Presented by Melissa Wetterlund and hosted by PESI
Eligible for up to 12.5 CEs through PESI
Play therapy is one of the most powerful tools you have when you treat kids.
But when they’ve experienced trauma, play isn’t easy. Kids become dysregulated. They shut down. And you can spend entire play therapy sessions trying to get them just to engage.
And when they do – it can be intense – reenacting scenarios of fear, abandonment, or powerlessness that can be hard for you to know how to respond.
When trauma is involved, play is different …. And it needs a different approach.
That’s why I co-created Somatic Experiential Play Therapy.
Because with it, you get a step-by-step plan for treating trauma through the power of play therapy …
… so you can skillfully work with a child’s physiological responses, interpret metaphors in trauma play, and respond in a way that promotes safety, connection, and healing.
Join me for this 2-day training and I’ll show you exactly how you can use tools from the SEPT approach to:
Effectively read a child’s body cues – like breath, posture, and tension – so you know exactly when to step in and help them regulate.
Give kids a safe way to process emotions – without feeling overwhelmed or pressured to talk.
Skillfully interpret metaphorical play, recognize symbolic themes in children’s play behaviors, and use these play therapy insights to guide emotional processing.
Effectively Partner with Parents – communicate play therapy themes, set expectations, and equip caregivers to support nervous system regulation at home.
And much more!
If you work with kids, what you’ll learn from me about play therapy is sure to transform the way you approach trauma and help you support healing in a more grounded, effective way.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to
Identify the theoretical foundations of Somatic Experiential Play Therapy (SEPT).
Determine the importance of child-led play therapy and its impact on therapeutic outcomes.
Identify common metaphors in children’s play therapy to uncover underlying emotional themes.
Choose skills in somatic tracking to monitor and respond to children’s physiological cues during play therapy sessions.
Examine the role of play therapy in facilitating emotional expression and processing in children.
Differentiate between normal developmental play and trauma-related play behaviors in play therapy.
Develop a SEPT-appropriate playroom environment that supports play therapeutic goals.
Utilize structured Somatic Experiential Play Therapy sessions, including intake processes and play-based family assessments.
Integrate parents into the play therapy process, clarifying roles and expectations.
Determine the stages of Somatic Experiential Play Therapy, from observation to closure, tailoring interventions to each phase.
Choose various therapeutic responses—observational, metaphorical, play-based, relational, and somatic—appropriately within play therapy sessions.
Develop education for parents on play therapy themes and their significance.