          restorative retelling of the trauma story, and (3) restoring the connection between survivors and their community.


In stage one, safety in the setting is established by creating a warm and inviting playroom with toys from each category (Landreth, 2012). Safety    eight principles. In the second part of the session, safety is facilitated through play-based psychoeducation. Play therapists educate children and parents on basic neurophysiology through illustrations such as Siegel and Brison’s (2012) hand model of the brain, also found online (https://      playful games and children’s books to teach physiological regulation strategies including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, playful exercises, and mindful movements. Next, they help children develop a safety plan of where to hide and who to call for help. Finally, they teach positive cognitive strategies like positive self-talk (i.e., “I am smart and I am strong”), looking for clues that a place is safe, and thinking of the most likely thing that will happen rather than the worst thing that could happen. Resources for other coping strategies can be found in COVID-19 Interventions (O’Conner & Picard, 2021), accessible on the APT website; Caroline Conquers Her Corona Fears (Camelford et al., 2020); First Aid Arts (FirstAidArts.org, 2020); and Helping Children with Traumatic Separation or Traumatic Grief Related to COVID-19 (NCTSN, 2020).


In stage two, if and when children spontaneously reenact their trauma experience during their non-directed play, play therapists facilitate understanding and enlarge the meaning. For example, “You like to be the one with the power to decide if I am stuck here or if I can go free,” and “You know how scary it can be when there is no escape from danger.” During psychoeducation, play therapists read children’s books explaining trauma and domestic violence. Then they can guide children in making a book about their own experience. For example, “The happy things I remember about my family are when...,” “A scary thing that happened in my family was when...,” and “a hopeful thing about my future is...” Play therapists also can use other creative approaches, such as puppet shows, sand tray, and art to facilitate a restorative retelling of children’s trauma stories.


In stage three, play therapists help restore connection between children and their families, peers, and community members by reflecting or proposing effective interpersonal skills during nondirective play. For example, if the child is re-enacting a scene of his dad yelling at him, then the play therapist could say, “The daddy doll yelled at the boy doll and the boy doll was scared. The boy doll may be wishing daddy would just calmly say, ‘Please pick up your toys.’” During psychoeducation, play therapists teach effective interpersonal skills such as “I messages,” compromising, encouraging words, and safe responses to harsh words. Children learn to say to angry siblings or peers, “I know you are angry. You look like you need time to calm down. I’ll go do something else for now.” In addition, play therapists invite parents who are safe and can regulate


Mindful Play-Family Therapy 


Training! (Non-Contact Hours) Lic. CEs for PA and reciprocal states


Dottie Higgins-Klein, LMFT, RPT-S Family & Play Therapy Center +1 215 844 4321 • fptcenter.com APT Play Therapy Professional Education Award 2016 APT Approved Provider Since 1996 APT Approved Provider 96-030


Mindfulness-Based Play-Family Therapy: Theory and Practice


by Dottie Higgins-Klein Published by W. W. Norton & Co., 2013. Foreword by Bonnie Badenoch


2021 Webinar Courses 2021Webinar Courses


PFT 401: Play-Family Therapy & Advanced Child Development Starts Oct. 8, 2021 — 45 Hours


SPT 502: Sandtray Play Therapy with Teens & Adults — A Mindful Approach


Starts Oct. 12, 2021 — 27 Hours


Trauma Reality Sandtray With Life Book


Fri, Dec 10, 2021 — 6 Hours fptcenter.com 6 | PLAYTHERAPY | September 2021 | www.a4pt.org Join Us for a Join Us for a Free Class!Free Class!


Play Therapy w/ Family Systems & Parenting Interventions Live Online — 2 Hours


Fri., Sept. 10, 10 AM ET — No CEs


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