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DAY 1: Thursday, February 29 - Keynote

Sandtray Play Therapy: A Powerful Tool for Healing Children & Families    

Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S™

Let’s shift the focus on behaviors to understanding why these behaviors are exhibited through the use of sandtray play therapy. Once we understand what is behind the behaviors, through the lens of attachment-based play therapy, children’s nervous systems are quieted, and positive attachments are formed. Co-regulation creates a sense of safety for children. You will learn how we create co-regulation through our relationship with our clients, through family work, and through movement activities in the sand tray. We will address and experience how sandtray play therapy and nature both work as co-regulators, bringing the brain and body into the therapy experience. As play therapists, we honor and celebrate the relationships with our clients and their families.  Integrating the family into the therapeutic setting must be an integral part of the healing process.

This workshop is filled with fun, developmentally appropriate, play therapy sand tray activities to rewire the brain and create a sense of trust and safety in the child’s world. Through play, children learn how to interact with the world around them, communicate and negotiate with others, discover emotions and empathy, ignite their imagination and creativity, boost resilience and self-esteem, and much, much more! 

Come experience the fun-filled power of sandtray play therapy as combined with other expressive therapy approaches. We'll demonstrate how to incorporate creative strategies including sand trays, bibliotherapy, mindfulness, and others through active learning and hands-on exploration. Play therapists and their mental health colleagues will leave with a toolbox filled with ready-to-use activities that they can implement immediately in daily practice with children, and also adapt for work with clients of all ages. Get ready to learn and have fun!

Play therapy theories and techniques will include Client-centered Play Therapy, Humanistic Play Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, Developmental Play Therapy, Contextual Family Therapy, and Theraplay.

Through videos, case studies, and hands-on directive sandtray play-based activities, you’ll increase your confidence in working with this population and gain strategies for: Sensory Processing Challenges, Aggressive Behaviors, Anxiety/OCD/Perfectionism, Trauma, Grief, and more!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history, theory, philosophical basis of, and rationale for sandtray play therapy.
2. Describe knowledge regarding the selection of sandtray play therapy materials including sand tray containers, miniature figurines, sand, and important toys for the playroom
3. Identify the four differences between directive and non-directive play therapy approaches
4. Summarize the polyvagal theory and learn three ways in which psychoeducation regarding neurobiology can deepen the healing work of our clients.
5. Identify at least three indicators of when to use a bottom-up approach and when top-down strategies are most beneficial.
6. Describe three ways to process trauma in the sand tray play therapy process.
7. Describe two interventions to process sand tray play therapy with preschool and school-aged children.
8. Identify three ways to use sandtray play therapy with families
9. Differentiate sand play and sandtray therapy
10. Explain strategies for working with various client populations and client issues in the sandtray therapy process.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Skills or Methods"

DAY 2: Friday, March 1 - Breakouts - Choose: All day OR morning & afternoon

All day Session – 6-hour Session: 3/1/24 - 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Choose ONLY if you are attending Friday and want to do the all day session A.

A: Diving Deeper in Sandtray Play Therapy: Reflection & Resiliency

Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S™

Let’s dive deeper into Sandtray Play Therapy and experience how therapists and our clients can use Sandtray Play Therapy as a tool for reflection and resiliency when words are not enough. Sandtray Play Therapy offers a place for grounding in the body, promotes curiosity, and can reveal deep discoveries of self.  This workshop will incorporate The Nurtured Heart Approach®, which is an attachment-based model to honor and celebrate the greatness of our most difficult clients, increase their self-esteem, and boost their resilience. Participants will learn how to use Greatness Cards© and Greatness Sticks© in the sand tray with individuals and families to shift from a negative lens to a positive lens. When we can reframe how we look at these intense clients, our approach changes and that is when healing can occur. This six-hour workshop will include case studies, experiential activities, video demonstrations, both group and personal sand tray creations, grounded in the Therapeutic Powers of Play, Attachment Theory, Neuroscience, and The Nurtured Heart Approach®. Other greatness play therapy activities will be introduced outside of the sand tray incorporating the different therapeutic powers of play. This workshop will give you the confidence to work with the most challenging of children and move you to a place of curiosity and compassion through these play-based activities.

