Course Description

This advanced-level training integrates Dr. Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) with sensory integration principles to transform how experienced play therapists conceptualize complex cases and sequence interventions. Designed for seasoned practitioners, this program explores the critical intersection between developmental neurobiology, sensory processing, and play therapy practice, emphasizing the foundational principle that the brain develops sequentially from bottom to top and that therapeutic interventions must follow this same developmental pathway.

Participants will master the application of the NMT's core framework—Regulate, Relate, Reason—learning to assess where children's neural development has been disrupted and how to match interventions to their current neurobiological capacity. The training emphasizes practical integration of sensory integration theory and sensory processing assessment, recognizing that many presenting problems reflect underlying regulatory and sensory challenges rather than purely behavioral or emotional issues.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this 6-hour training, participants will be able to:

Apply the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) framework to analyze complex client presentations and determine developmentally appropriate, brain-based sequencing of play therapy interventions.

Evaluate clients' developmental neurobiology using the NMT's four core domains (Regulate, Relate, Reason, and Relevance) to identify specific areas of neural system disruption and capacity.

Integrate sensory integration principles and sensory processing assessment into play therapy case conceptualization to address underlying regulatory and developmental challenges.

Synthesize neurosequential assessment data with sensory profiles to design bottom-up, developmentally sequenced treatment plans that match clients' current neural capacity and sensory needs.

Differentiate between cortical (thinking), limbic (feeling), and brainstem (survival) presentations in children's play and behavior to select interventions that target the appropriate level of brain development.

Apply the principles of patterned, repetitive, rhythmic somatosensory activity to modify traditional play therapy techniques for enhanced neural development and sensory integration.

Demonstrate advanced clinical decision-making by determining appropriate "dosing" (frequency, intensity, duration) of sensory-based and regulating interventions based on developmental neurobiology and the NMT framework.

Critique traditional play therapy approaches through a neurosequential lens to identify when interventions may be developmentally mismatched and recommend modifications that honor brain-based developmental hierarchies.

Course Description

This workshop introduces clinicians to core principles and practical techniques for incorporating families into the play therapy process. Participants will explore foundational systemic concepts and filial-based models, including Theraplay®-informed and child-parent relationship approaches, while examining when and why to involve caregivers in play. Emphasis will be placed on therapeutic role shifts, cultural considerations, and developmentally attuned interventions that promote emotional attunement, communication, and connection. Through experiential practice and case examples, participants will gain tools for facilitating meaningful family play therapy sessions.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this 3-hour training, participants will be able to:

Identify key clinical indications for including caregivers in play therapy and at least one situation when family involvement may be contraindicated.

Describe foundational concepts from at least two family play therapy approaches (e.g. Filial Play Therapy, Theraplay®-informed, systemic models).

Apply at least two play-based interventions designed to enhance family connection, communication, or co-regulation in the play therapy room.

Course Description

This experiential workshop invites play therapists to explore the “person of the therapist” as a core instrument in the healing process. Through reflective activities, guided expressive exercises, small-group sharing, and discussion, participants will examine how their own histories, values, emotional patterns, and internal narratives shape their work in the playroom. The workshop emphasizes cultivating self-awareness, authenticity, and intentional use of self to strengthen therapeutic presence, attunement, and connection with child clients. Participants will leave with an enriched understanding of their own inner landscapes and practical strategies for integrating personal insight into play therapy practice.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this 3-hour training, participants will be able to:

Identify and articulate personal beliefs, experiences, and emotional responses that influence their therapeutic presence and interactions with children in play therapy.

Demonstrate increased self-awareness and reflective capacity by engaging in structured experiential and expressive processes that explore the “person of the therapist.”

Apply insights about their own internal dynamics to enhance attunement, boundaries, and relational safety within the therapeutic play space.

Course Description

This workshop provides an in-depth exploration of ethical standards and practical considerations for play therapists working with children and families. Participants will apply the APT Core Competencies and professional ethical codes to real-world scenarios related to confidentiality, mandated reporting, consent and assent, cultural responsiveness, digital communication, and boundaries in the playroom. Through discussion and case application, clinicians will strengthen ethical decision-making skills and develop strategies to protect the therapeutic relationship, ensure client safety, and practice with integrity in diverse clinical settings.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this 3-hour training, participants will be able to:

Identify key ethical principles and APT standards relevant to play therapy practice, including issues of consent, confidentiality, and mandated reporting.

Apply an ethical decision-making model to at least two play therapy scenarios involving boundaries, safety, or dual-role considerations.

Describe at least two strategies for maintaining ethical practice in play therapy, including culturally responsive communication and documentation practices.