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Play Therapy Training Series

Mondays from 11:00 - 1:00 MST

Presented by:

Maria 

A self-described geek, Maria Laquerre-Diego is a CEO and Owner who is committed to increasing access to mental health services and breaking down the stigma surrounding therapy services. Maria has spent the last 16 years as a marriage and family therapist, and is currently most passionate about the work she is doing with A New Hope Therapy Center. As a therapist turned CEO, Maria has developed a unique perspective when it comes to mental health and the barriers surrounding mental health treatment. Influenced by her time at New Mexico State University in the Family and Consumer Science department, and University of New Hampshire’s Marriage and Family Therapy department, Maria has turned her dedication to giving back and supporting future generations of therapists. Maria loves her community and believes that Las Cruces deserves the best in mental health care, which she supports by providing supervision, consultation and training opportunities for local providers to expand and enhance their clinical skills. Since opening A New Hope Therapy Center in 2018, Maria has expanded services to include twenty providers, telehealth and group services, and will be adding case management services to help overcome obstacles to treatment for all who need the support. In addition to supporting mental health providers, Maria takes an active role in addressing the continued stigma of mental health services through the use of pop culture – everything from movies and television shows to superheroes and Disney characters. Maria has spoken about mental health at several local events, has served as an officer on professional boards and has provided training to clinicians all over the country while maintaining her and her family’s roots as Aggies! Outside of the office, Maria can be found spending time with her family and loved ones, exploring the world through travel, and creating cosplays for herself, her husband and their two little ones. Maria is always happy to talk about Star Wars, Marvel and mental health!

The Details:

  • Each session is limited to 40 seats that include CEs. 

    • There are unlimited seats for non-CE participants.​

  • These sessions are via zoom and to receive your CE certificate, you must attend the full training, with your video on, and complete the evaluation and test within 24 hours of completing the training. 

Pricing:

  • $25/training - this includes NM and APT CEs

  • $10/training - this ticket does NOT include CEs

Each session will provide 2 CEUs

NM Counseling and Therapy Practice Board Provider Number CCE0135231

Association for Play Therapy Approved Provider 20-631

11/1

Play Therapy Fundamentals

New to Play Therapy? Interested in an overview of the fundamentals of Play Therapy? This two-hour workshop will provide a brief overview of the theories of play therapy, the toys most commonly found in a playroom, and the basics of limit setting within play therapy.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the ten core play therapy tenets of relating to children from Gary Landreth.

  2. Describe the difference between directive and non-directive play therapy theories.

  3.  List the 6 types of toys often found in a play therapist's playroom.

11/15

Using Play Therapy with Trauma Narratives

This training will expand on the basic skills from Trauma Focused - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) specifically how to support children and teens in the narrative pieces of healing.

 

With the time allotted we will practice some of these techniques, so be sure to grab some paper and pens/crayons/markers.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify 3-5 directive play therapy interventions to use when working on trauma narratives in therapy sessions with children and teens.

  2. Discuss how to find a creative, play therapy based interventions to help process trauma narratives with children and teens.

  3. Demonstrate how to utilize compassionate clinical skills, with play therapy techniques, in supporting the processing of trauma narratives in therapy.

11/29

Using Superheroes and Pop Culture in Play Therapy (Intro)

Are your clients excited about the latest superhero movie or show? Are you unsure of how to incorporate that into their work with you? Are you a fellow geek therapist and looking for additional ways to incorporate pop culture into your work? This two-hour workshop will provide a brief overview why you may want to include superheroes in your playroom, how to do so when maybe you are not familiar with their pop culture reference, and a few fun play therapy interventions to get you started.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify three Therapeutic Powers of Play used when including superheroes and pop culture in play therapy,

  2. Describe at least two reasons to utilize superheroes and pop culture in play therapy.

  3.  List the 3 scientifically supported superhero benefits when used in play therapy.

12/13

Telehealth and Play Therapy

Needing to refresh your telehealth play therapy interventions? Want to learn how to do play therapy via zoom?  Using the Therapeutic Powers of Play, Maria will be giving tons of interventions for you to use in your own play therapy practice.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify at least two Therapeutic Powers of Play and how they are utilized in the provided interventions.

  2. Engage in two play therapy interventions via telehealth. 

  3. Discuss considerations when doing play therapy via telehealth.

11/8

Playful Family Therapy Interventions

Are you a bit timid or unsure of family therapy sessions? Are you looking for fun, play based ways to engage the family system? This two-hour workshop will provide a brief overview of the importance of family play sessions, identifying some of the barriers to family engagement in play therapy and some of the family based play therapy interventions that have been effective in practice!

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the three barriers to family engagement in play therapy sessions.

  2. Engage in at least two play therapy interventions that can be used with families. 

  3.  List the Powers of Play Therapy that accompany the play therapy interventions learned.

11/22

Play Therapy with Adults

Not "in to" play therapy because you only work with adults? Feeling stuck in your work with adults? This two-hour workshop will provide a brief overview on why play therapy with adults is fun and effective, how to overcome resistance to play therapy for adults and some effective play therapy interventions that can be used with adults in individual and relational therapy sessions!

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify two reasons and/or situations in which play therapy interventions may be beneficial to adult therapy sessions,

  2. List three common reasons for resistance to play therapy techniques by the provider and the client.

  3. Discuss the Therapeutic Powers of Play connected to the interventions taught.

12/6

Playful Supervision

Supervisors this one is for you!! Not only have you been holding space for your client, but you have been the sounding board and safe harbor for your play therapy supervisees! This two hour workshop will breathe life into your supervision practice as we explore play therapy techniques to incorporate into your supervision practice!

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify how the three roles of a supervisor are linked to the Therapeutic Powers of Play. 

  2. Describe signs of burn out and compassion fatigue in play therapists, 

  3. Discuss how their chosen play therapy theory of choice can help structure their supervision practice.

12/20

Ethical Self Care for the Play Therapist

We have all stepped up for our communities and our clients during this unpredictable and stressful time, and we invite you to join us for an important discussion of ethical self care! We promise this conversation is not all bubble baths and yoga - we are going to refer to our ethical standards and utilize playful interventions to create realistic steps to prevent burnout and emotional fatigue. So much has changed in our communities, our society and our country in the past 18 months - your boundaries surrounding your clinical practice may need to be adjusted to better support you in this highly charged environment. 

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify three examples of ethical self care according to the ethical guidelines of their licensing board and the APT Best Practices guide.

  2. Identify four examples of signs of stress and burnout from their play therapy practice.

  3. Develop a self care plan, utilizing the ethical guidelines and core competencies for each area of the play therapist's self care plan from the core competencies from their license and/or the Association for Play Therapy.

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