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On-Demand Workshops
Play Therapy
Tools for Helping Children and Youth
$219.00
11
Continuing Education
Credit Hours (CEC)
Children express themselves, learn about their world, and feel most at ease when playing. This interactive workshop focuses on how to use play therapy strategies to help children and youth positively cope and work through stressful life experiences. Participants will become familiar with Play Therapy theory, clinical guiding principles, and various directive and non-directive creative interventions to use with a wide age range of children and youth. From an experiential lens, this training explores how to apply playful strategies to support children and youth on their path to healing. Get ready to play!
Please note: This workshop does not certify participants as a “Play Therapist” – the aim of the workshop is to provide practical strategies for a wide range of helpers who support children.
Trainer: Kelly Smith, MSW, RSW
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
- Describe the theory and guiding principles of play therapy
- Understand the cognitive and developmental stages of children
- Describe age-appropriate directive and nondirective play therapy tools and interventions
- Illustrate practical and tangible tools for immediate use with clients
Some of the Topics Reviewed
- Why does Play Therapy Work?
- Attachment, Neuroscience, Family Systems
- Children’s Growing Brains: Cognitive and Development Stages
- Inner Resiliency – Child-Centered Play Therapy
- Using Directive vs. Non-directive Approaches with Children and Youth
- How Play can Help Overcome Trauma
- Play-based Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy Strategies
- Creative Interventions for Emotional Awareness and Self-Reflection
- Art-Based Therapy
- Helping Children and Youth Develop Self-Regulation
- The Impact of Family – How Family Play Therapy Helps
- Building the Blocks of Attachment
- Somatic Approaches and Body-based Exercises
- Skills for using a Sand Tray
- Tools to use Puppetry
- Develop Story-telling Skills
Target Audience
This is an introductory-intermediate level workshop intended for school personnel, social service and health care professionals, counsellors, social workers, parents, and anyone wanting to gain increased capacity in helping children and youth.
Trainer: Kelly Smith
MSW, RSW
Kelly is a Registered Social Worker and holds a Master of Social Work degree. She has also completed six levels of training in Sandtray-Worldplay with Gisela Schubach De Domenico and three levels of training with the Canadian Association of Play Therapy. In addition to training with CTRI, Kelly has an eclectic private practice where she incorporates play therapy, sandtray therapy, DBT, emotion-focused therapy, dance, somatic work, and mindfulness into her work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. She specializes in providing trauma-informed counselling for motor vehicle accident victims and their families. Kelly believes that everyone can access their own self-healing abilities and feels honoured when asked to be a part of the journey. As a trainer, she is both passionate and engaging.