Both beginning sand therapists and seasoned sand therapists will gain new information to creatively expand their therapeutic work.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify three key aspects of the neurobiological effects of trauma in relation to sand tray work and describe three ways to process trauma in the sand tray therapy process.
2. Identify three ways to use sand tray work with families to increase connections and strengthen relationships
3. Identify a strength-based approach called Nurtured Heart Approach® and incorporate it into your play therapy practice.
4. Explain at least three reasons why conventional methods to parenting, therapy, and teaching often fail with intense children, despite the best of intentions.
5. Describe how the Therapeutic Powers of Play strengthen the effectiveness of the approach by integrating different play therapy modalities.
6. Identify at least three play therapy interventions inspired by NHA® that enhance greatness and resilience for children and families
7. Explain how strengthening relationships and connections can be incorporated creatively using play therapy with children and families.
8. Describe the use of praise, recognitions, and self-awareness to build resiliency in children in the playroom.
9. State a basic understanding of neurobiology and its impact on regulation and behaviors
10. Demonstrate at least four play-based interventions to build resiliency in children, teens, and families in the playroom
11. Describe theoretical constructs that encourage resiliency and attachment in the play therapy room.
12. List the therapeutic benefits of integrating The Nurtured Heart Approach® into play therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy.
13. Identify multicultural issues that come up during play therapy and effectively address them.
14. Demonstrate three ways Client-Centered Play Therapy builds resilience with clients in the playroom.
15. Identify at least 2 effective strategies for dealing with common challenges that present in play therapy.
16. Identify the benefits of integrating play therapy and expressive techniques.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Skills or Methods"

DAY 2: Friday, March 1 - Breakouts - Choose: All day OR morning & afternoon

Morning Sessions – 3-hour Session: 3/1/24 - 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

AM: Choose ONLY if you are attending Friday and want to do 2 half day sessions.

B: Utilizing Play and Creative Arts Therapy with Youth

Christine Zouaoui LPC, RPT-S™

Play and creative techniques have been used to help with healing for many years. The processing that happens during the act of play, art creation, and movement helps clients move through their healing.  In this experiential workshop, you will learn specific techniques focused on helping clients with anxiety that utilize play therapy and creative arts therapy in our therapeutic settings. Each of the techniques covers a wide range of uses so that you may adapt them for your specific area of theory in play therapy. I will be including individual, family, and group techniques. These therapeutic exercises are new and have no repeats from Christine’s previous workshops. Please remember to dress comfortably and be ready for some fun and self-care.  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the use and focus of play therapy and creative arts therapy techniques in practice as a mental health professional.
2. Identify strategies to explain to others the benefits of play therapy and creative art therapy techniques.
3. Identify at least two ways to incorporate play therapy and creative art techniques into clinical practice.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Skills and Methods”

C: Authenticity in the Playroom: The Importance of Connecting to Self in Play Therapy

Machen Champion, MA, LPCC-S, RPT-S™

Research into relational neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology continues to highlight the complex interconnectedness within the relationship between client and therapist. As Play Therapists, we are repeatedly exposed to the intensity of emotion felt by our child clients and the way we respond to that activation influences our capacity for connection to ourselves and our clients. In this workshop, participants will begin to explore what regulation means from a neurobiological perspective, how to grow our awareness of our own activation throughout play therapy sessions, and discuss how tending to our own nervous systems can lead to increased presence and attunement with our clients. This workshop will draw from tenets of Synergetic Play Therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Polyvagal Theory.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Define regulation and how this understanding impacts the play therapist’s ability to co-regulate during play therapy sessions.
2. Explain the role that congruence and authentic expression has throughout the play therapy process.
3. Identify at least 2 strategies a play therapist can utilize to increase their capacity to offer co-regulation for child clients while tending to their own activation.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of  "Play Therapy Special Topics”

