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Michigan association for play therapy

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Upcoming events

    • 03/21/2025
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • Virtual
    Register

    Using Canva to Engage Children and Adolescents in Play Therapy

    Presented by  Brooklyn Hancock LMHC, Registered Play Therapist™

    Canva is a digital creation platform that allows you to create, express, and let your imagination run wild! It provides the opportunity to create your own flyers, cards, images, worksheets, brochures, games, and more. These items are commonly used as mediums in directive play therapies such as Group Play Therapy, Adlerian Play Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy in order to target specific goals. In this training, you will gain a basic understanding of what Canva is used for, the tips and tricks for use, and ways to incorporate its use in your play therapy sessions. If you are technologically challenged, there is no need to fear! I will provide step by step instructions for using Canva seamlessly and you will have time to practice with live support! You will be provided with the opportunity to practice using basic play therapy skills throughout the creation of your resources with your clients as well as how to process what you have created together.

    You will learn different ways to allow your clients to express themselves creatively through Canva both as their own self care outside of session and collaboratively with you as the therapist. Using this modality allows you to truly tailor your play therapy interventions to the needs and interests of your clients. This also allows your client’s to use metaphor and images as their “words” that may not be present in your playroom with physical toys.

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

    1. utilize at least 3 different templates in play therapy.
    2. identify at least 5 ways to use Canva in play therapy.
    3. create 1 resource in Canva to use as a play therapy intervention.
    4. demonstrate effective basic use of Canva in collaboration with basic play therapy skills.

      Session limited to 50 participants.


      This training is approved by APT Approved Provider 99-050 for 3 Live Webinar CE  hours.  

      This workshop meets APT's definition of "Live Webinar."

      Intermediate Level | Seminal/Historically Significant Theories, Play Therapy Special Topics

      Please note that CEs are only for APT hours. 


      ABOUT OUR PRESENTER: Brooklyn Hancock, LMHC, Registered Play Therapist™ is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida with 7 years of experience. She graduated from the University of Florida with her bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Family, Youth, and Community Science. She continued her education at the University of Central Florida where she earned her Masters Degree in Counselor Education: Mental Health Track. She is a Registered Play Therapist™ and is AutPlay Certified and EMDR Certified. Primarily, she has worked in the school system and has subsequently become certified as a school counselor as well. Being in the schools, she has had a wide variety of experience with various issues and populations. Her strengths are working with parents and adults on parenting strategies, relationship building, communication, anxiety, depression, trauma, attachment related concerns, and self-esteem/self-worth. With children, she specializes in anxiety, social anxiety, ASD, ADHD, and communication issues within the family. She truly has a heart for teaching and advocating for play therapy and has future goals of obtaining her RPT-S™ and becoming an APT provider so that she can bring more people into the world of play!


      VIRTUAL: This will be a virtual workshop. Participants will be awarded APT LIVE WEBINAR CE after successful completion of a post test. This workshop meets APT's definition of "Live Webinar." Participants must be present and visible throughout the presentation. 

      MIAPT is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to Play Therapy. APT Approved Provider 99-050. MIAPT maintains responsibility for the program.

      PHOTO RELEASE: By registering for this training, you are giving permission for MIAPT to use any photographs (screenshots) 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 MIAPT of your request to be omitted.

      CANCELLATION POLICY: If you notify MIAPT you are canceling, and we are able to fill your spot, you will receive a refund for the registration fee minus $20 administrative fee. Cancellation requests must be made in writing. No refunds after March 6, 2025.

      EMAIL LIST: By registering for this training, you are giving MIAPT permission to add your email to our email list.

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

      • 04/04/2025
      • 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
      • Virtual
      Register

      Child-Centered Play Therapy: Theory and Practice

      Presented by Julie Nash, PhD, RPT-S™

      Child-centered play therapy is a modality that utilizes the child’s natural language of play and the therapeutic relationship to help a child overcome psychosocial, behavioral, relational, and emotional challenges. This training will help play therapists understand the theory and principles behind child-centered play therapy as well as the categories of play therapist responses and the ACT model of limit setting during sessions. Participants will be introduced to the materials that are recommended for a well-equipped play therapy room based on child-centered play therapy theory, and how to implement the model.

