The Play Therapy Training Institute, Inc.

Seminar #210
FROM TRIED-AND-TRUE TO BOLD-AND-NEW: INNOVATIVE PLAY THERAPY FOR MALTREATED CHILDREN
Instructor: Risė VanFleet, Ph.D., RPT-S
Friday July 17, 2009 - 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Credits 6.0

Many therapists use play therapy to treat children with histories of maltreatment.  Their behavioral, self-regulation, and attachment problems are complex and challenging for their families, caretakers, teachers, casemanagers, and therapists.  A number of directive, nondirective, and family play therapy approaches have been used successfully with this population, and these will be reviewed briefly during this workshop.  The primary focus of the training, however, will be on innovative and emerging play therapy approaches that show considerable promise for these children and those who care for them.  Participants will be introduced to the creative use of animal-assisted play therapy (with emphasis on dogs), animal imagery, storytelling, photography, and nature-based interventions conducted within a play therapy context.  The presenter will also briefly share "lessons-learned" from fostering a semi-feral, highly traumatized dog and their implications for trust development, behavior change, and the treatment of trauma for children and their families.

INSTRUCTOR: Risė VanFleet, Ph.D., RPT-S, is a licensed psychologist and is the founder and President of the Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center, Inc., a clinic and training center located in Boiling Springs, PA. She brings 35 years of experience to her trainings. She is the founder of the International Collaborative for Play Therapy and a Past President/Board Chair of the Association for Play Therapy.  She has received 3 national awards for her training work and 2 for her professional writing.  She is the author of Filial Therapy: Strengthening Parent-Child Relationships through Play, A Parent’s Handbook for Filial Play Therapy, Play Therapy for Kids & Canines, and co-editor of Casebook of Filial Therapy, and author/photographer of The Faces of Play.  She has a forthcoming book on child-centered play therapy, and she has authored dozens of chapters, articles, and manuals relating to play therapy.  Dr. VanFleet is also featured in DVD workshops on Child-Centered Play Therapy, Overcoming Resistance, and Introduction to Filial Therapy as well as a DVD produced by the American Psychological Association entitled Filial Play Therapy.  She has trained and supervised thousands of clinicians worldwide and her writings have been translated into several languages.  She is also a pianist, dog trainer, and an award-winning photographer specializing in Alaskan wildlife.  She can be reached through her websites: play-therapy.com and playfulpooch.org.