Faculty | Workshops | One-Week Intensive Course | Register
Workshop Index
I: Introduction and Theoretical Approaches
II: Logistical Aspects of Play Therapy & Skills I
IV: Playroom Setup, Problems & Portable Play
V: Understanding Play Behavior
VI: Pharmacology and Play Therapy
VII: Diagnosis and Recordkeeping in Play Therapy
VIII: Themes and Coding in Play Therapy
The University of Mississippi School of Education in conjunction with the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education offers a one-year training program to provide professionals the opportunity to learn more about play therapy and to receive the training necessary to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). The training workshops begin March 2008 and are completed December 2008. There will be ten Saturday trainings providing 8.5 contact hours per Saturday and an opportunity to enroll at the University of Mississippi for a one-week intensive course in Advanced Play Therapy which provides 67.5 contact hours. Professionals completing the entire year of workshops will have a total of 152.5 contact hours. For further clarification of requirements for becoming a Registered Play Therapist, please review the information on the Association for Play Therapy webpage at www.a4pt.org.
The University of Mississippi School of Education’s Department of Leadership and Counselor Education is an APT-Approved Provider 07-212 and maintains responsibility for the program. Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are approved for social workers, professional counselors and educators through the University of Mississippi.
Workshops will be held in the UM Student Union Building on the 4th floor.
The cost of each workshop is $175 for professionals and $75 for students verifying enrollment in a college or university. You may receive a 20% discount if you pay for all ten workshops at the time of initial registration. Checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard and schools’ purchase orders are acceptable forms of payment.
FACULTY
Marilyn S. Snow, Ph.D., NCC, LPC, and Registered Play Therapist- SupervisorDr. Snow is an Associate Professor in Leadership and Counselor Education at the University of Mississippi and the Executive Director of the Oxford Play Therapy Training Institute. She is also Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Association for Play Therapy and a member of the Clinical Communications Committee, a committee designed to assess materials published in the Play Magazine. She is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Play Therapy. Dr. Snow is the founder and past president of the Mississippi Association for Play Therapy. She has worked in the area of trauma and child abuse for the past 20 years and has specialized in play therapy for the past 10 years. She has multiple publications on play therapy in several scholarly journals and has presented for the past eight years at the Annual Conference of the Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Snow is currently developing an integral approach to counseling children and has developed an instrument that assesses patterns of relating and attachment styles in adults.
Franc Hudspeth, R.Ph., M.Ed., NCC, LPC, ACS, and Registered Play Therapist-SupervisorFranc is the Assistant Executive Director at the Oxford Play Therapy Training Institute and the President of the Mississippi Association for Play Therapy. He has been working with children using play therapy since 2002. He has experience in drug and alcohol counseling and four years of experience in research in social psychology. Franc has been a registered pharmacist since 1989 and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Mississippi. His research interests include understanding play behaviors and developing reliable methods for distance supervision.
Jenny Rayner, M.S., LPC, NCC, and Registered Play Therapist- SupervisorJenny is the Clinical Director at the Oxford Play Therapy Training Institute. Her area of specialty is attachment disorders and child/parent relationships. She has counseled children in both school and community settings since 2001. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Mississippi. She is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and is president-elect of the Mississippi Association for Play Therapy. Jenny’s clinical and research interests are attachment-related issues and play therapy.
Kevin B. Stoltz, Ph.D., NCC, LPCDr. Stoltz is an Assistant Professor in Leadership and Counselor Education at the University of Mississippi. He teaches and researches in the area of career development and is exploring play therapy as an intervention in the career development of children. Dr. Stoltz was trained in play therapy at Georgia State University and is currently using play therapy with the University of Mississippi School Counseling Support Program at Lafayette County Schools in Oxford, Mississippi.
WORKSHOPS
Due to inclement weather, the dates of all workshops were postponed with the new dates reflected below.
WORKSHOP VI – Play Therapy in the Courtroom: Ethical & Legal Issues
August 16, 2008 – (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
A play therapist may be called upon to perform many roles when working with children. Therapists may be asked to counsel both the child and parents, perform forensic interviews, act as an advocate for the child, and give expert testimony. Ethical dilemmas can arise if the play therapist does not clearly delineate these roles. Legal issues concerning testimony in child cases are extremely complicated, and there are several specific laws which address the testimony of the therapist. Also issues of HIPPA regulations must be carefully examined along with the rights of the parent in relationship to the privacy of the child. This workshop will examine the issues of testimony concerning the meaning of play themes, disclosures in play therapy, and the use of videotaped play therapy sessions as courtroom testimony. Strategies for testifying will also be discussed.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn to identify the use of video play sessions in courtroom testimony.
- Participants will learn the ethical and legal obligations of the therapist in courtroom testimony.