D: Guiding Growth: Nurturing Play Therapy Supervision

Erica Wassenaar, MA, RPT-S™

In the realm of therapeutic interventions for children, play therapy holds a distinct place as a dynamic and expressive modality.  As the demand for effective play therapy rises, the critical role of play therapy supervision becomes increasingly evident. The course, "Guiding Growth: Nurturing Play Therapy Supervision," embarks on an educational journey to equip aspiring play therapy supervisors with essential techniques, ethical insights, and reflective practices that foster not only effective therapy for children but also professional growth for therapists.

Drawing from the rich history and evolving landscape of play therapy, this course unpacks a diverse range of supervision techniques that resonate with supervisees across different developmental stages.  Supervisors learn to tailor interventions to meet the unique needs and challenges of each supervisee.

Reflective practice is the bedrock upon which play therapy supervisors build their competencies. This course encourages supervisors to cultivate self-awareness and engage in ongoing self-evaluation. Participants learn to facilitate supervisee’s self-reflection, fostering a growth-oriented mindset in therapists and enhancing their clinical skills.

The symbiotic relationship between effective play therapy for children and the professional growth of therapists lies at the heart of this course. Participants emerge with a heightened ability to guide therapists in creating therapeutic environments where children can freely express themselves. This is exemplified through techniques like art therapy, sand play, and imaginative play.

"Guiding Growth: Nurturing Play Therapy Supervision" forms a foundation for individuals aspiring to excel in the art of play therapy supervision. By seamlessly weaving together techniques, ethics, and reflective practices, the course cultivates an environment where effective therapy for children and therapists alike thrives. This abstract encapsulates the essence of the course, drawing from scholarly sources and established practices in the field of play therapy and supervision.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to

1. Define what play therapy supervision is.
2. Describe the differences between play therapy supervision and play therapy consultation. 
3. Explain the rationale for play therapy supervision and describe the importance of play therapy supervision for play therapists-in-training.
4. List and describe 4 characteristics of effective clinical supervisors.
5. Explain the 3 main levels of the integrated developmental model of clinical supervision.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of “Play Therapy Supervision”

E: Creating Harmony; Integrating Play Therapy, Music, and EMDR Strategies

Brian Bethel, LCDC, PCC-S, RPT-S™ & Julie Oates, M.Ed., LPCC-S, RPT-S™

With the burgeoning field of trauma research, mental health clinicians remain tasked with challenges of employing research-based practices for traumatized youth. This workshop will highlight the integration of play therapy, music, and EMDR strategies to empower children of trauma. 

This workshop will highlight the integration of Prescriptive Play Therapy, Music and EMDR strategies. While curriculum will provide a basic overview for the phases of EMDR, and music, experiential practices will be encouraged to enhance the clinical application of these practices. Participants will be offered a variety of therapeutic techniques to engage children while promoting bilateral stimulation and other foundational components of EMDR therapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to

1. Demonstrate increased competencies specific to the integration of play therapy with other forms of creative and expressive therapies.
2. Identify at least three specific play therapy techniques which incorporate music and EMDR strategies.
3. Describe the increased skills of prescriptive matching of play therapy practices throughout various phases of EMDR facilitation.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of  "Play Therapy Skills or Methods"

DAY 2: Friday, March 1 - Breakouts - Choose: All day OR morning & afternoon

Afternoon Sessions – 3-hour Session: 3/1/24 - 1:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

PM: Choose ONLY if you are attending Friday and want to do 2 half day sessions.

