Play Therapy Training Events
Play therapy training events allow professional therapists the chance to practice innovative and exciting therapy techniques that can be used during play therapy sessions. These play therapy training events allow a mental health professional to begin or continue the path to becoming a Registered Play Therapist.
If you are interested in play therapy training events, please contact our team. You can reach us at (925)626-0084 or at 8 Crow Canyon Court, Suite #207 San Ramon, CA. 94583. Mary Ruth Cross an approved provider for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Association for Play Therapy, and the American Psychological Association, we are approved to provide play therapy continuing education units to MFT’s, LCSW’s, LPCC’s,and Psychologists. (APT Approved Provider 09-2411 CEs for Marriage & Family Therapists, Licensed Social Workers, Professional Counselors and Psychologists offered through Sierra Institute for Contemporary Gestalt Therapy BBS provider 349 and approved by APA AND Association for Play Therapy -APT Approved Provider 09-241.) We provide these CE through play therapy training, such as our play therapy training, play therapy workshops, play therapy conferences, and specified play therapy continuing education workshops.
As an example of our continuing education, our introduction to play therapy is simply one of our play therapy training workshops. This workshop presents the history, theories, and components of play therapy as a model to work with children, adolescents, and families. We cover theories such as psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, Ecosystemic Play Therapy, family therapy and expressive arts. The learning is both didactic and experiential. In addition, this course meets one of the course requirements for basic play therapy training to become a Registered Play Therapist.
Play therapy is a great practice and skill to learn because it provides a way for children to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. This process is highly effective, since a child’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play. A Registered Play Therapist works with children and their primary caregivers to research, assess, and treat developmental issues. A play therapist might work with children who exhibit any of the following challenges: anger issues, grief and loss, divorce and/or family stress, anxiety and depression, developmental delays, other learning or attention problems, such as ADHD, episodes of sadness, anxiety, or depression, social withdrawal or isolation, other social challenges, such as being the victim of bullying or bullying other children, decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities, changes in appetite, sleep, or mood swings, overly aggressive behavior, and separation, divorce, or relocation. Play therapists are trained to use many psychology techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition, play therapists might incorporate one or several different types of play models that are designed to help children feel safe and heard. Play models may include but are not limited to models such as sand tray therapy, puppets and masks, and play therapy with animals. Play models are highly effective because they allow child a safe space in which to act out thoughts and feelings. At the same time, a therapist is being given insight into the child’s world. Many children will often confide in puppet or a toy and share something during play that they are hesitant to share normally with an adult.
If you would like to learn more about any of our play therapy training events, including our training’s, workshops, and play therapy conferences, please contact us at (925)626-0084. Our founder, Mary Ruth Cross, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor with multiple interns under her wing. She is a former president of the California Association of Play Therapy and a member in good standing with the Association of Play Therapy.
You may also review our play therapy continuing education and play therapy workshops here on our website. You will find a list of our classes, including the number of continuing education given for completing the requirements of each class, as well as a look at our upcoming play therapy trainings, conferences, and workshops. We look forward to hearing from you and answering any play therapy questions you might have!