Putting The PLAY into Family Therapy

Putting the Play in Family Therapy

Presenter Name: Stefani Misiph, LMHC,RPT-S

Presentation Description: Integrating play therapy into family sessions poses challenges for many practitioners. This training addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive approach to seamlessly integrate play therapy techniques within family sessions, equipping therapists with the skills and confidence needed for effective and impactful family play therapy.

This workshop, rooted in Integrative Play Therapy, explores incorporating various therapeutic modalities, including CCPT, Adlerian Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, sandtray, narrative therapy, and Internal Family Systems. The emphasis lies in elucidating the rationale behind utilizing Play Therapy in family therapy, and establishing a robust treatment framework. “By using a combination of family play techniques, such as genograms with figurines, art activities, sand trays, puppet shows, and mutual story-telling, the family achieves enhanced communication and empathy toward each other.” (Gil, 2015)

Drawing from narrative therapy principles, a central focus involves guiding families in externalizing problems, enabling clients to perceive issues as separate entities from themselves. Freeman et al. (1997) Techniques, aid in befriending problem components, creating metaphors, and fostering a distinct relationship with identified issues. “The therapist and parents can begin to play with the ‘‘problem’’ that the child has created. Playing with the item the child created will promote the notion that the ‘‘problem’’ has its own identity rather than it being a characteristic of the child.” (Turns, B., & Kimmes, J. (2014). Thus, the integration of narrative and family play therapy facilitates a shared understanding within families, alleviating blame and assigning a separate identity to problems.

Participants will develop a clear understanding of the rationale of why using

Play Therapy IN family therapy creates a solid treatment approach. This training also addresses cultural humility, enhancing multicultural competence, with a core focus on promoting positive communication and self-expression through externalizing problems.

Goals and Objectives:

1. Identify and rationalize three or more fundamental concepts of family play therapy, including Filial, Theraplay, and Internal Family Systems Practice.
2. Utilize 3-5 family play therapy assessment techniques, that demonstrate effective use of these methods.
3. Discuss specific objectives for each family play therapy technique, translating theoretical knowledge into practical application within therapeutic contexts.
4. Design treatment goals and progress notes to document Family Play Therapy.
5. Examine transference and countertransference from your own family of origin as it relates to the playroom.
6. Examine our own cultural biases we bring into our work with families.

Host or Publisher The Misiph Center for Therapy and Training