Workshop Description:

According to the National Child Trauma Stress Network, up to 80% of children who undergo medical procedures experience some form of traumatic stress and 20-30% of parents and 15% of children experience chronic stress from medical procedures.  Without knowing what medical trauma is and how the symptoms manifest, we can inadvertently miss signs that the child has experienced a medical trauma or jump to conclusions regarding the child’s behaviors and play.

In this 5.5-hour workshop, you will explore medical trauma from the perspective of neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology while drawing from Synergetic Play Therapy principles and theory. Using creative play-based ways to support children and their family’s healing process, participants will learn how to create emotional and relational safety for trauma integration.  They will learn what it means to become a child’s external regulator to help integrate the activation in a child’s nervous system while safely allowing the child to access the stored trauma in their body from the trauma.  Participants will also explore the symptoms often associated with medical trauma as the symptoms can often be confused with sexual or sensory trauma.  Whether the child has experienced a single incident trauma or is struggling with a chronic illness, participants will learn what it really takes to integrate their experiences.  As children are not the only ones affected by medical trauma, care for their caregivers will also be addressed, as well as an exploration of creative play-based ways to help the entire family system heal.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain some of the similarities and differences between the role of a play therapist and the role of a child life specialist in a medical setting.
• Describe the connection between a child’s nervous system activation and the symptoms displayed in and out of the play room
• List at least 4 creative play interventions to help children heal from medical trauma.
• Describe what it means to become a child’s external regulator in a play therapy session for trauma integration.
• List the 4 threats that need to be addressed for a child to feel safe in a play therapy session allowing for trauma integration.
• Describe common traumatic stress reactions related to Medical Interventions and Procedures.

About the Presenters:

Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an innovative and inspiring teacher and pioneer in play therapy. She founded and is the President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and the creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, a cutting-edge model of play therapy that bridges the gap between neuroscience and psychology. Lisa teaches and supervises all over the world, helping transform the lives of thousands of therapists and children. Lisa has an amazing podcast, a helpful blog, and authored a wonderful book called “Aggression in Play Therapy.” She also provides business and personal coaching. To learn more, visit: https://lisa-dion.com/

Who May Benefit from Attending:

Play therapists, children’s counsellors, family therapists, family counsellors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, school counsellors, and other mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families will benefit from this training. A basic understanding of play therapy would be beneficial.

APT Approved Provider 95-019 – BCPTA is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to provide continuing education specific to play therapy.
CAPT Approved Provider 09-103 – BCPTA is approved by the Canadian Association for Play Therapy to provide foundation training and continuing education training specific to child and play therapy. This training cannot be used for Foundation Play Therapy Training towards Certification with CAPT as a Certified Play Therapist (CPT).