THERAPLAY® INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP

THERAPLAY® is an Attachment-Based therapeutic approach using structured play to help challenging children and their families.  It has been used effectively since it was first developed in the late 1960s by Ann Jernberg, Phyllis Booth, and others at the Theraplay®Institute in Chicago.  Theraplay®has been utilized in schools, day care centers, child guidance clinics, speech clinics, and in private practice in the United States, Canada, Korea, Germany, Australia, Austria, Finland, Japan, and other countries around the world.  Its primary applications have been with children who have behavior problems (particularly withdrawn and overactive children), speech and language problems,  physical challenges, autistic children, and children experiencing difficulties related to adoption. In recent years, Theraplay®principles have also found applications in geriatric settings.

THERAPLAY® looks to healthy parent-child interaction as a guide for helping understand children's needs and potentials for positive emotional development. Theraplay®sessions are active, intense, physical, nurturing, and fun.  Parents usually are included in the process from the beginning, and often join in the play sessions later.  Theraplay®experiences are structured, nurturing, engaging and challenging.  Professionals who apply Theraplay®to other settings (such as schools and clinics) often find themselves stimulated to find creative ways to apply Theraplay®in their day-to-day practice.

WORKSHOP CONTENT
 History of Theraplay®
 Basic Assumptions About Healthy Development
 Four Components of Healthy Parenting
 Indications and Contraindications; Ethical Considerations
 Foundation in Attachment Theory - Implications for Treatment

Recent Findings in the Neurobiology of Attachment
 Applying the Four Essential Components of Theraplay®in the Treatment Process
 Principles of Theraplay®:  "Dos" and "Don'ts"
 Organizing Theraplay®Sessions: Rules of the Playroom; Practical Issues
 The Marshcak Interaction Method (MIM):  A Powerful Tool for Assessing Child-Parent Dynamics
 Theraplay®Activities
 The Course of Treatment
 The Role of Touch in Theraplay®: Research and Applications
 Theraplay®Contrasted with Other Play Therapy Modalities
 Specific Strategies using Theraplay®with Overactive, Withdrawn, and Autistic Spectrum Children
 Working with Later Adoptive and Traumatized Children
 Theraplay®Applications in Day-to-Day School Situations

The Format for the workshop includes presentation of information, videotaped examples, role playing, and other structured activities.  There will be opportunities for participants to present cases for discussion.

ACCREDITATION
The Introductory and Intermediate Theraplay®courses taught by Drs. Myrow and Bundy-Myrow are fully accredited by the Theraplay®Institute in Chicago.

For Certification as a Theraplay® Therapist, there are additional requirements, including intensive supervision and examinations.  Please contact Drs. Myrow and Bundy-Myrow for more information.