You may have heard of PANDAS, and perhaps even the broader term PANS.
But what do these conditions actually look like in the play therapy room and what can you, the play therapist do to help?
Some play therapists work with children whose symptoms feel unusually intense or confusing. A child may develop severe OCD, separation anxiety, emotional dysregulation, rage episodes, or sudden regression that does not respond to typical therapeutic approaches.
In PANDAS, symptoms are often described as having an abrupt onset following infection.
PANS, while sometimes sudden, may present more broadly as extreme dysregulation and psychiatric symptoms that are difficult to explain.
For therapists, this raises important questions. Why did this child change so dramatically? Why are the symptoms so resistant to treatment? Could something medical be interacting with the child’s mental health?
In the book, Childhood Interrupted, Beth Alison Maloney shares the story of her son’s experience with PANS/PANDAS, offering a window into how these conditions can affect children and families.
During the live 2 hour discussion portion of this training, we will connect the book to play therapy practice, exploring how these symptoms may show up in the playroom and how play therapy can support children and their families.
This training is not designed to teach therapists to diagnose PANS or PANDAS. Instead, it helps clinicians recognize patterns that may warrant curiosity, collaboration with medical providers, and thoughtful therapeutic support.
This training helps therapists widen their clinical lens when working with children whose symptoms feel
unusually intense, confusing, or resistant to treatment.
Through reading Childhood Interrupted and participating in the guided discussion, you will:
☀️ Better understand what PANS and PANDAS are and why these conditions are often misunderstood or missed
☀️ Learn common symptom patterns therapists may notice in children experiencing extreme dysregulation, OCD,
separation anxiety, or sudden behavioral changes
☀️ Explore how these symptoms may appear inside the playroom and what therapists may observe through play
☀️ Consider how play therapy can support children and families navigating overwhelming behavioral and emotional changes
☀️ Develop greater clinical curiosity about when collaboration with pediatricians or medical specialists may be helpful
This training is designed to help therapists listen differently, ask better questions, and support families who may be searching for answers.
Read at Home (14 NBCC / 14 APT non-contact CEs)
Participants independently read Childhood Interrupted (book purchase required and yours to keep). To assess the reading portion, participants complete structured reflective writing prompts rather than a multiple-choice exam.
Participants will then join a live 2 hour discussion to further explore how these symptoms may appear in the playroom, how sudden dysregulation can influence a child’s capacity for play and emotional expression, and how play therapists can support the child and family.
Both the structured writing prompts that accompany the reading and the two-hour discussion session connect the material directly to play therapy practice.
The live session combines focused discussion with guided experiential exercises, helping attachment theory become practical and usable within supervision
Live Book Club Meeting Details
Friday, July 17, 2026
9:30–11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
📷 The live portion of this training will be video recorded for home study. All participants who purchase this training consent to being recorded.
Virtual ZOOM attendance (2 non-contact CEs)
Cost: $249 total
Includes up to 16 CEs (14 non-contact for reading + 2 contact or non-contact for live discussion)
Narrative case material will be paired with current research to support evidence-informed play therapy practice with children and adolescents experiencing sudden-onset neuropsychiatric symptoms.
After completing this training, participants will be able to:
🍎 Differentiate between PANS/PANDAS symptom presentation and at least two commonly assigned mental health diagnoses, and analyze how misdiagnosis may occur within play therapy and broader clinical settings.
🍎 Assess a child’s readiness for cognitive and behavioral interventions by identifying neurological, developmental, and emotional indicators, and select appropriate play therapy or alternative interventions when CBT is not clinically indicated.
🍎 Apply play therapy principles to support parents of children with PANS/PANDAS by identifying strategies that reduce caregiver blame, increase validation, and strengthen parent–therapist collaboration.
🍎 Evaluate systemic and professional barriers that limit awareness of PANS/PANDAS within the mental health field and formulate strategies to improve interdisciplinary understanding and advocacy within play therapy practice.
🍎 Develop school-based support recommendations by identifying appropriate IEP and 504 accommodations for children with PANS/PANDAS, and integrate play therapy-informed collaboration strategies when working with educators.
🍎 Observe and interpret clinical case material presented through sandtray and expressive art demonstrations, and translate symbolic and behavioral themes into developmentally appropriate play therapy interventions for children with PANS/PANDAS.
This training is designed for clinicians who work with children and adolescents and want to better understand how sudden or severe behavioral and emotional symptoms may intersect with medical conditions such as PANS and PANDAS.
This training may be especially helpful for:
☀️ Play therapists working with children experiencing extreme dysregulation, OCD, separation anxiety, or sudden behavioral changes
☀️ Child and adolescent therapists who want to better recognize patterns that may warrant collaboration with medical providers
☀️ Clinicians interested in expanding their clinical lens when symptoms appear confusing, intense, or resistant to treatment
☀️ Supervisors supporting therapists who work with complex child cases
This training is appropriate for licensed mental health professionals and graduate-level trainees interested in strengthening their understanding of how neuropsychiatric symptoms may influence children’s play, behavior, and emotional expression.
Agenda (Eastern Time) 9:45 -11:45am
9:30-11:30 Discuss Symptoms and Tools
11:30 Book club is over!