Workshop Descriptions
The Development of Healthy Attachments:
Use of the Circle of Security as a Play Therapy Map
Bill Whelan, Psy.D.
The development of healthy attachments is related to children’s socio-emotional development and general risk for developing behavior problems. Comprehending the fundamental principles of attachment theory and typical development of attachment relationships can equip child and family therapists with a powerful conceptual guide, as they work to understand the complexity of caregiver-child relationships. An innovative model, the Circle of Security, has proven to be especially useful and meaningful to clinicians and caregivers in developing a deep understanding of the factors facilitating and impeding healthy interactions. Participants will be introduced to this model and explore its use to guide assessment and intervention.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to
- Articulate the basic ideas of attachment theory
- Describe the typical development of an attachment relationship
- Describe children’s needs around the Circle of Security
- Describe healthy vs. high-risk attachment patterns
- Describe healthy vs. high-risk caregiving patterns
- Describe use of the Circle in terms of goals for Play Therapy treatment
- Describe use of the Circle as a Map for Play Therapy
Supervision Can Be Playful!
Athena Drewes, Psy.D.
This workshop will help participants to become a culturally competent and playful supervisor. Didactics will look at ways to be aware of cultural differences and similarities between supervisee and supervisor, as well as supervisor and client and creating a culturally sensitive playroom, along with looking at experiential techniques that can be utilized in training play therapists. Various ethical dilemmas will be explored, along with ample time for participants to share their own difficult moments in therapy and in supervision.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss the importance of being aware of cultural differences and similarities between supervisee and supervisor
- Describe recommendations for creating a culturally sensitive playroom
- Discuss and practice experiential techniques that can be used in training play therapists
- Describe ethical dilemmas in supervision
- Discuss their own difficult moments in supervision
Effectively Blending Play Therapy Techniques with CBT:
Helping Children Identify, Express and Integrate
Angry and Aggressive Feelings
Athena Drewes, Psy.D.
This training is a combination of didactic instruction and experiential demonstrations. It will offer an overview of the latest neuron-developmental research on anger and aggression, along with various play therapy techniques to be used as interventions. Participants will be helped to differentiate between “hot” and “cold” aggression and understand the impact of trauma and poor attachment on children’s angry and aggressive behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral, directive, invitational, and play-based techniques will be shared to help play therapists better integrate play therapy with CBT.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to
- Describe the impact of trauma and poor attachment on the development of angry and aggressive behaviors
- Describe cognitive-behaviors, directive, invitational and play-based techniques
- Discuss how to integrate play therapy with CBT
- Understand and identify 3 precipitants to angry and aggressive behaviors
- Identify two different categories for understanding angry and aggressive behaviors
- Apply five play-based techniques in their work with children