- Participants will learn the laws concerning therapist testimony.
- Participants will learn how to develop and plan a strategy for court testimony.
- Participants will learn to delineate the roles of the play therapist.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP VII – Diagnosis in Play Therapy
September 6, 2008 – (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
The unique methods of play therapy require clinicians to assess and diagnose children in a
particular manner. This workshop will discuss diagnostic techniques in a play therapy setting, assessment methods for determining the presenting problems. It will also provide information on intake methods that assist the therapist in assessing the needs of the child outside the playroom. A more integral approach to counseling children will be presented.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to determine the presenting problems through intakes and play
behavior. - Participants will learn how to diagnose children for managed care purposes.
- Participants will learn what is necessary to assure an integral intake with parents and others
in the child’s life. - Participants will learn how to analyze information from all aspects of the child’s life in
order to design effective treatment plans.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP VIII – Art and Expressive Play Therapies
October 18, 2008 – (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
Children frequently choose activities in the playroom that incorporate expressive arts such
as drawings, painting, puppets, music and drama. This workshop will focus on expressive
arts in the playroom including an experiential component that allows participants to
participate in expression of emotions through art forms. The meaning of drawings, certain
figures in the sand trays and the meaning of the tactile materials will be discussed.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to assess drawings of children in the playroom.
- Participants will learn how to assess the use of tactile materials.
- Participants will learn how to assess the choice of figures for sand trays.
- Participants will learn how to incorporate puppets, music and drama in the playroom.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP IX – BASK Method of Coding in Play Therapy
November 8, 2008 – (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
Behaviors, affect, sensations and knowledge are important when assessing the experiences of adults and children. In order to assess these multi-faceted experiences of children in play therapy, the BASK was developed. The BASK Method of Coding is a two page checklist for recording play therapy sessions. This method allows the therapist to assess the behavior of a child through play themes developed by Helen Benedict at Baylor University, and to assess the affect demonstrated by the child throughout the therapy session. Along with behavior and affect, a child’s experience may include sensations which are demonstrated through tactile play. Also included are any verbal disclosures made by the child. This method of coding provides a section for general comments by the therapists. Participants will learn how to use the BASK for writing reports, making decisions concerning issues for parents and teachers, for use in subpoenaed records.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to code themes in play therapy.
- Participants will learn how to code affect within play themes.
- Participants will learn how to code sensations expressed in play and the meaning.
- Participants will learn how to review the behaviors, affect, sensation and disclosures in each session for a better understanding of the child’s experiences.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP X – Parent-Child Play Therapy & Theraplay
December 6, 2008 – (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
Research indicates that parents can incorporate play therapy techniques with their children,
which builds a healthier parent-child relationship. This workshop provides techniques and
strategies for filial play therapy. Demonstrations of filial play therapy will be provided
through videotaped sessions. Research also indicates that children who are experiencing
attachment issues may benefit from play therapy sessions that include specific activities to
incorporate the parent into the sessions. A brief introduction of Theraplay, a method for
working with children who have attachment disorders, will be included.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to incorporate the parent into play sessions.
- Participants will learn how to assist the parent in play sessions in the home.
- Participants will learn how to assess attachment issues with both the child and parent.
- Participants will learn how Theraplay can be used in attachment disorders.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP VI: Pharmacology and Play Therapy
August 16, 2008 — (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. –6:00 p.m.)Each year we see more and more children being medicated for behavioral and emotional issues. It often seems that a psychopharmacological treatment is considered prior to a counseling intervention. With little control over this, it is our job as Play Therapists to understand the potential indications for medications and any subsequent effect on child behavior. Whether the medication’s effect is intended or is a side effect, there will be a change in the way a child presents. The purpose of this workshop is to take a look at common psychopharmacological treatments and their impact on behavior both in and out of the playroom.
Objectives:- Participants will learn the various medication classifications.
- Participants will learn the neurochemical mechanism of action of medications.
- Participants will learn how medication effects behavior, especially play behavior.
- Participants will learn various medicinal treatments for childhood disorders.
- Participants will learn current issues surrounding the use of medications with children.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP VII: Diagnosis and Recordkeeping in Play Therapy
September 27, 2008 — (Saturday, 8:00 a.m. –6:00 p.m.)The unique methods of play therapy require clinicians to assess and diagnose children in a particular manner. Record keeping and treatment plans are distinctive to play therapy. This workshop will discuss diagnostic techniques in a play therapy setting, assessment methods for determining the presenting problems, along with a special form for recording play therapy sessions. It will also provide information on intake methods that assist the therapist in assessing the needs of the child outside the playroom. A more integral approach to working with the child will be presented.
Objectives:- Participants will learn how to determine the presenting problems through intakes and play behavior.
