Advanced Psychotherapy Training

Instructor: Dee Preston-Dillon, Ph.D. 

Cost: $1,600 Payment plan available (see below)

CE Credit Hours: 12

Meeting Dates: March 24 and 31, April 7, 14, 21, and 28. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. US ET, Live, Virtual

Description:

With advanced work, we are aware of at least two stories unfolding — the silent stories unfolding within the therapist’s psyche, and the client’s evolving story represented in form, given voice, reflecting layers of personal and collective meaning. The relationship between these two stories is especially evident in play therapy and expressive arts.

We will work with your experience, your case examples, and suggestions to open, facilitate, and close sand therapy sessions. Participants will examine sand scenes and ways to facilitate client symbol engagement from different theoretical perspectives. This advanced course is a practice of core ideas in Level 1 Narrative Sand Therapy. Play therapy competencies such as collaborative play, child-centered play therapy, play dynamics such as voice and gestalt dialogues with symbols in sand, play therapy’s adaptation of therapeutic metaphor, and cross-cultural and generational aspects of play therapy.

Of particular importance is staying in the metaphor while facilitating meaning. Practice will include deepening presence, prompts for therapist reflection for increased resonance with client process, use of silence, addressing concerns with spontaneity and immediacy, wonderment questions, prompts to strengthen client connection with their symbols in sand, development of story and symbol amplification, active imagination, gestalt, and practice with symbol voices and stories through I-Thou dialogues. Practice with these competencies helps the play therapist stay in the metaphor.

This course examines advanced skill development for play and expressive therapists. Exercises will support increased mindfulness of boundaries, safe use of positive projections, practice listening for layers of meaning beyond the story told, therapist engagement when invited by the client, representations of narrative existential experience, hermeneutic iterations to understand meaning, cultural acumen, and examination of sand scenes that are centered on grief, trauma, life changes, identity, freedom, and struggles with emotional expression. 

Our theoretical lens is humanistic, social construction, existential, analytic, and systemic perspectives. We will examine client stories, play dynamics, therapist engagement and assumptions that are not initially obvious. Case examples will focus on ways to increase discernment of therapist projections, interpretations, and suppositions. Taking different theoretical views will focus on clinical skills appropriate for play therapy and expressive arts, especially when integrating sand therapy with poetry, play, music, drama, and art therapies.

Special exploration will include the use of miniature objects that may lead into sand scenes, such as the invention of miniature portals, use of miniature doors and windows, dialogues with animal voices, miniature chairs for developmental scenes, diverse cultural symbols, and miniature houses. Demonstrations will support play therapy competencies while integrating art and drama therapy approaches.

This course balances experiential exercises with theory and ethics. Practice will ground safety, cultural acumen, access to imagination, and collaborative trust. Advanced process is intentional to deepen therapist insight and extend your approach to understand and respond to clients and their sand scenes.

Additional special topics include application across the life span – the inner child of the therapist while witnessing client process. Using case material, we will examine images from developmental experiences, explore representations of identity, perception of freedom, grief, authenticity in relationships, mortality, and socio-cultural constructions of meaning and purpose. Participants are encouraged to pose questions, step into practice, and reflect on layers of meaning within historical, cultural, familial, and personal existential experience.

Critical Thinking Questions: As a therapist, you may be thinking . . .

1. I already use Sandtray or Sandplay. How will Narrative Sand Therapy enrich my work with symbols in sand?
2. I am already a registered play therapist and play therapy supervisor. How will this course advance my work with clients?
3. How will I integrate existential and narrative perspectives to enhance how I work with clients?
4. Will the advanced practices presented enhance my play therapy and expressive therapy practices?
5. In terms of scope of practice, what specialized clinical skills will help me maintain safety and cultural attunement, while facilitating in-depth process?
6. How do I extend my ability to use active imagination, narrative voice, therapeutic metaphor, and actively hold silence to meet clients in their life-world?
7. How do I increase my spontaneity and immediacy during a sand therapy process?
8. How do I stay grounded when facilitating an active imagination with clients?
9. How can I use narrative and existential therapies to facilitate groups, couples, and supervision with symbols in sand?
10. I am a play therapist, drama, and/or art therapist. What core ideas from existential psychotherapy will support my work with adolescents and adults when using Sandplay or narrative symbol amplification?
11. How might I approach my own sand scenes, notice more connections, activate my imagination, and deepen my process integrating narrative and existential psychotherapies?

