Determine the best approach
This webinar will focus on the essential ingredients to improve your skills and competency in play therapy. An introduction to play therapy, including basic play therapy skills, playroom set up, and categories of toys, will be provided as well as demonstrations of basic play therapy skills. Non-directive and directive, the two approaches to play therapy, will be explored and compared for the unique perspectives they give to practicing play therapy. Participants will be given the tools they need to determine whether the directive or non-directive approach to play therapy is most appropriate based on external factors and the child's presenting issues and/or diagnosis/es. To map this often-difficult mix of influences, a decision tree for assessing the child's presenting issues and diagnoses, including the external elements, will be presented and explained. This one-hour webinar will discuss the belief that the child will ultimately decide the outcome of treatment and if "taking the experience" will result in progress or stagnation.

Course Content

HISTORY OF PLAY THERAPY
PLAY THERAPY DEFINED

• Principles
• Goals
• Tenets
• Therapeutic Powers

TWO APPROACHES TO PLAY THERAPY

• Non-Directive
• Directive

BASIC PLAY THERAPY SKILLS

• Demonstration
• Playroom set up/categories of toys

TWO APPROACHES TO PLAY THERAPY:
DIRECTIVE AND NON-DIRECTIVE

• Basic skills used in the approaches
• Assessing the play therapy approach
• Internal and external factors to consider
• Presenting issues/diagnoses used with the directive approach and rationale
• Presenting issues/diagnoses used with the non-directive approach and rationale