Description:

School counselors are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of using play therapy techniques and strategies in public and private schools alike. This workshop will discuss and illustrate ideas for overcoming the obstacles that counselors face in setting up a playroom, informing teachers, parents, and administrators about play therapy, and facilitating the psychological healing for the children through play therapy in the school setting. Both individual and group treatment will be discussed so that the treatment can cover a variety of psychological difficulties. Participants will learn techniques and processes to use for children through play therapy, and successful strategies will be presented that help the child enter and exit the therapy session successfully. The didactic presentation will have video illustrations of the topics presented.

Objectives:

• Describe how to use play therapy in a school setting (either classroom or therapist’s room or office
• Demonstrate play therapy techniques that help in the assessment of a child through play therapy.
• Design the use of the 30-minute interval to give a child both time to explore difficulties through play therapy and close down before returning to class.
• Use play therapy techniques in the classroom to teach social skills​.
• List interventions that can be used by teachers or staff to deal with behavioral issues
• Explain how to work within the school system and still allow play therapy to be confidential.