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

      1. Identify the eight core principles of child-centered play therapy outlined by Virginia Axline
      2. Identify and demonstrate the nine categories of responses primarily utilized in child-centered play therapy
      3. Describe the recommended playroom materials in a child-centered play therapy session

        Session limited to 50 participants.


        This training is approved by APT Approved Provider 99-050 for 3 Live Webinar CE  hours.  

        This workshop meets APT's definition of "Live Webinar."

        Foundational Level | Seminal/Historically Significant Theories

        Please note that CEs are only for APT hours. 


        ABOUT OUR PRESENTER: Julie Nash, PhD, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ is a licensed clinical psychologist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™. Dr. Nash is the author of multiple book chapters on the development of social skills and using play therapy to treat social skills deficits, as well as introductions to play therapy and working with preschool children. Dr. Nash recently published Nature-based Play Therapy: A Prescriptive Approach to Integrating the Therapeutic Powers of Nature and Play. She has presented at national and international conferences on play therapy and is the former president of the New England Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Nash is the owner of Riverside Psychological Associates, LLC in Connecticut where she provides individual and family therapy sessions for people across the age range, play therapy consultation, and continuing education trainings in play therapy and supervision. She is actively involved with the Association for Play Therapy and is on the Board of Directors.

        VIRTUAL: This will be a virtual workshop. Participants will be awarded APT LIVE WEBINAR CE after successful completion of a post test. This workshop meets APT's definition of "Live Webinar." Participants must be present and visible throughout the presentation. 

        MIAPT is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to Play Therapy. APT Approved Provider 99-050. MIAPT maintains responsibility for the program.

        PHOTO RELEASE: By registering for this training, you are giving permission for MIAPT to use any photographs (screenshots) 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 MIAPT of your request to be omitted.

        CANCELLATION POLICY: If you notify MIAPT you are canceling, and we are able to fill your spot, you will receive a refund for the registration fee minus $20 administrative fee. Cancellation requests must be made in writing. No refunds after March 14, 2025.

        EMAIL LIST: By registering for this training, you are giving MIAPT permission to add your email to our email list.

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

        • 05/09/2025
        • 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
        • Washtenaw Intermediate School District, 1819 S Wagner Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
        Register

        East Regional Workshop 2025

        Eating Disorders and Play Therapy:  A Multidisciplinary Team Approach

        Presenters: Dr. Kristine Gibson, Trina Weber, RDN, CEDS, and Lindsay South, LPC,  Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor

        Eating disorders among children and adolescents have been on the rise since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Play therapists often find themselves in the unique position of providing services to children who may be struggling with disordered eating, body image concerns, as well as a clinical eating disorder.  Specific training for play therapists working with this population is slim to none.  Children with eating disorders may show up unexpectedly in your current caseload.  Are you able to identify them? Do you understand how your play therapy skills can be used to treat these children and their families? Are you able network with a team of allied health professionals trained to address the needs of this population?

        Dr. Kristine Gibson is an associate professor of pediatrics at Western Michigan University Stryker School of Medicine. She will open the workshop with an overview of the DSM-V(TR) diagnostic categories of feeding and eating disorders and their associated medical needs.  Dr. Gibson runs the Adolescent Eating Disorder Clinic at WMED. She will provide information about how her patients typically present and how they are managed after diagnosis.  Dr. Gibson will assist participants in thinking about how to select and work with a medical provider in their home community.

        Trina Weber, RDN, CEDS, is a nutritionist and certified eating disorder specialist. She will follow Dr. Gibson’s presentation. Ms. Weber will focus on the dietitian’s role within the treatment team as she assesses patients for adequate nutritional intake and develops food plans for weight restoration and maintenance. She will discuss how her work dovetails with the role of the play therapist; Ms. Weber’s job is filled with negotiation, reality checking and helping her young clients and their families face directly their fears around eating.  She will present participants with several strategies that they may use with children and their families. 

