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Interweaving Play Therapy Theories and Interventions:
An Integrative Approach to Play Therapy
Mountain-Top Retreat
LIVE IN PERSON in Park City, Utah August 3-5, 2023
with Clair Mellenthin, Dr. Jessica Stone and Dr. Robert Jason Grant.
Have you ever felt stuck, confused, or frustrated in the play therapy process?

Did you learn there is only one “right” way of doing play therapy and now that you are in clinical practice, realizing that you may need more tools in your toolbox?
Do you need a deeper understanding of why you are doing what you are doing in the playroom?
Are you ready to learn how to engage in play therapy from an integrative, prescriptive, and systemic practice?
Then this Play Therapy Retreat is
JUST WHAT YOU NEED!

Come join Clair Mellenthin, Dr Jessica Stone, and Dr. Robert Jason Grant for THREE DAYS to deepen your understanding of play therapy seminal theories and how this informs what interventions work best for specific problems and populations.
We will spend each day focusing on specific theories and how they can be implemented using powerful and engaging play therapy interventions with individual, family, and group play therapy.
You will leave with a toolbox full of play therapy techniques to put into practice immediately as well as a systemic understanding of what is driving the behaviors, how the family system is impacted, and what you can do to help repair and build in safety, security, and play into each of your play therapy sessions.
At the end of each day’s training, there will be plenty of time for SELF-CARE whether it is hitting the hiking trails, playing 18 holes of golf, soaking in the pool, or getting pampered at the resort’s spa. Our hope is that you will leave feeling rejuvenated inside and out and feel more prepared to help the kids and families you treat each day.

At the beautiful GRAND SUMMIT RESORT in Park City, Utah

Located at: 4000 Canyons Resort Drive, Park City, Utah, 84098
Our discounted rooms start at just $209 per night
Reserve your room before July 3rd to get this amazing rate!
BREAKFAST, LUNCH and SNACKS INCLUDED!!
A LOOK AT THE RETREAT AGENDA

DAY 1 - Individual Play Therapy 9am-4pm
All about working with the individual child! You will explore seminal play therapy theories and pursue integration of theories, approaches, and techniques to address specific therapy goals for your child client. You will learn the how and the why!
Seminal Theory: Child Centered Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy, Adlerian Play Therapy
Why Play Therapy Works
Being With and Witnessing
Honoring the Process
Playing detective - what’s driving the behavior?
Choosing the right fit for your play therapy approach
Understanding the differences in theories and how to individualize the process
No one size fits all to therapy
Integration of theoretical approaches
Rapport Building Interventions
What happens when the child refuses to talk?
The tigger client- managing the distractible ping pong client
Crying, Wailing, and Refusal to come into the playroom
Individualized play therapy interventions
“Dance” of great big play
Coping Strategies to manage big emotions
Co-regulation interventions
Mindfulness in play therapy
Neurobiological Informed Play Therapy
Co-regulation interventions
Bottom-Up processing
Movement, Dance, and Rhythm
DAY 2 - Family Play Therapy 9am-4pm
Beyond the individual child! Day two is all about relationships - the family system and groups! You will understand how seminal play therapy theories support family and group work as you experience mindful integration of theory and technique to address common therapy needs.
Understanding Attachment Theory and Family Systems Theory
Attachment based framework for understanding behaviors and relationship dynamics
Attachment spectrum
Understanding the Crucial C’s of Adlerian Play Therapy
The “between and within” of family systems
Maximizing the parent-child relationship
Repair, rebuild, and create secure attachment
Inviting the parent into the play therapy process
What are your roadblocks
Transference and countertransference issues
Bringing in the siblings and managing the chaos
Directive vs. Nondirective play therapy
Digital play therapy interventions
Co-regulation and calming the chaos
The Family That Games Together Stays Together
Using digital play therapy with families
Choosing which interventions for what problems
DAY 3 - Group Play Therapy 9am-1pm
Day THREE is all about Group Play Therapy and experiential activities! Using the magic of the mountains we will be engaging in hands-on nature-based play therapy interventions, practicing mindfulness, and integrating the knowledge learned from the past two days into a coherent, integrative framework.
Nature-based play therapy
Using the 5 senses playfully
Group gratitude mandalas
Nature-based sandtray work
Calming the internal chaos
Journaling
Bilateral movement in nature
Finding safety together
Putting it All Together
Final Q&A’s
Group Photo
Surprise Closing Activity!!
Who is the workshop for?
Play Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Child and Family Therapists who work with children and their caregivers.
Get 16 APT contact hours and 16 NBCC Credit Hours during this 3-day workshop
- 16 APT CONTACT HOURS from Robert Jason Grant Ed.D is an APT Approved Provider #12-318 for continuing education. Visit a4pt.org to learn more about APT (Association for Play Therapy).
- For those completing the RPT credential, the 16 hours can be counted as up to 6 toward seminal theory and up to 6 toward skills and methods. The remainder and any of the 16 can count toward special topics and applicants choice.
- 16 NBCC Credit Hours AutPlay Therapy Clinic has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6595. Visit nbcc.org to learn more about NBCC.
What's this training about?
Join us as we dive into the whys and the whats that make play therapy work.
This retreat is perfect for the new or experienced play therapist. As a participant, you will go beyond your current skill set and develop a new perspective in your play therapy practice with individual, family, and group work.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the difference and similarities of the seminal play therapy theories.
- Analyze various family systems through the lens of attachment theory to strengthen clinical assessment skills.
- Conceptualize attachment patterns that impact parent-child relationships to further advance your clinical practice.
- Implement play therapy interventions to foster engagement with parents in family play therapy in order to repair, and enhance the parent-child relationship.
- Conceptualize how play therapy interventions align with play therapy theory.
- Deconstruct play therapy interventions for alignment with client individualization.
- Describe the theoretical and therapeutic goal purpose for implementation of a specific play therapy intervention.
- Explain content, purpose and goal alignment of play therapy interventions to parents and third parties.
- Describe at least 2 digital play therapy interventions to implement with clients.
- Practice 4 play therapy interventions to implement with families.
- Describe at least 4 play therapy interventions to implement with groups.
- Identity integration processes and perspective when implementing play therapy interventions.
- Determine the developmental stages of attachment needs and behaviors to identify maladaptive responses in children and families.
- Explore various components of self-compassion and discuss its clinical applications and importance in working traumatized clients.
- Apply mindfulness skills and practice in play therapy treatment to promote self-soothing and affect regulation.
- Complete a journal prompt regarding the conceptualization of play therapy theory and technique.
- Complete a reflective/experiential exercise regarding personal growth in theory/intervention/client coalescence.
- Understand their own “fit” as a play therapist working from a theoretical knowledge and implementing play therapy interventions.