F: Unleashing the Power of Animal Assisted Play Therapy™

Mary Rottier, Ed.D., LPC, P.C., RPT-S™

This workshop will discuss the development of Animal Assisted Play Therapy™ (AAPT), which is a modality that partners with therapy animals in play therapy sessions. In AAPT, appropriately-trained therapists and animal teams engage with children and families through non-directive and directive play therapy, with the goal of improving children’s emotional and developmental health. The animal in the session adds to the effectiveness of play therapy by capitalizing on the natural ability of animals to play and by engaging the therapeutic powers of play. It is a combination of the well-established fields of Animal-Assisted Therapy and Play Therapy. This workshop will provide participants with the theoretical foundations of AAPT and its development, as well as an overview of some techniques and interventions for use with play therapy animals such as horses and canines. This workshop provides a look at choosing and training a play therapy partner, setting up an AAPT playroom, conducting an AAPT session, and legal and ethical considerations with AAPT. It will also discuss the available research on AAPT as well as further training options. This workshop will include videotaped examples and case studies of AAPT sessions. Participants will leave the workshop with knowledge of how the human-animal bond can help to advance the field of play therapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Define Animal Assisted Play Therapy.
2. Describe the training required of the AAPT play therapist and play therapy companions.
3. Verbalize the benefits of incorporating a therapy animal into a play session.
4. Explain the ethical and legal considerations associated with AAPT.
5. Identify the available research AAPT.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Skills or Methods"

G: The Heart of the Relationship: Child-Centered Play Therapy and  the Power of Play

Machen Champion, MA, LPCC-S, RPT-S™

This workshop will present an overview of the theory, principles and practices of play therapy by examining a Client-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) approach. Participants will explore the developmental, neurobiological, and empirical rationale for CCPT and understand how this theoretical orientation combines the power of play and therapeutic relationship to create the ideal conditions where a child can feel truly safe and seen. Participants will examine the how and why of the foundational relationship building and “being with” skills used in CCPT from an interpersonal neurobiological lens. Introductory level, but levels welcome!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to

1. Define Child-Centered Play Therapy and how it varies from other theoretical approaches.
2. Explain the developmental, neurobiological, and empirical rationale for utilizing Child-Centered Play Therapy.
3. Identify and describe the use and rationale for Child-Centered Play Therapy skills, such as tracking, reflecting, and returning responsibility.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Seminal Theories and Historically Significant Theories"

H: It was a Dark and Stormy Night…Creating Therapeutic Metaphor in Play Therapy

Rebecca Dickinson, PhD, LISW, RPT-S™ & Erica Wassenaar, MA, RPT-S™

Metaphors hold the power to unlock profound insights and foster therapeutic change, particularly in the realm of child psychology. This is an immersive workshop tailored to equip participants with the art of crafting custom-designed metaphors within the framework of Adlerian Play Therapy.

Grounded in the principles of Adlerian Play Therapy, this experiential workshop guides participants through the process of conceptualizing and constructing metaphors that resonate deeply with young clients. Participants gain insights into how metaphors can be a gateway to addressing emotional challenges, enhancing self-awareness, and promoting positive behavioral shifts in their play therapy clients.

The workshop employs an experiential approach, enabling participants to actively engage in designing metaphors that mirror the concerns and aspirations of their young clients. Through role-playing exercises, group discussions, and didactic teaching, participants develop the skills to tailor metaphors to specific developmental stages and therapeutic goals. "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night..." illuminates the profound potential of metaphor in play therapy, echoing the transformative power of stories in children's lives. This workshop encourages participants to transcend conventional therapeutic approaches and embrace the imaginative realm of metaphorical language to create avenues for growth, change, and healing.