        Lindsay South, LPC, RPT-S will review how the skills of a play therapist are integral to working with this population.  She will provide concrete examples of the use of art, play and sand tray therapy as an integral part of the healing process.  Lindsay will lead participants in experiential play therapy interventions that can be used with children and teens struggling with an eating disorder.  Play therapists attending this workshop will then apply their new understanding of the roles that each discipline brings.  They may begin to develop a rudimentary framework for establishing a multidisciplinary team in their home community.

        LEARNING OBJECTIVES: As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to: 

        1. Distinguish between the five types of eating disorders most commonly seen in an outpatient play therapy setting .
        2. Understand the role a play therapist may play on a multidisciplinary team treating children and adolescents with eating disorders.
        3. Facilitate play therapy interventions designed to externalize the eating disorder.
        4. Practice play therapy interventions targeted for children struggling with food avoidance and restriction.
        5. Explore ways in which to address body image issues in therapy.
        6. Discuss play therapy techniques to use at the end of treatment.


        BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Dr. Kristine Gibson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, at Western Michigan University Stryker School of Medicine.  She provides specialty care for adolescents with eating disorders at WMed as well as inpatient consultations at Bronson Children's Hospital in Kalamazoo, MI.  Academic interests and current research are focused on the care of patients with eating disorders in the community setting, interprofessional education and practice, DEI/Belonging, psychological safety, resident and student as teacher curriculum, and professional identity formation.  Dr. Gibson is past president and current member of the Southwest Michigan Eating Disorders Association and is an active member of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics.


        Trina Weber is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who counsels all ages and genders about overall wellness, sports nutrition, stomach/intestinal issues, and eating disorders. She is a certified eating disorder treatment specialist through the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (Iaedp). Since 2003, she has been in a private practice or university setting where she sees people one- on-one, presents to various groups, and leads meal and support groups for eating disorder recovery.  The purpose of Trina's practice is intuitive or mindful eating, using a Health At Every Size (HAES)® approach, where we eat when truly physically hungry and stop when comfortably full. We eat a wide variety of all foods in moderation without labeling them as “good,” “bad,” “healthy,” or “junk.” We identify, trust, and honor what our body is telling us it needs in order to achieve optimal body function.  Trina will meet clients wherever they are on their eating journey and individualize treatment by listening to what the client needs. Based on the client's long-term hopes for food, she will work together with them to plan short-term, measurable, manageable goals to meet those hopes and ultimately have peace with food.

        Lindsay South, LPC, RPT-S™ has been in practice since 1988.  In her 36 years of work as a therapist Lindsay developed an interest in eating disorders which she has treated in both inpatient, college campus and private practice settings.  After completing seven years of sand tray training and becoming a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Lindsay began to integrate art, sand and play therapy in treatment of her eating disordered child and adolescent patients and their families.   Lindsay is a founding member of the Southwest Michigan Eating Disorder Association (SMEDA). Dr. Gibson and Lindsay have presented together on the integration of play therapy and eating disorders at the annual Canadian Association for Child Play Therapy in 2013.  Lindsay currently owns a private practice in Portage, MI devoted to play and individual therapy for elementary aged children, tweens, teens and adults.  She helps facilitate the Southwest regional networking group for MIAPT and enjoys supervision. 

        Skill Level:  Intermediate

        Play Therapy Primary Areas of Instruction: Play Therapy Special Topics


        Seating is limited so register early!


        6 APT Contact CE: Please note that CEs are only for APT hours.

        Payment must be made online at the time of registration to guarantee your seat.

        Workshop Schedule

        Registration: 8:30-9:00 a.m.

        Workshop Session: 9:00-10:30 a.m.

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

        Workshop Session: 10:45-12:15 p.m.

        Lunch (on your own): 12:15-1:15 p.m.

        Workshop Session: 1:15-2:45 p.m.

