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• Engaging Adolescents: Inspiring Play Therapy Techniques for Teens and Tweens with Brijin Gardner, LSCSW, LCSW, RPT-S

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• Play Therapy & Attachment Disruption: Bringing Back the Joy for Families in Distress with Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S
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• Exploring the Shadow: Jungian Play Therapy with Adults with Stephen Bearden, Phd and Daniel Sweeney, PhD, LPC, LMFT, RPT-S
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• Play Therapy with Children Whose Parents/Caretakers are in Transition with Teri Krull, LCSW, RPT-S
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• Play Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Lawrence Rubin, PhD, LMHC, RPT-S

ENGAGING ADOLESCENTS: INSPIRING PLAY THERAPY TECHNIQUES FOR TEENS AND TWEEN

This workshop will focus on learning inventive kinesthetic-visual-projective-expressive play therapy techniques inspired by adolescents. Through an attachment theory lens, current data regarding adolescent mental health, diagnosis and treatment will be presented, with a focus on primary teen challenges; including: substance abuse, relationships, body image, sexuality and identity development. Attendees can expect to learn 20 creative, unique and prescriptive play therapy strategies to assess, engage and build relationships with teens and tweens. Goal setting and case conceptualization, with a focus on developmental stages and brain development will be explored. Expect an experiential workshop!

Brijin Gardner, LSCSW, LCSW, RPT-S is the Director of Clinical and Social Services for Operation Breakthrough – a Head Start daycare in the urban core of Kansas City. The agency serves over 330 families daily, addressing the needs of children ages birth to 18 who have experienced trauma, poverty and other concerns affecting development. Brijin also maintains a small private practice in which she specializes in adolescents and families. She has a fresh and creative training style and has a unique approach using play therapy and Theraplay® with children, adolescents and groups. Brijin has presented at International Theraplay® conferences and Association for Play Therapy conference and was a keynote speaker at the 2012 Conference. In addition to her national and international presentations, Brijin has written chapters and articles on attachment work with adolescents.

PLAY THERAPY & ATTACHMENT DISRUPTION: BRINGING BACK THE JOY FOR FAMILIES IN DISTRESS      

Many of the families we see are so distressed by the time they enter treatment that parents and children are no longer able to enjoy each other. While the material presented was developed for foster and adoptive families and families who have experienced trauma, the approach presented can help families who struggle with any level of attachment disturbance. Much of the time will be spent translating core attachment principles into practical play-based strategies for enhancing dyadic attunement, building connections, effectively soothing the child, lightening difficult discipline moments, creating and rehearsing coherent narratives, and maximizing delight. Practical ways to help parents become more effective co-regulators of their children will be described and modeled. Many dyadic nurturing games will be shared and practiced. Time will also be spent on bringing back the joy in our own work and delighting in each other. Come prepared to play!

Paris Goodyear-Brown, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S has 18 years of experience in treating traumatized and attachment disturbed children and families. She is an Adjunct Instructor of Psychiatric Mental Health at Vanderbilt University, guest lecturer for several universities in middle Tennessee, maintains a private practice, and has an international reputation as a dynamic speaker and innovative clinician. With recent trainings in Morocco, Australia, and Sweden, as well as frequent domestic presentations, she is best known for developing clinically sound, played-based interventions that are used to treat a variety of childhood problems. She has received the Association for Play Therapy award for Play Therapy Promotion and Education. She is the author of multiple books, chapters and articles related to child therapy. Her newest books include the Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse: Identification, Assessment, and Treatment, Play Therapy with Traumatized Children: A Prescriptive Approach and The Worry Wars: An Anxiety Workbook for Kids and Their Helpful Adults.

EXPLORING THE SHADOW: JUNGIAN PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULTS

This workshop will explore the practical use of expressive and play therapy techniques with adults, from a Jungian perspective. While play therapy is often seen as a child-focused intervention, the use of expressive interventions has long been a part of Jungian therapy with clients of all ages. There will be a focus on using play therapy as the container of the adult client’s emotional process, with particular attention on the archetypal struggle of unconscious projections of the shadow aspect of personality. This practical workshop will move beyond Jungian theory into practical application of play therapy with adults; including sandplay, mandalas, artwork, and dreamwork. Experiential activities will be demonstrated and participatory.