- Participants will learn how to diagnose children for managed care purposes.
- Participants will learn what is necessary to assure an integral intake with parents and others in the child’s life.
- Participants will learn how to analyze information from all aspects of the child’s life in order to design effective treatment plans.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP VIII: Themes and Coding in Play Therapy
October 18, 2008 — (Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.)Over the past ten years, Helen Benedict at Baylor University in Texas has been developing a coding system for play themes of children in the playroom. Using the play themes of Benedict has provided a consistent method for play therapists — a language of play that can be used for research and court proceedings. This workshop provides the participants an opportunity to learn Benedict’s themes, how to use the themes in research and how to explain themes to others such as parents, school personnel and lawyers. Participants will learn how to code themes by practice through video presentations.
Objectives:- Participants will learn Benedict’s Themes in play therapy.
- Participants will learn how to code themes in play therapy.
- Participants will learn the meaning of themes in play therapy.
- Participants will learn how to explain the meaning of themes to others.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP IX: Art and Expressive Play Therapies
November 8, 2008 — (Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.)Children frequently choose activities in the playroom that incorporate expressive arts such as drawings, painting, puppets, music and drama. This workshop will focus on expressive arts in the playroom including an experiential component that allows participants to participate in expression of emotions through art forms. The meaning of drawings, certain figures in the sand trays and the meaning of the tactile materials will be discussed.
Objectives:- Participants will learn how to assess drawings of children in the playroom.
- Participants will learn how to assess the use of tactile materials.
- Participants will learn how to assess the choice of figures for sand trays.
- Participants will learn how to incorporate puppets, music and drama in the playroom.
Click here to register online.
WORKSHOP X: Parent-Child Play Therapy & Theraplay
December 6, 2008 — (Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.)Research indicates that parents can incorporate play therapy techniques with their children, which builds a healthier parent-child relationship. This workshop provides techniques and strategies for filial play therapy. Demonstrations of filial play therapy will be provided through videotaped sessions. Research also indicates that children who are experiencing attachment issues may benefit from play therapy sessions that include specific activities to incorporate the parent into the sessions. A brief introduction of Theraplay, a method for working with children who have attachment disorders, will be included.
Objectives:- Participants will learn how to incorporate the parent into play sessions.
- Participants will learn how to assist the parent in play sessions in the home.
- Participants will learn how to assess attachment issues with both the child and parent.
- Participants will learn how Theraplay can be used in attachment disorders.
Click here to register online.
ONE-WEEK INTENSIVE COURSE:
ADVANCED PLAY THERAPY
TO REGISTER FOR THE ONE-WEEK INTENSIVE COURSE
Registration for this workshop involves a two-stage process that may be undertaken simultaneously: (1) admission to the University of Mississippi as a graduate or undergraduate student, and (2) enrollment in the workshop of your choice. The Office of Summer School alone may enroll you in a workshop, but we cannot do this officially until you have been admitted to the University as a student — which is your responsibility.
Participants are encouraged to enroll as students at the University of Mississippi for the 2008 Full Summer Term in order to take a workshop and receive academic credit for it.
* In order to assist workshop participants who are admitted as graduate students (both degree seeking and nondegree-seeking students), two types of graduate scholarships are offered.
July 21–25, 2008 — (Monday–Friday, 8:00–5:00 p.m.)
This course is a comprehensive overview of theoretical foundations of play therapy. Students will learn various theories and will be expected to assimilate theory into their work with children. Students will present a video case study and will be required to frame their work within a specific theoretical base. The course will provide specialized training in specific areas of concerns, such as trauma, selective mutism, aggressive children, etc. The course will also provide experiences in techniques used in play therapy such as art work and sandplay. Also, the course will provide an overview of current issues of concern in play therapy such as parental attachment, oppositional behavior and conduct disorders. A special emphasis will be placed on the student’s integrating the various theories and perspectives along with the biological, cultural and systemic influences on children.
Objectives:
- Participants will learn how to understand and articulate the theoretical foundations of play therapy.
- Participants will learn how to incorporate a theoretical perspective in their clinical work with children.
- Participants will learn how to assess and address legal and ethical issues in play therapy.
- Participants will learn how to assess attachment issues and how to work with parents on attachment issues.
- Participants will learn how to handle special issues in play therapy.
Click here for more information about this intensive workshop.
HOW TO REGISTER
Click here to download a registration form.Return to:
Division of Outreach and Continuing Studies
Attn: Mary Leach
Post Office Box 879
University, MS 38677
Click here to be directed to our online registration system.
Questions about registration:
Phone: 662-915-7847, Fax: 662-915-5138, Email: mleach@olemiss.edu
Questions about workshops:
Contact Dr. Marilyn Snow at 662-915-1363, Email: mssnow@olemiss.edu