This workshop merges the realms of creativity and psychology, providing participants with a toolkit to design therapeutic metaphors that resonate deeply with play therapy clients. Through the lens of Adlerian Play Therapy, participants are empowered to harness the symbolic language of metaphors to unlock therapeutic transformations in the young minds they guide. This workshop encapsulates the essence of the metaphor, highlighting its experiential nature and its alignment with Adlerian principles and relevant literature in the field of play therapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the rationale for using metaphoric techniques with clients in play therapy.
2. Create therapeutic metaphors for play therapy clients.
3. Identify and describe therapeutic metaphors and a generic model for designing therapeutic metaphors for clients. 
4. Use storytelling skills to deliver a therapeutic metaphor to play therapy clients.
5. Describe how having a goal for a therapeutic metaphor is essential in designing stories to help play therapy clients.
6. Describe the use of the mutual storytelling technique to retell a story told to them by a play therapy client in a therapeutic way.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of  "Play Therapy Skills and Methods”

I: Play Therapy and School Violence: Finding Shelter in the Storm

Brian Bethel, LCDC, PCC-S, RPT-S™ & Julie Oates, M.Ed., LPCC-S, RPT-S™

Childhood is supposed to be a time of innocence, a time of laughter, where children are believed to be immune from most of the horrors in our world. Sadly however, we live in a society that has become plagued by cyberbullying, classroom fights, and school shootings. In reality, millions of children are traumatized each year by the events within their own homes, communities, and schools. As such, it is not surprising that these experiences have a far-reaching effect upon our children’s mental health and the academic environment. Therefore, school counselors, mental health professionals, and play therapists are often charged with the duty of advocating for children who have been impacted by school violence. 

Unlike traditional therapeutic models of counseling, play therapy does not require children to cognitively re-visit their past traumatic events. Specifically, most conventional therapeutic approaches have disregarded the fact that young children may not have the developmental skills or knowledge that is required to adequately express themselves through verbal communication. While these traditional theories have remained dependent upon the verbal exchanges between a child and clinician, play therapy offers a unique approach as it honors the child’s specific developmental competencies (Landreth, 2002). Considering the broad assortments of counseling needs for traumatized children, play therapy has built its therapeutic strengths from various theories and techniques that best meet the clinical challenges of young survivors. In many respects, play serves as a means of distancing children from their hardships as they make reparative gestures in play to confront their traumatic pasts. Play can provide children with enriched opportunities to address their painful realities.

This workshop will illuminate the curative powers of play in addressing the experience of school violence. The curriculum will highlight common symptoms of trauma retention following the experience of violence and offer key recommendations for treatment planning and continued advocacy for this vulnerable population. The therapeutic philosophy of this training pulls from various play therapy paradigms and emphasizes the importance of prescriptive matching. Experiential practice will provide participants at least three play therapy techniques for implementation within the school setting. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate increased knowledge specific to facilitation of play therapy following a child’s exposure to violence.
2. Identify at least three specific play therapy techniques for incorporation in the academic environment following violent events.
3. Demonstrate increased awareness of the curative powers of play therapy following traumatic events.

*falls under APT's primary instruction areas of "Play Therapy Special Topics”

Full payment is due at the time of registration. If payment isn't received within secen (7) days of registration, your registration may be canceled.

WORKSHOP LOCATION:

Lansing Community College West Campus

5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, MI 48917

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:

Thursday, February 29, 2024

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Registration

9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Presentation

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Break and Exhibits

10:45 - 12:15 a.m. Presentation

12:15 – 12:30 p.m. - MIAPT Annual Business Meeting

12:30 - 1:45 p.m. Lunch (ON YOUR OWN)

1:45 - 3:15 p.m. Presentation

3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Break and Exhibits

3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Presentation

 

Friday, March 1, 2024

8:00 - 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:30 - 10:00 a.m. Morning Breakout Presentations

10:00 - 10:15 a.m. Break and Exhibits

10:15 - 11:45 a.m. Presentation

11:45 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch (ON YOUR OWN)

1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Presentations

2:30 - 2:45 p.m. Break and Exhibits

2:45 - 4:15 p.m. Presentation

4:15 p.m. Conference concludes

REGISTRATION COSTS:

FOOD: Food is NOT provided at this conference

*Continuing Education:

CE Processing Fee: $30.  This fee is payable to The Institute for Continuing Education

at the time you submit a completed CE Packet. DO NOT include this fee with your

registration.