Course Objectives

1. Explore two ways to use a narrative approach to enrich clinical work with symbols in sand and complement Sandplay, sandtray play therapy and expressive approaches.
2. Present two case examples of client sand scenes or one’s own sand scene.
3. State two core ideas from existential and narrative therapies to enhance client process during play therapy across the lifespan.
4. State two clinical skills to maintain safety while facilitating in-depth process during Sandplay and narrative sand therapy.
5. State two ways to combine narrative sand therapy with child-centered play therapy and with expressive therapies such as art and drama therapy.
6. State two approaches to amplify symbols for cultural attunement, engendering respect, trust, and cultural humility.
7. Describe two examples in a sand scene that represent social justice, ethnic/cultural identity, cultural-existential crisis, alienation/oppression and power abuse.
8. State two benefits and two risks for play therapy and play therapy supervision with the use of active imagination, narrative voice, and gestalt with symbols in sand.
9. State two ways to develop therapeutic metaphor while facilitating client play and silent exploration of their sand scene.
10. State two ways to give clients permission for silence, for silent internal dialogues, and mindful therapist silence during narrative exploration of sand scenes.
11.  State two practices to facilitate and follow the lead of the client during guided active imagination with symbols in sand.
12. State two benefits and two limits for use of symbols in sand with groups, couples, and in supervision.
13. State two practices outside-of-client work to develop skills to amplify symbols, process one’s own sand scenes, notice more connections among symbols in sand and with oneself, activate imagination, and deepen reflections on layers of meaning.
14. State two insights especially relevant for play therapy and drama therapy while engaging symbols in case examples that enhanced your advanced skills for use of Sandplay, sandtray or narrative sand therapy as a play therapist, art or drama therapy specialist.
15. Describe two symbol exercises especially useful with adolescents, couples, elders, and in supervision.
16. State three facts related to trauma in the body, the play therapist’s competency with trauma, heightened presence, and the client’s felt sense of safety with their sand scenes.
17. Describe two areas for skill development that would be especially helpful with your client population and with supervision.
18. Describe a hermeneutic circle that reflects iterations of symbol representations in a sand scene and a client’s story.
19. State three play therapy skills most helpful to identify themes, deepen client-centered process, conceptualize symbol engagement, and process developmental trauma.
20. Identify three advanced play therapy/ play therapy supervision competencies that are essential for therapist safe immersion/ resonance in therapeutic process, therapist humility with power/ cultural awareness, therapist ability for deep process of grief and trauma, and therapist/supervisor personal work regarding projection and co-transference.

Payment Plan

A payment plan is available. To take advantage of this option, please register and make your first payment via our Payment Plan page, then make your remaining payments periodically before the course begins. See more details.

References

The peer-reviewed articles below are set into categories to identify core ideas with articles. This literature applies to Level 1 Narrative Sand Therapy and the Advanced Narrative Sand Therapy sessions.

Ethics: Scope of Practice


American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
Altvater, Rachel A, Singer, Rachel R & Gil, Eliana. (2018). Part 2: A qualitative examination of play therapy and technology training and ethics. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27(1) 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000057
Cunningham, L. (2021). The archetype of integrity: Ethics in sandplay therapy. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 30(1), 107–118.  10.61711/jst.2021.30.1.190
Hudspeth, Edward F. (2016). Supporting the mission of International Journal of Play Therapy through manuscripts about play therapy ethics, assessment, supervision, and application. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(4) 175. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000038
Long, Megan N, Remley, Theodore P Jr. & White, Ryan. (2025). Ethical and legal self-efficacy in play therapists: A correlational study. International Journal of Play Therapy, 34(2) 86-96. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000234
Podolan, M. (2025). Beyond comfort: How dynamic safety regulation drives psychotherapeutic change—A transtheoretical model. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-025-09683-9

