Group Theraplay
Overview
Group Theraplay training is for professionals who want to use Theraplay in classrooms, day care, residential settings or with family groups. There is a One-Day option for those who have taken Level One Theraplay & MIM and a Two-Day option for those who have not.
A Theraplay Group is an adult-directed, structured play group that incorporates playful, cooperative and nurturing activities that enhance the emotional well-being of children. Unlike other play group approaches, Theraplay learning takes place on a non-verbal level. Instead of talking about positive social behavior, the group leaders and children DO positive social interaction. Positive messages from the group interaction gradually become a part of the child’s internal sense of self.
Prerequisite: Level One, Modules 1 & 2, or An Introduction to Theraplay webinar (One Day); None (Two Day)
CEs: 6.5 (One Day); 13 (Two Day)
Required for group certification
- Principles of attachment theory on an intellectual and experiential level
- The Four Dimensions of Theraplay for child development
- How to quickly assess which of the dimensions a particular child might need
- Strategies for incorporating Theraplay in daily interactions with children
- The importance of touch for children’s well-being and regulation
- The effects of complex trauma on a child’s brain and behavior
- Applying Theraplay principles to children’s groups
- Adapting Theraplay Groups to different populations
- Leadership skills for implementing a Theraplay Group
- Experiential practices of both being a participant and a leader
- Strategies for successful implementation
- Apply Theraplay principles to group treatment in a school setting
- Describe how touch helps a child to feel more calm and organized and can result in an increased ability to self regulate in the classroom
- Describe the four dimensions of Theraplay, a modality of play therapy
- List a variety of materials and activities that are appropriate for this Group Theraplay model
- Develop skills in using the group rules and group techniques in practice
- Describe three techniques for managing resistance and problem situations in groups
- List three strategies for incorporating Theraplay in daily interactions with children
- Describe how feeling safe shapes a child’s social/emotional development and executive functioning
- Describe how a child’s feelings of safety are shaped by the following:
- Attachment
- Neurosequential development
- Polyvagel system
- Demonstrate how to engage children in activities that promote felt-safety in-person and virtually