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*Start and end times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, UTC+11:00

ABOUT

This workshop is suitable for those who have completed Learn to Play Therapy – Part 1: Introduction.

Learn to Play Therapy aims to facilitate the ability of a child to spontaneously self-initiate pretend play. The therapeutic skills required to facilitate this ability in children, who find it difficult to play, are explored more deeply in this 2 day ONLINE workshop. This 2 day ONLINE workshop builds on the Learn to Play Therapy Part 1 Introduction workshop. In Part 2 Training (Advanced) it is assumed that participants have knowledge of the development of pretend play and assessment of pretend play.

Participants are introduced to the clinical framework and theoretical underpinnings of Learn to Play Therapy. The importance of creating safety for the child in therapy is explained using Porges Polyvagal theory. The advanced processes and principles are covered and are practiced, including further therapeutic skills to engage children in play such as tracking, empathic reflections, holding, limit setting, and congruence. Break-out rooms in Zoom are utilised for this practice. The three stages of changes in therapeutic skill of the therapist are presented. On the second day more information is covered on working with children who have experienced trauma, children with autism, and Group Learn to Play Therapy.

Over the 2 day ONLINE workshop several case studies are worked through from assessment to planning therapy sessions. The workshop focusses on practical problem solving of difficult cases and how to facilitate play ability in children who find it difficult to play. The LIVE online sessions are complemented by pre-workshop activities and open discussion sessions to further explore play materials for therapy sessions, and engagement of children in play. This workshop would be valuable to therapists, social workers, psychologists and early intervention workers who work with families with children under 8 years of age who have a developmental delay.

Pre-Workshop Activities: 2 pre-recorded powerpoints are provided plus further reading and other videos. These pre-recorded powerpoints provide information relevant to the first and second LIVE sessions.

LIVE sessions Workshop content: OPEN sessions are provided on the mornings of each LIVE session. These open sessions are for discussion of the pre-workshop content, using Learn to Play Therapy in therapy, and case studies

Day 1

• Therapeutic presence
• Theoretical framework for Learn to Play Therapy
• What activity do I use now?
• Advanced therapeutic skills

Day 2

• Learn to Play Therapy for children on the autism spectrum
• Learn to Play adaptation for working in Schools (provided in pre-workshop recording)
• Group Learn to Play Therapy
• Learn to Play Therapy with children who have experienced trauma

PRESENTER’S PROFILE

Karen Stagnitti is Emeritus Professor in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. She is retired from full time teaching and research but continues to run workshops and write. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland. For over 40 years she has mainly worked in early childhood intervention programs in community-based settings as part of a specialist paediatric multidisciplinary team. In 2003 she graduated from LaTrobe University with a Doctor of Philosophy. Her area of research is children’s play. Karen has over 125 publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and books. She has developed several play assessments including: Child- Initiated Pretend Play Assessment 2, the Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist and the Animated Movie Test. From this research, Learn to Play Therapy was developed. Throughout the year, she is invited to present her work on the play ability of children nationally and internationally.