FAMILY PLAY THERAPY

Course Description:

Play has universal appeal to children and it is their preferred mode of communication. Using play they express themselves, learn new skills, problem-solve, and develop an increased sense of comfort.  Yet to imagine that children are the only people who can benefit from play is short-sighted and limiting. Adults, older youth, and seniors can also feel themselves drawn to play activities and may find it a much easier and enjoyable way to communicate and reach out to each other. In these hectic times, with many adult demands, play therapy can be a useful way of giving all family members an opportunity to convene, play, talk, and enjoy each other’s company while addressing difficult topics.

This workshop is designed to provide an in depth understanding of how play therapy strategies can be utilized in the assessment and treatment of all families. Dr. Eliana Gil will provide a rationale for using play therapy in the assessment and treatment of families, and present a variety of play techniques that can be integrated with traditional family therapy sessions. This Institute will offer intimate and personal instruction in a fun and creative atmosphere. The primary mode of learning will be experiential, followed by small group discussions of clinical videotapes. Participants will have opportunities to learn how play therapy elicits metaphors that be amplified to deepen the client’s understanding and can inform treatment planning at the same time.

Following the Institute, participants will be able to:

• provide a rationale for combining play therapy and systems theories.
• list three curative factors of play therapy.
• understand the benefits of utilizing family puppet interviews.
• define a family play genogram and know two ways it can be used for assessment and for treatment purposes.
• define the term “amplifying questions.”
• articulate two reasons to stay within the metaphors.
• define a family scribble and list two ways it can be useful for assessment and/or treatment purposes.
• describe a family sand tray and identify two aspects that might reveal underlying family dynamics.

Course Schedule

10 – 11:30                   Rationale for integration of play with families

11:30 – 11:45              Break

11:45 – 12:45              Family play therapy assessment activities

12:45 – 1: 45               LUNCH

01:45 - 3:15               Family Play Therapy therapy activities

3:15 - 3:30                 Break

3:30 – 5:00                 Clinical Case Discussions

Family Play Therapy References:

Arkell, K. (2010). Assessment & treatment activities for children, adolescents, and families Vol 2, 1-119. https://www.lianalowenstein.com/e-booklet.pdf

Daley, L. P.,  Richard B. Miller,B., Bean, R. O., & Oka, M.  (2018) Family System Play Therapy: An Integrative Approach, The American Journal of Family Therapy, 46:5, 421-436, DOI: 10.1080/01926187.2019.1570386

Gil, E. (2016). Play in family therapy (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Gil, E., & Sobol, B. (2005). Engaging Families in Therapeutic Play. In C. E. Bailey (Ed.), Children in therapy: Using the family as a resource (pp. 341–382).

Lowenstein, L., & Sprunk, T. P. (2010). Creative family therapy techniques: Play and art-based activities to assess and treat families. https://lianalowenstein.com/articleFamilyTherapy.pdf.

Papernow, P. L. (2018). Clinical Guidelines for Working with stepfamilies: What family, couple, individual, and child therapists need to know. Family Process, 57(1), 25–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12321.

Smith, T., Norton, A. N., & Marroquin, L. (2021).  Virtual Family Play Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Using Directed Family Play Therapy in Telemental Health, J. of Contemporary Family Therapy, October: 1007/s10591-021-09612-7.

General Course Information

This course is limited to 25 participants and is designed to facilitate experiential work, group discussion, and processing of clinical material.  Participants will have ample opportunity to discuss their specific needs and clinical questions.  Participant feedback will be sought out throughout the day.

Clinical case discussions will adhere to HIPPA regulations regarding client confidentiality.

Target audience is Mental Health Professionals: Social Workers, Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed marriage and Family Therapists.

The program is Beginning Level

This event is 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).

Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, is Director of Starbright Training Institute.  Phone:  703-679-7054.  Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com   Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com

Grievance Policy

STI seeks to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please submit a written grievance to: Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, Director of Starbright Training Institute.  Phone:  703-980-2886.  Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com   Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com

Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems.

There is no known commercial support nor conflict of interest for this program.

Instructor Contact Information:

Name:  Eliana Gil, Ph.D.

Website:  https://elianagil.me

Email: elianagil@me.com

Phone:  202-257-2783