Looking Beneath Behavior: Play-Based Approaches for Understanding Children
About this Event
This continuing education conference explores play-based and relational approaches for understanding children, supporting emotional regulation, and strengthening caregiver collaboration. Grounded in child-centered play therapy principles, participants will explore behavior as communication, nervous system development, co-regulation, therapeutic responses, and practical strategies for supporting children and families across clinical and helping settings.
Topics include understanding dysregulation, supporting flexibility and connection through play, and translating clinical observations into parent-friendly communication.
Designed for counselors, social workers, PLPCs, graduate students, and helping professionals working with children and families.
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Understanding Children Through a Play-Based Lens
Info: Participants are invited to arrive, check in, enjoy coffee and light refreshments, and settle in before the training begins. Training materials will be provided at sign-in.
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Looking Beneath the Behavior: A Play-Based Approach to Understanding Children
Info: Focused on understanding children’s behavior through a developmental, relational, and play-based lens, participants will explore how behavior communicates underlying needs, how emotional expression emerges through play, and how slowing down with curiosity can help move beyond surface behaviors and quick conclusions.
🕑: 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Regulation, Brain Development, and the Window of Tolerance
Info: Exploring how stress, regulation, and brain development impact children’s behavior, emotions, and ability to access skills, participants will learn how bottom-up brain development, stress responses, and the window of tolerance influence flexibility, emotional regulation, and behavior during moments of overwhelm or dysregulation.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Questions, Reflection, & Integration Activity
Info: Designed to be engaging, interactive, and experiential, participants will actively engage through discussion, reflection, experiential activities, and practical case application to help bring the concepts into real-world work with children and families.
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:30 AM
Responding with Intention
Info: Focused on responding intentionally during play-based work, participants will explore ways to support regulation, connection, flexibility, and skill development through co-regulation, therapeutic presence, and attuned responses while considering when children may need support, guidance, or opportunities to safely stretch and build frustration tolerance.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Break
🕑: 10:15 AM - 12:00 PM
From Playroom to Parent: Communicating the Work and Supporting Caregivers
Info: Focused on helping clinicians communicate play therapy concepts to caregivers with greater clarity and confidence, participants will explore how to translate observations and progress into parent-friendly language while supporting caregiver understanding and connection to the therapeutic process.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Questions, Reflection, Case Discussion, & Closing
Info: Designed to be engaging, interactive, and experiential, participants will actively engage through discussion, reflection, experiential activities, and practical case application to help bring the concepts into real-world work with children and families.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 65.87 to USD 177.91