Sandplay, Sandtray, Symbols, Play Therapy

Capitolo, D. (2016). Sandplay as waking dream images hidden in the emotions. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.61711/jst.2016.25.1.925
Dobretsova, A., & Wiese, E. B. P. (2019). Sandplay: Psychotrauma signs in asylum-seeking adolescents. Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, 18(4), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/15289168.2019.1583055
Foo, M., & Pratiwi, A. (2021). The effectiveness of sandplay therapy in treating generalized anxiety disorder patients with childhood trauma using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(3), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000162
Harb, J. (2019). Volcano: Anger and Rage in Sandplay Therapy. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.61711/jst.2019.28.1.318
Hartwig, E. K., Homeyer, L. E., & Stone, J. (2023). Sand therapy competencies: A qualitative investigation of competencies for sand therapy practitioners. World Journal for Sand Therapy Practice, 1(5), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.58997/wjstp.v1i5.32
Holliman, R., & Foster, R. D. (2023). The way we play in the sand: A meta-analytic investigation of sand therapy, its formats, and presenting problems. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 9(2), 205–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2023.2232142
Jung, B. (2019). Beyond medications: Understanding executive function deficits of children with ADHD through Jungian sandplay therapy. Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy, 10(1), 1–19.
Kowen, M. R. (2020). A phenomenological study of therapists’ co-transference experiences in sandplay therapy. Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy, 11(2), 143–166.
Kwak, S. K., & Seo, M. (2018). The effect of client-centered sandplay therapy on the depression, aggression and ego development stage of children in a community child center. Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy, 9(2), 1–26.
Lee, P. L. (2018). Narrative practice and sandplay: Practice-based stories of collaboration with people seeking asylum held in mandatory detention. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 37(2), 1–16. 10.1521/jsyt.2018.37.2.1
Li, S., Lu, Y., & Wu, J. (2023). Sandplay therapy as a complementary treatment for children with ADHD: A scoping review. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 44(9), 911–917. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2023.2249990
Matta, R. M. D., & Ramos, D. G. (2023). Sandplay therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy. Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas), 40, e210099. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0275202340e210099
Ow, G. (2025). The symbol does the work: Deploying Somatic-Symbolic Tools for Emotional Recursion in Therapy. Human Arenas: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Psychology, Culture, and Meaning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-025-00527-5
Redfern, L., & Finestone, M. (2024). Silent group sandplay activates healing. Child Protection and Practice, 3, Article 100078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chipro.2024.100078
Roesler, C. (2019). Sandplay therapy: An overview of theory, applications and evidence base. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 64, 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001
Tan, J., Yin, H., Meng, T., & Guo, X. (2021). Effects of sandplay therapy in reducing emotional and behavioural problems in school-age children with chronic diseases. Nursing Open, 8(6), 3099–3110. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1022
Tornero, M. D. L. A., & Capella, C. (2017). Change during psychotherapy through sand play tray. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 617. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00617
Wang, K., Cui, Q., & Xu, H. (2018). Desert as therapeutic space: Cultural interpretation of embodied experience in sand therapy in Xinjiang, China. Health & Place, 53, 173–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.08.005
Wiersma, J. K., Freedle, L. R., McRoberts, R., & Solberg, K. B. (2022). A meta-analysis of sandplay therapy treatment outcomes. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(4), 197–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000180
Yanof, J. A. (2019). Play in the analytic setting: The development and communication of meaning in child analysis. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 100(6), 1390–1404. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2019.1642758

