INTENSIVES

Pre-Requisites

This course will focus on practical training in play therapy. Participants will counsel a child using play therapy under the direct supervision of the instructors.

A Master’s Degree, or currently enrolled in a Master’s Degree program, in a mental health field with a basic counseling practicum completed. In addition, the attendee must have participated in a basic play therapy training workshop presented by Dr. Byron and/or Dr. Carol Norton.  Having read the textbook, Reaching Children Through Play Therapy by Drs. Carol and Byron Norton would also satisfy this prerequisite.

 

Participant Requirements

  • Attend all training sessions during 45 hours of involvement.
  • Complete 8 recorded play therapy sessions with child client.
  • Receive instructor critique of all 8 play therapy sessions.
  • Observe a minimum of 12 play therapy sessions with instructor commentary.
  • Participate in a minimum of 12 tape critique sessions with other intensive participants.
  • Have a minimum of 3 “bug-in-the-ear” play therapy supervision sessions.
  • Complete client file with termination summary and recommendations.

Course Objectives

  • Trainee will be able to assess the five development stages of EPT and respond to a child’s play needs expressed within that phase of the play therapy process.

    The trainee will identify three dynamics that indicate the testing-for-protection process is occurring and one behavior that indicates the process has completed.

    The child will express the behavior (acceptance of the therapist) that indicates trust toward the play process and the therapist.

    Trainees will be able to identify play and verbal metaphors that occur during their therapy sessions and will be able to facilitate these metaphorical expressions as the child expresses them during therapy (70% efficiency would be considered minimal during the final three supervisory sessions). (70% level would be appropriate because not every metaphor can be responded to during a session).

    Trainees will be able to identify a minimum of three themes expressed in the child’s play therapy.  Themes are usually broader than metaphors; however, a metaphor can also be a theme.

    Trainees will be able to identify signs of regressive expression that indicate the developmental stage the child’s trauma event occurred. (This is estimated in a monthly range of a 3 to 4 months span and pinpointed by the child’s behavioral style and information assessed in cooperation with parent or caregiver).

    The trainee will know the standard roles assigned to therapist in EPT and will execute these roles as indicated by the child’s directives and play style or mood expressions. (Roles during the dependency stage of play therapy may be: victim, perpetrator, switching back and forth, alter ego, mother/father, fear of death or identify confusion, just as examples.

    The trainee can name a minimum of twenty toys that would be present in an EPT equipped playroom and give three probable symbolic meanings for each of the toys identified or used by their child client.

    The trainee will be able to list ten major dynamics that contribute to the symptomology in childhood trauma and the therapeutic complexity that can occur during play therapy with a young child.

    The trainee will be able to list five ways that trauma sensations enter into a child’s play experiences that contribute to the play process and are a contributing factor in the child’s trauma complexities.

    Each of these objectives will be assessed over the course of seven individual supervision sessions and three bug-in-the-ear supervision sessions.

    Participants will also observe a minimum of twelve play therapy sessions with other participants supervised by RPT-S trainers.

    Participants will have a minimum of twelve group supervisions with other trainees receiving their individual supervision.

Course Outline
  • Introduction to the course and participants’ requirements.
  • Complete intake procedures in play therapy sessions, including all appropriate forms, intake with parent(s)/guardian(s), intake with the child.
  • Staff intakes and develop a treatment plan.
  • Understand the dynamics of each stage in the process of play therapy.
  • Purpose of limit and protection setting in play therapy.
  • The therapeutic issues confronted in the different stages of play therapy.
  • Assessing and tracking themes and metaphors of children in play therapy.
  • The responding Matrix in play therapy.
  • Clinical notes of sessions.
  • Perform appropriate termination or transfer process.

“The training was life changing, both personally and professionally”

Tonya, EauClaire, WI

“As expected and beyond –offered a way to learn experiential play therapy by experiencing it.”

Leah, Redmond, WA

“This was a wonderful seminar, jam-packed with essential, powerful, and interesting information, insights, and technique. I know I will use what I learned in every session I do with children beginning immediately.”

Jennifer, Montpelier, VT

“Excellent information and I really appreciate your respect for the child.”

