“To be alive as a human being guarantees we will all experience trauma in our lives. Traumas of any kind, be it personal traumas rooted in childhood, traumatic adult experiences, or collective traumas such as wars, systemic discrimination or pandemics shock the body, creating an imbalance and vulnerability that must be healed – not solely through the mind, but as powerfully through the body.” (Berceli, 2008) This workshop will focus on the brain and body connection in the practice of play therapy. Consideration will be given to specific play therapy modalities and interventions.

Objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify and explain the somatic impact of post-traumatic stress disorder in children.
2. Participants will be able to explain the Poly-Vagal Theory and implications when working with PTSD in relation to play therapy.
3. Participants will be able to identify 2 play therapy techniques for down-regulating the parasympathetic nervous system.
4. Participants will critique brain and body connections in clinical practice in play therapy.
5. Participants will design 2 play therapy techniques down-regulating the parasympathetic nervous system.
6. Participants will discuss applications of the brain and body connection in their own play therapy practice.

CS Institute is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. APT Approved Provider number is 15-419. CS Institute maintains responsibility for the program.