Play Therapy & Expressive Arts

Binson, B., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2018). Promoting personal growth through experiential learning: The case of expressive arts therapy for Lecturers in Thailand. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2276. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02276
Blanche, E. I., Chang, M. C., & Parham, L. D. (2024). Experiences of adult play. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(4), 7804185040. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050436
Conroy, S., & Ramchandani, P. (2025). Trusting play to be meaningful data. International Journal of Play, 14(1), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2025.2464334
Coull, H. & Parson, J. A. (2024). Establishing trust and creating safety for play therapy service provision with an Australian aboriginal community: Informing culturally responsive practice. International Journal of Play Therapy, 33(3) 140-153. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000220
de Witte, M., Orkibi, H., Zarate, R., Karkou, V., Sajnani, N., Malhotra, B., Ho, R. T. H., Kaimal, G., Baker, F. A., & Koch, S. C. (2021). From therapeutic factors to mechanisms of change in the creative arts therapies. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 678397. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678397
Edwards, J., Parson, J., & O’Brien, W. (2016). Child play therapists’ understanding and application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: A narrative analysis. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(3) 133-145. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000029
Gerge, A., & Pedersen, I. N. (2017). Analyzing pictorial artifacts from psychotherapy and art therapy when overcoming stress and trauma. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 54, 56–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.02.001
Hinz, L. D., Rim, S.-R., & Lusebrink, V. B. (2022). Clarifying the creative level of the expressive therapies continuum. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 78, 101896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2022.101896
Kwak, S. K. (2019). Jar: The space of transformation to self-actualization. Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy, 10(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.12964/jsst.19007
Low, M. Y., McFerran, K. S., Viega, M., Carroll-Scott, A., McGhee Hassrick, E., & Bradt, J. (2023). Exploring the lived experiences of young autistic adults in Nordoff-Robbins music therapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 32(4), 341–364. https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2022.2151640
Mortola, P. (2019). Play Becomes Real for Adults: Measuring Effectiveness of Expressive Arts Media for Therapists in Training Using the Oaklander Approach. Gestalt Review, 23(1), 67–83. https://doi.org/10.5325/gestaltreview.23.1.0067
Orkibi, H., & Feniger-Schaal, R. (2019). Integrative systematic review of psychodrama psychotherapy research. PLoS One, 14(2), e0212575. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212575
Purswell, Katherine E & Stulmaker, Hayley L. (2015). Expressive arts in supervision: Choosing developmentally appropriate interventions. International Journal of Play Therapy, 24(2) 103-117. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039134
Rezaee R. S., Rezaee R. M., Asadzadeh, S. N., Torabi, S. S., Taheri S. M., Ghasemzadeh-Moghaddam, H., Firozeh, M., Sajedi, A., Rohani, F., & Firouzeh, N. (2024). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioural play therapy and puppet play therapy on bilingual children’s expressive and receptive language disorders. Early Child Development and Care, 194(2), 296–307. 10.1080/03004430.2024.2309453
Weinfeld-Yehoudayan, A., Czamanski-Cohen, J., Cohen, M., & Weihs, K. L. (2024). A theoretical model of emotional processing in visual artmaking and art therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 90, 102196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2024.102196
Woollett, N., Bandeira, M., & Hatcher, A. (2020). Trauma-informed art and play therapy: Pilot study outcomes for children and mothers in domestic violence shelters in the United States and South Africa. Child Abuse & Neglect, 107, Article 104564.  10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104564

Culture, Social Justice

Chase, L. & Post, P. (2025). The impact of attitudes related to trauma-informed care on cultural humility among play therapists. International Journal of Play Therapy, 34(1) 26-36. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000231
Chase, L. & Post, P. (2022). Factors impacting play therapists’ social justice advocacy attitudes. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(4) 248-258. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000184
Chase, L. & Opiola, K. (2021). Cultural competence and poverty: Exploring play therapists’ attitudes. International Journal of Play Therapy, 30(1) 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000144
Chung, R. K, Ray, D. C, Aguilar, E. V. & Turner, K. (2023). The multicultural play therapy room: Intentional decision making in selecting play therapy toys and materials. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(4) 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000203
Cormier, S. R, Manson, J. L & Overley, L. C. (2023). Relational-cultural play therapy supervision: Integrating RCT into the supervision of play therapists. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(3) 135-145. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000194
Kronick, R., Rousseau, C., & Cleveland, J. (2018). Refugee children’s sandplay narratives in immigration detention in Canada. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(4), 423–437. 10.1007/s00787-017-`012-0
Post, P., Phipps, C. B., Camp, A. C., & Grybush, A. L. (2019). Effectiveness of child-centered play therapy among marginalized children. International Journal of Play Therapy, 28(2) 88-97. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000096
Vasconcelos, A., & Souza, S. (2022). Play therapy and otherness: A group play therapy experience in the light of Levinas. Psicologia em Estudo, 27, Article 47800. 10.4025/psicolestud.v27i0.47800
Zeiger, R., & Wong, E. T. (2025). Dreams beyond borders: A cross-cultural Journey of the Soul. Jung Journal, 19(2), 140–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2025.2486925