Michelle, Mission Viejo, CA

“The ability to see the progression of therapy and learn this model takes children’s play to a whole new level. I feel so enriched and flooded with such valuable insight into treating children of trauma.”

Lindsay, Cheyenne, WY

“Awesome learning. Received  a better understanding of metaphor in play. GREAT!”

Jodi, Little Falls, MN

“I am in court frequently as an expert witness but never had any trainings on the topic before, so I think this will be very helpful to others who have yet to testify. I would have loved this information before my first case in court.”

Kristi, Gladstone, MO

“Thank you, Dr. Norton, for your expertise and willingness to share it so children all over can benefit from trained professionals”

Helen, Brooklyn, NY

“An extremely valuable training that has enabled me to learn and grow. I feel this training has given me even more than I expected.”

Dana, Colorado Springs, CO

“The training helped to understand the complexities of children’s play process in relation to high conflict divorce.”

Amanda, Vienna, VA

Program Fees and Registration

The week-long training costs $1995.00, with a $500.00 deposit required to reserve a position in the intensive training. A position will not be considered reserved until the deposit is received. The balance is due on or before the first day of the training. Please be sure to read our cancellation policy if you've registered and are not able to attend.

          Dates for 2023

 
Greeley, Colorado Intensives Tempe,  Intensives
  July 8-14
  July 15-21

Additional Program Information

Meeting Times: Please call our office regarding the start time. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday meetings will be from 8am to 5:45pm. Wednesday generally runs from 9am to 5pm.

Greeley Location: 4625 W 20th St, Suite 108, Greeley, Colorado 80634
Phone: 970-351-6697 Fax: 970-351-6687

Minneapolis Location: 5666 Lincoln Dr, Suite 210 Edina, MN 55436

Enrollment: Each course is limited to five people, with a minimum of three people.

Greeley Lodging: We recommend the following for reasonably priced accommodations:

  • Country Inn and Suites, 2501 West 29th Street, 970-330-3404.
  • Day's Inn, 2467 West 29th Street, 970-330-6380
  • Fairfield Inn, 2401 West 29th Street, 970-339-5030.

Transportation between the hotels and the training site will be provided if needed.

For other locations, please call the office at 612-367-6029.

Recommended Text For This Course

Norton, Carol and Norton, Byron (2008 3rd ed.) Reaching Children Through Play Therapy: An Experiential Approach Denver, CO: The Publishers Cooperative.

Moustakas, Clark (1997/2002) Relationship Play Therapy Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Publishers.

Axline, Virginia (1969) Play Therapy NY: Ballantine Books.

Landreth, Garry (1991) Play Therapy, the Art of the Relationship Munice, IN: Accelerated Development Inc. Publishers.

SELECTED READINGS: Handouts to students.

“I am in court frequently as an expert witness but never had any trainings on the topic before, so I think this will be very helpful to others who have yet to testify. I would have loved this information before my first case in court.”

Kristi, Gladstone, MO

“The ability to see the progression of therapy and learn this model takes children’s play to a whole new level. I feel so enriched and flooded with such valuable insight into treating children of trauma.”

Lindsay, Cheyenne, WY

“Awesome learning. Received  a better understanding of metaphor in play. GREAT!”

Jodi, Little Falls, MN

“The training helped to understand the complexities of children’s play process in relation to high conflict divorce.”

Amanda, Vienna, VA

“The training was life changing, both personally and professionally”

Tonya, EauClaire, WI

“Excellent information and I really appreciate your respect for the child.”

Michelle, Mission Viejo, CA

“An extremely valuable training that has enabled me to learn and grow. I feel this training has given me even more than I expected.”

Dana, Colorado Springs, CO

“This was a wonderful seminar, jam-packed with essential, powerful, and interesting information, insights, and technique. I know I will use what I learned in every session I do with children beginning immediately.”

Jennifer, Montpelier, VT

“Thank you, Dr. Norton, for your expertise and willingness to share it so children all over can benefit from trained professionals”

Helen, Brooklyn, NY

“As expected and beyond –offered a way to learn experiential play therapy by experiencing it.”

Leah, Redmond, WA