Member:

One Day: $120

Both Days: $210

Non-Member:

One Day: $160

Both Days: $260

**Student:

One Day: $60

Both Days: $105

*Continuing Education: A single fee of $30 is applicable to all workshops you attend if you meet CEU requirements.

**Student: A participant registering as “student” must be a full-time student at a college or university and provide at registration, a written letter from their University verifying the status.

***An early bird registration discount of $25 has been applied to prices listed above. $25 will be added to registration costs after 2/1/24.

HOTEL INFORMATION: Quality Suites, 901 Delta Commerce Drive, Lansing, MI 48917. 517-886-0600. There is a block of discounted rooms available on a first come first serve basis. 

HANDOUTS: Our policy is to email all handouts. Please include a valid email address with your registration to receive the handouts.

EXHIBITS: Books and therapeutic materials will be on display and available for sale at the event.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  If you notify MIAPT you are canceling prior to 2/1/2024, and we are able to fill your spot, you will receive a refund for the registration fee minus $25 administrative fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations following 2/1/2024 or related to weather. If registration payment isn’t received at the time of registration, your registration will be canceled.

PHOTO RELEASE: By registering for this conference, you are giving permission for MIAPT to use any photographs that are taken at the event containing your likeness for as long as MIAPT deems appropriate and desirable. Photographs may be used on the MIAPT website, social media pages, and/or newsletter for any purpose. By completing the registration, you are also consenting to waive any rights to the photographs indefinitely.

If you do not wish to have your photo used, it is your responsibility to notify mymiapt@gmail.com at registration of your request to be omitted.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Covid 19 Statement: Our goal is to offer a safe, healthy event to our in-person participants. We expect our participants (including vendors, speakers, and attendees) to make a good faith effort to avoid spreading Covid-19 through a combination of vaccination, negative rapid testing and self-screening for symptoms prior to travel, and to adhere to any public health policies that may be in place at the time of the event.  By registering and attending this event you are accepting responsibility to manage your own risk and absolve MIAPT event planners of responsibility for your health-related decisions.

By participating in person, you agree to follow the meeting’s health and safety policies as mandated by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the federal, state, local government, and venue requirements.

ACCEPTANCE: By registering for and attending MIAPT events, I hereby agree that I accept the terms stated above and indemnify and hold harmless MIAPT, its affiliates, and their respective directors, employees, and agents (including , without limitation, any agent acting on its behalf) from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) resulting from attendance at MIAPT events.

Michigan Association for Play Therapy: MIAPT is a professional organization striving to advance the theory and practice of play therapy through activities such as conferences, seminars, and networking in order to serve the mental health needs of Michigan children, families, schools and communities. For more information on the Conference visit our website at www.miapt.org.

ADA/Section 504: If you have special needs, please contact mymiapt@gmail.com.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: This program is co-sponsored by the Michigan Association for Play Therapy and The Institute for Continuing Education. The Conference offers a total of 12.00 contact hours (6.00 hrs. per day). Continuing education is awarded on a daily basis with full attendance required for the days attended.  Partial daily CE credit is not offered. 

Click here to download the CE packet.

The continuing education processing fee is $30.00 per person, to be paid when completed CE materials are submitted to The Institute for Continuing Education for processing. CE verification is mailed to Conference attendees following the Conference. CE materials will be made available to Conference participants by the MI APT. If you have questions regarding continuing education, the program, faculty, learning objectives, or other issues, contact The Institute at: 800-557-1950 / email: instconted@aol.com

NOTE: To receive continuing education credit, applicants must complete all CE materials, sign in/out at designated locations, and submit an evaluation form for the events attended. 

NOTE: It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine if CE credit offered by The Institute for Continuing Education meets the regulations of their state licensing/certification board. 

Psychology: NOT OFFERED for this training.

Counseling/ MFT: For counselors seeking credit, The Institute for Continuing Education shall submit a co-sponsorship application to NBCC for this event.   This website will be updated to indicate accreditation.

