PLAY THERAPY IN THE SCHOOL SETTING

Program Goals

This workshop is designed to provide a basic understanding of how play therapy can be implemented in a school setting, where considerable differences in setting, need, and format occur.  More and more, educators and other caregivers recognize the opportunity to both identify and respond to children’s social, behavioral, and emotional problems during the school day, ensuring that children receive needed mental health attention.  Too often, parents cite their inability to take children to traditional mental health services due to cost and time.  Parents are sometimes more receptive to school guidance counselors, psychologists, and social workers, providing services during the school day, and given the fact that many behavioral problems emerge during peer contacts at school, it seems desirable to provide child therapy within the school setting.  In addition, therapy needs to be engaging, developmentally appropriate, and sensitive to children’s unique life experiences and challenges.  This workshop will provide a way for school counselors to assess and treat children utilizing play therapy approaches and techniques as well as a systemic lens. The presenter will demonstrate how directive and nondirective approaches in play therapy can be used separately or in unison and participants will have experiential opportunities to practice several play therapy principles and approaches.  In addition, information will be provided on how play therapy strategies can be utilized to promote and advance therapeutic goals when working with a range of behavioral problems and concerns.  Specifically, this program will:

• Define play therapy and provide curative aspects of play;
• Discuss special challenges of providing play therapy in the school setting;
• Provide theoretical frameworks for the practice of play therapy in a school setting;
• Discuss a contextual/systemic approach for providing play therapy;
• Differentiate between directive and nondirective play therapy approaches and discuss an integrative approach;
• Provide guidelines for the active observation, documentation, and processing of play metaphors, symbols, and activities;
• Offer a rationale for the integration of expressive therapies and cognitive behavioral strategies;

Course Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Name two major theories of play therapy;
• List four of Axline’s basic principles of play therapy;
• List three challenges/obstacles to providing play therapy in a school setting;
• List three basic play therapy toys that might be useful in a school setting;
• Describe three specific play therapy techniques to be utilized for assessment;
• List an example of how specific therapy goals can be advanced through the use of play therapy;
• List two benefits of play therapy;
• Demonstrate knowledge of two ways to maintain a therapeutic relationship with clients while serving in multiple roles.

General Course Information

This course is limited to 15 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 Intermediate 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 Provider No. 96-029).

Continuing Education Credit is pending through Commonwealth Educational Seminars for the following professions:

It is the participant's responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.

Psychologists:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for these programs and their content.

Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LPCs/LMHCs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Social Workers:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Social Workers. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for Social Workers. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

If applicable: Social Workers – New York State

Commonwealth Educational Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. #SW-0444.

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

For information about continuing education credit, fees, and deadlines for cancellations/refunds, please see starbrighttraininginstitute.com. It is the participant's responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.

Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, is Director of Starbright Training Institute.

Phone:  703-980-2886.

Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com

Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com

References 

Landreth, G. (1991). Play Therapy: The are of the relationship. Muncie, IN: Accelerated Development.

Schaefer, C.E., & Drewes, A.A. (Eds.). (2014). The therapeutic powers of play: 20 core  agents of change. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Drewes, A.A. (2011). Integrating plat therapy theories into practice. In A.A. Drewes,  S.C. Bratton, & C. Schaefer (Eds.), Integrative play therapy. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Gil, E. (2010). Working with children to heal interpersonal trauma: The powers of play. New York: Guilford Press.

Gil, E.(2017). Posttraumatic Play: What clinicians need to know. New York: The Guildford Press.

Schaefer, C.E., & Drewes, A.A. (Eds.). (2014). The therapeutic powers of play: 20 core agents of change. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Grievance Policy

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) 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.

Accommodations for the Differently Abled

Starbright Training Institute’s training facilities are handicap accessible. Individuals needing special accommodations please contact the Director of Starbright Training Institute. See contact information above.

Course Instructor Contact Information

Name: Andrea McLeod LCSW, RPT-S. Andrea is a Certified Child Centered Play Therapist, is a foundational level Theraplay practitioner, and is a Registered play therapy supervisor. . She currently works at Gil Institute.

Website: www.gilinstitute.com

Email: AMCLEOD@gilinstitute.com

Phone: 513-312-8609