Course Description:

Transitions are everywhere, in the expected and the unexpected. As a play therapist, it's important to be prepared to help our clients with transitions such as divorce, death, a move, new sibling, sensory challenges that often bring them to our playroom.  

 In this course, Lisa Dion and Susan Stutzman will explore how to navigate transition and change in the play therapy setting.  Participants will walk away having gained an understanding of current neurobiological research that supports an understanding of how transitions can trigger a threat response in the brain causing activation of the autonomic nervous system.  

From a neurobiological lens, the therapist will gain knowledge on how to best navigate the challenges of transitions that bring clients to play therapy and learn ways to navigate change and transition that happens during the therapeutic play process itself. Clinical applications for working through transitioning within professional working relationships will be touched on.

Course Objectives: 

Objective #1 Participants will be able to describe the 4 threats of the brain that lead to activation of a nervous system in order to aid ethical treatment for play therapy clients where struggle with transition is a main source of treatment.

 Objective #2 Participants will be taught 2 ways to recognize activation and arousal in a play therapy session caused by the threat of change or transition.

Objectives #3 Participants will discuss 3 best practices to navigate expected and unexpected transitions that can arise during the play therapy process.  

Objective #4 Participants will discuss 5 best practices for facilitating closure with a child client from a Gestalt and Synergetic Play Therapy lens. 

Objective #5 Participants will be able to explain 2 best practices to implement with the parents during the closure phase of the play therapy process. 

Objective #6 Participants will be able to explain 3 ways to help facilitate transition when the child leaves the playroom at the end of their play therapy sessions.

Play Therapy Toolbox. is an Approved Provider with the Association for Play Therapy. (APT Approved Provider #18-533).  

Play therapy credit available to mental health professionals only as listed in each course description.  Courses that do not qualify for play therapy credit are clearly listed.