        Break: 2:45-3:00 p.m.

        Workshop Session: 3:00-4:30 p.m.

        End of the Workshop: 4:30 p.m.

        FOOD: Food and snacks are NOT provided at this workshop. You may bring your own food or go to a local restaurant during break.

        CANCELLATION POLICY:  All cancellations must be requested in writing and received no later than April 15, 2025. Cancellations are subject to $25 processing fee. Substitutions may be made in writing for no additional cost. No refunds are given due to inclement weather.   

        HANDOUTS: In an effort to reduce paper waste and be more “green,” our policy is to email all handouts. Please include a valid email address with your registration to receive the handouts.

        PHOTO RELEASE:  By registering for this workshop, 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 someone at registration of your request to be omitted.

        CONTINUING EDUCATION: This workshop for mental health professionals is sponsored by the Michigan Association for Play Therapy. APT Approved Provider 99-050. CE credit is offered for play therapy. The program offers 6.00 contact hours, with full attendance required.

        ADA: If you have special needs, please contact Sabrina Slagter at mymiapt@gmail.com.

      Past events

      02/27/2025 Annual State Conference 2025
      01/24/2025 Reclaiming Black Childhood: Engaging Adultified Black Youth in Play Therapy
      12/06/2024 Cultivating Children’s Character in the School Setting Through Play Therapy
      11/08/2024 West Regional Workshop 2024
      09/20/2024 Pawsitive Solutions: ADHD and Play Therapy
      05/17/2024 The Marriage of CBT and Play Therapy-Merging CBT and Play Therapy in the Therapy Space
      02/29/2024 Annual State Conference 2024
      02/29/2024 Exhibitor Opportunities - Annual State Conference 2024
      01/26/2024 The History of Play Therapy
      11/10/2023 West Regional Workshop 2023
      09/15/2023 Grief and Attachment through a Gestalt Play Therapy Lens
      05/12/2023 Partnering with Parents in the Play Therapy Process with the Brain in Mind
      02/24/2023 Annual State Conference 2023
      12/02/2022 Using Pop Culture, LEGO, and Video Games in Play Therapy
      08/26/2022 History and Theory of Play Therapy
      06/03/2022 Bringing Nature into Play Therapy Supervision: Revitalize Your Self, Play, and Practice!
      05/06/2022 West Regional Workshop 2022
      04/22/2022 The Culture of Technology in Play Therapy
      03/25/2022 The Importance of Getting the Whole Picture in Play Therapy
      01/28/2022 Play Therapy with the Sexually Acting Out Child
      12/03/2021 Adlerian Play Therapy through a Neurobiology Lens
      11/12/2021 Co-Regulation in Play Therapy: Harnessing the Power of Relational Neuroscience to Improve Your Practice
      10/22/2021 Play Therapy Supervision Training
      09/17/2021 Paws in the Playroom: Animal Assisted Play Therapy
      08/20/2021 Nuts and Bolts of Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy
      06/25/2021 Addressing Grief and Loss in the Play Room
      05/14/2021 Play Therapy with Adoptive Families
      04/30/2021 Why You Playin’- Using Play to Empower and Build Self Esteem with Girls
      03/19/2021 History and Theory of Play Therapy
      02/20/2021 Playful Supervision: Play Therapy Supervision
      02/20/2021 Use of Play Therapy and Creative Therapies to Help with Anxiety
      02/19/2021 Using Polyvagal Theory in Play Therapy
      02/19/2021 Play Therapy & Traumatized Children: Finding the Eye in the Hurricane
      02/18/2021 Play Therapy with the Sexually Acting Out Child
      02/18/2021 Anxiety, Pinterest, and Play Therapy
      11/09/2018 West Regional Workshop
      05/18/2018 East Regional Workshop: Top 12 Creative Play Therapy Interventions for Teens & Tweens
      02/16/2018 22nd Annual MIAPT Play Therapy Conference

      2020 Raybrook Avenue, S.E., Suite 305 | Grand Rapids, MI 49546

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