New Play Therapy Trainings

Wednesday, October 21st 11am-1:30pm ET
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $60
APT: 2 non-contact hours
ASWB: 2 Clinical CEs

Course Description:

This 2.5-hour (inclusive of breaks) virtual training will provide participants with important frameworks to support foundational grief work with children. Applicable play-based interventions will be introduced with a particular focus on regulation skills. The play-based approach will be rooted in the theories of Gestalt Play Therapy, which will also be briefly explored. Discussions and role-plays will be incorporated to support participants with adapting these interventions to their unique contexts. 

Learning Objectives:

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• List and describe the three tasks of childhood grief,
• Identify three ways grief impacts children’s regulation,
• Provide two play-based regulation focused interventions.

Course Agenda:

• 11:00-11:10am – Introductions
• 11:10-11:40am – Foundational frameworks for grief, play, and regulation
• 11:40am-12:10pm – Dysregulation in grief
• 12:10-12:20pm – Break
• 12:20-1:20pm – Grief-focused play-based interventions for regulation
• 1:20-1:30pm – Questions and closing

Instructor Information:

Emily Prusator, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S™
Emily is a licensed clinical social worker in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human and Organizational Development and Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Child Development from Vanderbilt University. Emily earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Gender Violence Intervention.
Emily has ten years of experience in fundraising, research, and advocacy for survivors of trauma. She has been providing direct, clinical grief and trauma services for children and their families for over seven years in school, community, and office settings. Emily’s earliest clinical work was in providing school-based Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to children ages 6-17 years with complex trauma. More recently, her work has centered on providing group and individual services to children and adults who are navigating trauma, loss, and the intersection of both.
Emily has received specialized training in play therapy, including integration of sand therapy, the expressive arts, sensory integration work, and particular assessment methods such as the Extended Play-Based Developmental Assessment. She has been a Registered Play Therapist since 2020. Emily is also certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1) and EMDR to support children, youth, and adults in processing traumatic experiences. She is currently pursuing training and consultation in the model of Sensory Motor Arousal and Regulation Treatment (SMART).

The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, 1737, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/13/2024 – 3/13/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.
The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing is an APT Approved Provider 25-768. Mental health professionals completing this course receive 2 live webinar, non-contact) hours.

Monday, November 2nd 10am-3:00pm ET

In Person at 4201 Connecticut Ave NW
Fee: $160
APT: 4 contact hours
ASWB: 4 Clinical CEs

Course Description:

This five-hour in-person (inclusive of breaks) workshop will provide participants with a review of a grief-focused framework along with the principles of Gestalt Play Therapy. Small group discussions will be facilitated to deepen learning, and the majority of the workshop will focus on opportunities to practice play-based interventions. Participants will also be provided with space to process these experiential activities and discuss possible adaptations. 

Course Objectives:

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• List and describe the five targets of grief-focused play therapy,
• Explain the foundational principles of Gestalt Play Therapy
• Provide at least one play-based intervention for each of the five targets of grief

Course Agenda:

• 10:00-10:15am – Experiential opening
• 10:15-11:00am – Overview of grief and play therapy frameworks
• 11:00am-12:00pm – Sense of self play therapy interventions for grief
• 12:00-12:45pm – Lunch
• 12:45-1:45pm – Feelings expression play therapy interventions for grief
• 1:45-2:45pm – Narrative and ritual play therapy interventions for grief
• 2:45-3:00pm – Questions and closing

Instructor Information:

Emily Prusator, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S™
Emily is a licensed clinical social worker in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human and Organizational Development and Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Child Development from Vanderbilt University. Emily earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Gender Violence Intervention.
Emily has ten years of experience in fundraising, research, and advocacy for survivors of trauma. She has been providing direct, clinical grief and trauma services for children and their families for over seven years in school, community, and office settings. Emily’s earliest clinical work was in providing school-based Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to children ages 6-17 years with complex trauma. More recently, her work has centered on providing group and individual services to children and adults who are navigating trauma, loss, and the intersection of both.
Emily has received specialized training in play therapy, including integration of sand therapy, the expressive arts, sensory integration work, and particular assessment methods such as the Extended Play-Based Developmental Assessment. She has been a Registered Play Therapist since 2020. Emily is also certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1) and EMDR to support children, youth, and adults in processing traumatic experiences. She is currently pursuing training and consultation in the model of Sensory Motor Arousal and Regulation Treatment (SMART).

The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, 1737, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/13/2024 – 3/13/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 4 clinical continuing education credits.
The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing is an APT Approved Provider 25-768. Mental health professionals completing this course receive 4 contact hours.