the refusal to eat to eating too much, underneath often lies the need for perfectionism and control. Helping kids take these challenges off their plates involves offering choices and uncovering co-existing issues, as well as providing parental support. This course takes a look at this important struggle. -
Every therapist has been there – in a session with a child who doesn’t want to come in the room, a child who doesn’t want to do the task, a child who only wants to avoid the issue. This course explores what to do when a child client’s language and behavior say “no.” Join us as we explore resistance- what it is and what it is not. This course will further explore emotional avoidance and flooding as components of resistant behaviors. -
In today's diverse and globalized world, effective mental health supervision requires more than theoretical expertise; it demands a profound understanding of ethical considerations and cultural dynamics. Join us for a dynamic course designed to equip mental health and play therapy supervisors with the essential knowledge to navigate the complexities of working across cultures ethically and effectively. This course will delve into critical cultural and ethical topics that will transform your supervision practice, including:- Fostering an Inclusive & Respectful Supervisory environment: Gain understanding and develop cultural competence and sensitivity so that your supervisees feel seen and supported.
- Exploring Ethical Dilemmas in Cross-Cultural Supervision: Discuss and identify solutions to common dilemmas from a cultural and ethical lens.
- Effectively Support Supervisees: Learn how to be culturally aware and inclusive of your supervisees from diverse backgrounds, promoting their professional development and well-being.