Stephen Bearden, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Marital and Family Therapy in the Graduate Department of Counseling at George Fox University. He has been offering Jungian-focused psychotherapy for over 30 years, and his therapeutic passion is the process of engaging the sacred and numinous in the service of health and wholeness. For the past 18 years Steve has offered graduate level courses in the theory and therapy of Carl Jung. Projective techniques and dream work have been an essential part of his private practice for over three decades. Steve has presented nationally and internationally on issues of mental health and spirituality.

Daniel Sweeney, PhD, LPC, LMFT, RPT-S is the founder and director of the NW Center for Play Therapy Studies. He is also a professor of counseling and program director for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the Graduate Department of Counseling at George Fox University. Daniel is a former member of the board of directors and past-president of the Association for Play Therapy, and maintains a small private practice. He has presented at regional, national and international conferences on the topics of play therapy, sandtray therapy, filial therapy, and trauma interventions. Daniel has numerous publications, including authoring or coauthoring several books, including Play Therapy Interventions With Children's Problems, Counseling Children Through the World of Play, Sandtray Therapy: A Practical Manual, The Handbook of Group Play Therapy, and the upcoming Group Play Therapy: A Dynamic Approach. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Russian.

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PLAY THERAPY WITH CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS/CARETAKERS ARE IN TRANSITION

There are unique challenges for children whose caretakers are separating, divorcing or experiencing other conflict. This workshop will take a comprehensive look at play therapy where caretakers are in conflict. Caretakers could be parents, grandparents, married or unmarried partners in child parenting. In this changing world, play therapists need to be prepared for care with children that also takes into consideration a variety of cultural variables. While traditional issues will be reviewed, unique components of caretaker separation will be discussed in detail. Case examples will be reviewed and group participation will be encouraged.

Teri V. Krull, LCSW, ACSW, RPT-S has been in private practice for over 26 years serving as a parent coach/educator and a treatment specialist for children, adolescents, adults and families. She is the Director of The Center for Positive Regard, a professional education center for the training and consultation of play therapists and social workers. Ms. Krull was a founding member of the Arizona APT branch, served on the national APT board, & was elected national APT President. Ms. Krull has taught and developed courses for Arizona State University’s graduate School of Social Work in Play Therapy and Child and Adolescent Assessment. She lectures nationally and internationally on a variety of play therapy and social work topics. Ms. Krull also collaborates with Dr. Kevin O’Connor in facilitating European based therapy instructional intensives.

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PLAY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

There has been a proliferation in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Parents, teachers and clinicians struggle to equip these children with the tools necessary to live connected, satisfying and productive lives. To date, most interventions have been medical or behavioral. This workshop focuses on the fact that play therapists and practitioners who utilize play-based interventions already have a wide range of empirically grounded strategies and tools for working effectively with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The workshop will help clinicians adapt their play therapy and play-based interventions in order to provide beneficial clinical services to this population. Didactic presentation will combine with useful and enjoyable hands-on activities; integrated at all points with ‘real-world’ clinical case application.

Lawrence Rubin, PhD, LMHC, RPT-S is a Professor of Counselor Education at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, where he directs the Mental Health Counseling Program and is a Psychologist, Mental Health Counselor and Play Therapist in private practice. Dr. Rubin is former president of the Florida Association for Play Therapy, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Play Therapy. His research interests and publications lie at the intersection of Psychology and Popular Culture. His books include Play-based Interventions for children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Skills for Mental Health Professionals: A Popular Casebook Approach, Popular Culture in Counseling, Psychotherapy and Play-based Intervention, and Using Superheroes in Counseling and Play Therapy.

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National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Association for Play Therapy (APT [provider #03-124])
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)
 

REGISTRATION
The fee is $129 per day for each workshop, with a student discount rate of $99 per day.  Print a brochure (available here)  if you would like to mail a check or purchase order with your registration, or register on-line with a Visa or MasterCard. Attendance is limited, so early registration is recommended. Conference accommodation information.

For further information, contact us at 503-554-6104, or send an e-mail message to playtherapy@georgefox.edu