Social Work: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized as a provider of continuing education in social work by the NASW-CO.  This program has been approved for 6.00 hours per day.  Provider: ICD 2019.

Ohio Board Counseling/ Social Work: The Institute for Continuing Education is recognized as a provider of continuing education by the Ohio Board Counseling/ Social Work. Provider RCS 030001.

 Play Therapy: The Institute for Continuing Education is approved by The Association for Play Therapy to sponsor continuing education specific to play therapy. The Institute for Continuing Education maintains responsibility for the program. APT Provider 98-040.

Non-Credit Events: Registration, lunch break, reception events, committee/business meetings, networking sessions.

Ethics Hours / Academic Credit: This program offers no “ethics hours.” This program is not “academic” credit and CE hours awarded are not eligible toward fulfillment of a degree.   

Skills Level: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced. Attendees are urged to review the session descriptions to determine appropriateness for professional and personal needs.

Instructional Methodology: May include lecture, demonstration, audio/visual, case examples, experiential practice of techniques, large and small group discussion

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR(S):

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S™

Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S is a licensed clinical social worker and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, and has spent over 25 years working with children, families, and individuals. She holds a Master of Social Work from The University of Pennsylvania and has had extensive training and supervision from The Family and Play Therapy Center in Philadelphia. She is a certified Advanced Trainer for the Nurtured Heart Approach®, a certified FirstPlay® practitioner, and a founding board member of The World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals.  

Her work and creative interventions in the field of play therapy have been published and internationally recognized. Tammi is the author of A Resource of Children's Books & Interventions for Bibliotherapy and a multi-sensory, attachment-based children’s book titled, Casey’s Greatness Wings: Teaching Mindfulness, Connection, and Courage to Children.The success of the book inspired her to create Casey’s Greatness Sticks & Greatness Cards to be used in schools, counseling, and in the home. Be on the lookout for Tammi’s bibliotherapy and play therapy book that will be released from PESI int eh spring with over 100 bibliotherapy interventions from the top leaders in the field. She specializes in attachment, sandtray play therapy & sensory integration working with infants, children, families, and adults of all ages.

Tammi teaches monthly virtual sandtray classes and co-taught the first sandtray class in China with Dr. Daniel Sweeney. She is an internationally sought-after presenter.​ Tammi is presenting her first TEDX Talk titled, Stories in the Sand: Healing Trauma, Anxiety , and Grief in October 2023.

Christine Zouaoui, LPC, RPT-S™

Christine has been in private practice and has also worked in schools as a Mental Health Therapist for over 20 years. Her experience includes working with children, adolescents, and adult issues. In addition to her counseling degree, Christine has taken numerous trainings in the use of play therapy and creative arts therapy techniques. She received her TraumaPlay™ certification with Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S™, and is a Counseling, Play Therapy, and TraumaPlay™ Supervisor. Christine presents in many venues including schools and for other mental health professionals, training in Creative Arts Therapy Techniques and The Nurtured Heart Approach® by Howard Glasser. Christine has self-published a book on the use of creative art therapy techniques in individual and group therapy. She is writing a new book for working with groups in numerous settings using creative arts therapies.

Mary Rottier, Ed.D., LPC, P.C., RPT-S™

Dr. Mary Rottier is the owner of Pawsitive Counseling Center, a private practice with offices in Michigan and Georgia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor; Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™; Certified Animal Assisted Play Therapist, Instructor, and Supervisor; Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist; and  a Certified Child Trauma Specialist with over twenty years of clinical experience. She obtained her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the Florida School of Professional Psychology. She also serves as the school counselor at Fremont Christian School.

Dr. Rottier has over 20 years of experience with animal assisted therapy in a variety of settings. She has presented on the topic of Animal Assisted Play Therapy™ both nationally and internationally and has written several articles and chapters in the field. In 2008, her first play therapy dog, Razz, helped her complete the first controlled study involving canines in play therapy which was later published. Since then, she has had multiple trained therapy dogs including her two current canine partners, Cali (age 6) and Fisher (age 7). Both dogs are breed champions and have earned multiple agility titles. Dr. Rottier also works with her horse, Arrow in Equine Assisted Play Therapy.

