Expired The Use of Family Play Therapy in Assessment and Treatment

Too often, by the time families seek therapy, there has been a tremendous amount of pain, disconnect, disappointment, and resentment. Families come in with physical and emotional constriction, suspicious, and/or with unrealistic expectations. Family play therapy, in fact, can be surprising and disarming.

This workshop will discuss how family and play therapy approaches can be easily integrated as effective assessment and treatment strategies. Specifically, play has the potential to create a shift in perspective, elicit positive interactions, and relieve stress and animosity.

Learning Objectives:

• View children’s problems as emerging within a family system that can either contribute to the problem or the solution
• Identify specific ways that play, and other expressive therapies can establish or enhance attachment among family members and parent-child dyads
• Become knowledgeable in the benefits of play therapy and family play therapy techniques

Presenter:

Jennifer Lefebre, Psy.D., RPT-S, is a clinical psychologist and Registered Play Therapist – Supervisor. Her clinical and research interests center on the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, adults and families whose lives have been impacted by complex trauma. Dr. Lefebre is the clinical director at Healing the Child Within, a holistic trauma center in northwestern Connecticut. She has received specialized training in many modalities, to include Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TC-TSY), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC), Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Therapy (SMART), Theraplay, and Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). She is working towards becoming an EMDRIA-approved consultant, and is an EMDR (Level II) clinician. Additionally, she is an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant.