The Deliberate Dialogue: When Talking is Necessary within a Theraplay Session Online Workshop

Event Details

June 26th, 2024 - 10:00am - 12:30pm Learn more and register! →

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Join Dafna on June 26th for The Deliberate Dialogue: When Talking is Necessary with a Theraplay Session.

Theraplay is an experiential modality that stays in the here and now and doesn’t rely on words. The basic Theraplay training instructs new practitioners to acknowledge feelings by responding physically and experientially rather than with word. But some clients who have intense feelings, have had traumatic histories, or who have big problems in the family, need more than that. For example:

• A child is too angry at the outset of a session to play or be nurtured
• A child has a distressing feeling or memory in response to a Theraplay activity
• A child had a difficult experience during the previous week, like a fight or self-harm
• A parent asks for help apologizing for something they did to the child

In these situations, it is very helpful to help children and parents talk about their troubles in a safe way, using techniques from Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).

Learning Objectives

1. Identify when it is time to talk within a Theraplay session
2. Use the Deliberate Dialogue to structure a productive conversation between child and parent
3. Guiding parents to stay accepting and empathic in the Deliberate Dialogue
4. Use the PACE (Playful Accepting Curious and Empathic) Attitude to discover what is truly bothering the child underneath
5. What to do with a child who says “I don’t know” or won’t use words to answer your questions
6. Find ways “talk about” and “talk for” a child to help deepen connection and understanding between parent and child.

Who Should Attend?

People who work with children and families in many different capacities will benefit from training programs offered by The Theraplay Institute. Visit our Who Should Attend page for more information. This course’s Content Level is Intermediate.