Machen Champion, MA, LPCC-S, RPT-S™

Machen Champion is an LPCC-S, RPT-S™, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, Level 1 Theraplay Trained, and is a current Doctorate Student at the University of Cincinnati studying Counselor Education & Supervision. She is the owner of Wired to Bloom Therapy & Consulting LLC, a small private practice in Cincinnati, Ohio that specializes in Play Therapy for children and families. As a self-proclaimed neuroscience-nerd and life long learner, sharing her love and knowledge of child development, the brain, and play therapy with others is her passion. Machen frequently presents on these topics to school districts and has presented to mental health professionals at various state and local conferences. She is currently serving as the Outreach & Engagement Director for the Ohio Association for Play Therapy and is a 2022 Leadership Graduate through the Association for Play Therapy.

Erica Wassenaar, MA, RPT-S™

Erica Wassenaar holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wayne State College. She specializes in play therapy, more specifically Adlerian play therapy. She holds Advanced Certification in Adlerian play therapy. She also holds a Level II certification in AutPlay Therapy, which is play therapy specifically for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is also trained in Traumatic Incident Reduction, Critical Incident Stress Management, and EMDR.  She is a member of the Association for Play Therapy, Iowa Association for Play Therapy, and the NWIA Crisis Intervention Stress Management Team in which she leads debriefing for area first responders and law enforcement.  She is also a coordinator for the KIDS Hope USA program through her church.  Erica's greatest accomplishment is being a wife mom to her three kids. 

Rebecca Dickinson, PhD, LISW, RPT-S™

Rebecca Dickinson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Northern Iowa. Rebecca teaches across both the undergraduate and trauma-informed specialization graduate program. Rebecca’s dissertation was a randomized-controlled trial, examining the effectiveness of group Adlerian play therapy. She has extensive experience practicing as a play therapist and specializes in working with current and former foster/adoptive youth and others who have experienced trauma. She operates a small private practice in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in addition to her university position. 

Brian Bethel, LCDC, PCC-S, RPT-S™

Dr. Brian L. Bethel is a Professional Clinical Counselor-Supervisor (LPCC-S), a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC III), and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™(RPT-S™) with specialized training in counseling children, adolescents, and families.  Dr. Bethel earned his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Ohio University where he also earned dual Master’s degrees in Clinical Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling. With over twenty years of clinical practice, Dr. Bethel brings a diversity of strengths to his clinical practice. In addition to his counseling practices, Dr. Bethel serves as an independent trainer and consultant. He has provided consultation services to various schools, social service agencies, court systems, and foster care agencies. Dr. Bethel serves as an independent trainer and consultant with the Ohio Human Services Training System and the Ohio Child Welfare Program where he was recognized for his training excellence as a recipient of both the “Rising Star” award in 2007 and the “Linda Pope” award in 2014. In 2018, Dr. Bethel was awarded an Award of Excellence in Research from the Association for Play Therapy for his research on the use of play therapy for children with disabilities. Dr. Bethel is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and is recognized as an innovative, exciting presenter on a local, state, national, and international level.

Julie Oates, M.Ed., LPCC-S, RPT-S™

Julie Oates currently serves as a school-based mental health counselor for a public school system in rural southeastern Ohio. In addition to her role within the school, Julie provides ongoing training and consultation services to a variety of organizations. Over the course of the last twenty-five years, she has worked in the areas of inpatient psychiatric treatment and community mental health. She was the Executive Director of a Child Advocacy Center for sixteen years. 

Julie completed her graduate training at Ohio University where she continues her work towards completion of doctoral studies in Counselor Education and Supervision. As an innovative clinician, Julie has facilitated training throughout the United States and abroad. She works collaboratively with various counties serving as an “expert witness” for cases of child abuse and exploitation.