Jennifer Lefebre – The Healing Power of Play Therapy: Advance Your Trauma Treatment with Children & Adolescent

Outline

Neuroscience of Trauma and AttachmentNeuroscience of Trauma and Attachment

• Trauma & Attachment Theory Trauma & Attachment Theory
  • Regulatory processing, executive functioning, memory and languageRegulatory processing, executive functioning, memory and language
• The Neuroscience of Play Therapy The Neuroscience of Play Therapy
  • What Play Does for You and Your Brain, andWhat Play Does for You and Your Brain, and
  • What Happens to You if You Don’t PlayWhat Happens to You if You Don’t Play
• Neuroscience and Fight-or-Flight Neuroscience and Fight-or-Flight
  • Parasympathetic / sympathetic nervous systemParasympathetic / sympathetic nervous system
• Trauma and Stress Disorders Trauma and Stress Disorders
  • Classification, symptoms & labelsClassification, symptoms & labels
• Current Evidence-Based Treatment Current Evidence-Based Treatment
  • Where are we stuck?Where are we stuck?

​​​​​​A New Clinical Framework – Integrating Evidenced Based Treatment with Play TherapyA New Clinical Framework – Integrating Evidenced Based Treatment with Play Therapy

• Establishing safety and a sense of competence/worthEstablishing safety and a sense of competence/worth
• Appropriate attachments & relational engagementAppropriate attachments & relational engagement
• Self-regulation (body & emotions)Self-regulation (body & emotions)
• Self-reflection & IntrospectionSelf-reflection & Introspection
• Integration of Traumatic ExperiencesIntegration of Traumatic Experiences
• (Acknowledgment & Processing of the trauma)(Acknowledgment & Processing of the trauma)
• Future safetyFuture safety
• Transitioning beyond the TraumaTransitioning beyond the Trauma

Advancing Trauma Treatment with Play TherapyAdvancing Trauma Treatment with Play Therapy

• Verbal vs Nonverbal responses Verbal vs Nonverbal responses
  • How to recognize trauma without a verbal reportHow to recognize trauma without a verbal report
• Bottom-up versus Top-down processing Bottom-up versus Top-down processing
  • Embodied play & sensory integration rather than verbal strategiesEmbodied play & sensory integration rather than verbal strategies
• Non-directive versus directive play therapy techniques – How to integrate both Non-directive versus directive play therapy techniques – How to integrate both
  • Widen the window of tolerance through up-regulating and down-regulating using embodied therapy activitiesWiden the window of tolerance through up-regulating and down-regulating using embodied therapy activities

Play Therapy ActivitiesPlay Therapy Activities

• Psychoeducation of brain-body relationship Psychoeducation of brain-body relationship
  • CharadesCharades
  • Flip your LidFlip your Lid
• Target shame, self-doubt, and self-compassion Target shame, self-doubt, and self-compassion
  • Safe place sandtraysSafe place sandtrays
  • DrawingsDrawings
  • All About MeAll About Me
• Integrate traumatic experiences to acknowledge and process the trauma Integrate traumatic experiences to acknowledge and process the trauma
  • Narrative work through sandtraysNarrative work through sandtrays
  • DrawingsDrawings
  • Dramatic playDramatic play
• Target the parent-child relationship – Interpersonal reactivity and social skills Target the parent-child relationship – Interpersonal reactivity and social skills
  • Weather MassageWeather Massage
  • Invisible StringInvisible String
  • Family SandtraysFamily Sandtrays
  • DrawingsDrawings
• Improve emotional and bodily regulation Improve emotional and bodily regulation
  • Be SpaghettiBe Spaghetti
  • TrashballsTrashballs
  • OobleckOobleck
  • Feelings MapsFeelings Maps
  • YogaYoga
  • Floor is Lava & more!Floor is Lava & more!