One of the most common challenges play therapists face, especially interns, pre-licensed therapists, and RPT™ candidates, is building and maintaining effective relationships with parents. Even seasoned therapists can feel uncertain about how to communicate, set boundaries, and gain trust.
As both a play therapist and a parent, I understand how hard parenting is and why a compassionate, strengths-based approach matters.
This 4-hour pre-recorded training will give you tangible tools for communicating with parents and caregivers so that your work feels easier, clearer, and more collaborative.
☀️ Explore a detailed play therapy assessment for parent intakes and practice gathering holistic information about the child and family.
☀️ Learn how to set the tone for therapy and gain parental trust from the very first meeting.
☀️ Practice using a strengths-based model through the lens of attachment to “hook” parents into teaming up with you.
☀️ Experiment with family therapy tools and ideas for working with parents individually, in groups, or through workshops.
☀️ Nurture the person within the therapist through integrated self-care activities woven throughout the course.
By the end, you will leave with a roadmap for turning potentially difficult parent interactions into supportive, trusting partnerships that benefit the child, the family, and you.
On-Demand Format: Video Recorded Class
Self Paced Therapist Training
4 Non-Contact APT CEs
4 NBCC CEs (On-Demand)
$99
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
🍎 Describe regulation, attachment, and the nervous system in parent-friendly language to enhance understanding and buy-in.
🍎 Identify at least five strategies for effectively communicating with parents and other helping adults from the intake session onward.
🍎 Compare different play therapy models that integrate parent and family work, noting their distinct advantages and applications.
🍎 Explain at least two interventions that can be taught to parents or caregivers to support their child’s regulation at home.
🍎 Demonstrate ways to structure parent intakes and early sessions to build trust, set clear expectations, and establish collaborative goals.
🍎 Apply a strengths-based, attachment-informed framework to parent interactions in individual, group, and workshop settings.
Continuing Education Credit
This course is designed to meet APT and NBCC standards for professional continuing education. It provides 4 non-contact continuing education hours (if viewed on-demand) in the area of Skills & Methods / Parent & Family Involvement. Participants will complete interactive learning activities, reflection prompts, and a post-training evaluation to receive a certificate of completion.
Materials Needed
Please have paper, markers, crayons, or other creative tools available to participate fully in the experiential activities included in this course.
☀️ Play therapists who work with parents
☀️ Therapists who would like a fresh look at intakes with parents (and paperwork!)
☀️ Any therapist seeking to include parents into play therapy session more
☀️ Therapists desiring better boundaries with parents
☀️ Curious counselors, social workers, psychologists