Theory: Existential / Humanistic /Social Construction

Alegría, S, Carvalho, I., Sousa, D. et al. (2016). Process and outcome research in existential psychotherapy. Existential Analysis, 27 (1), 78-92.
Altavilla, D., Mazzaggio, G., Deriu, V., Garello, S., Vecchi, A., Adornetti, I., Chiera, A., Canali, S., & Ferretti, F. (2025). Metaphor as a cognitive and relational tool for self-narrating experience of addiction. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1658238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1658238
Breitbart, W., Pessin, H., Rosenfeld, B., Applebaum, A. J., Lichtenthal, W. G., Li, Y., Saracino, R. M., Marziliano, A. M., Masterson, M., Tobias, K., & Fenn, N. (2018). Individual meaning-centered psychotherapy for the treatment of psychological and existential distress: A randomized controlled trial in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer, 124(15), 3231–3239. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31539
Correia, E., Cooper, M., Berdondini, l., & Correia, K. (2016). Existential psychotherapies: Similarities and differences among the main branches. Journal of humanistic psychology. Doi: 10.1177/0022167816653223
Erling, I., Waltersson, C. A., Waern, M., Tillfors, M., Hed, S., Wiktorsson, S., & Berg, A. I. (2025).
Pathways to change in existential group treatment. BMC Geriatrics, 25(1), 504. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06157-4
Farber, B. A., Suzuki, J. Y., & Lynch, D. A. (2018). Positive regard and psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analytic review. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 411–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000171
Overland, P. (2021). Working with power in existential therapy. Existential Analysis: Journal of The Society for Existential Analysis. 32.2: 309-321
Podolan, M., & Gelo, O. C. G. (2023). The functions of safety in psychotherapy: An integrative theoretical perspective across therapeutic schools. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 20(3), 193–204. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20230304
Schneider, K. J. (2016). Existential-integrative therapy: Foundational implications for integrative practice. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 26(1), 49 -55. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039632
Tay, D. (2017). The nuances of metaphor theory for constructivist psychotherapy. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 30(2), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2016.1161571
Toporek, Michal, Figley, Charles R, Saltzman, Leia & Hansel, Tonya. (2025). The empathic response of relational therapists treating trauma: A dialectical experience. Traumatology, No Pagination Specified. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000550

Active Imagination

Graham, Virginia Bunnell (Bunnie). (2016). Dreaming the dream onward: Using active imagination in sandplay therapy. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 25(1)135-145. Retrieved from https://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=psyc15&NEWS=N&AN=2016-28723-009.
Humphris, M. (2019). Sandplay and art: Embodying the creative process. Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche, 13(3) 143-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2019.1636362
Loscalzo, Y. (2025). Active imagination: A thorough presentation of a method applicable across psychodynamic approaches. Culture & Psychology, 31(4) 1350-1373. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X251357961
Loscalzo, Y. (2024). Sandplay therapy and active imagination: What are the similarities and differences? Behavioral Sciences, 14(7), 553. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14070553
Rucińska, Z., & Fondelli, T. (2022). Enacting metaphors in systemic collaborative therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 867235. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867235
Yockey, Shannon K. (2023). Tending the garden of the soul: Entering the mundus imaginalis through dreams, nature, and sandplay. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 32(2)19-34. Retrieved from https://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=psyc24&NEWS=N&AN=2024-37946-002.

Therapist Self-Care/ Mindfulness/Supervision

Alldredge, C. T., Burlingame, G. M., Yang, C., & Rosendahl, J. (2021). Alliance in group therapy: A meta-analysis. Group dynamics: Theory, research, and practice, 25(1), 13–28. http://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000135
Benda, Eva & Zvelc, Masa. (2025). Psychotherapists’ mindful awareness and self-regulation in the prevention of empathic distress. Mindfulness, No Pagination Specified. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02703-8
Brown, Emily C, Garcia, Mia & Campbell, Sarah E. (2025). Experiences of play therapists supporting children with suicidal ideation. International Journal of Play Therapy, 34(2) 63-74. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000235
Jian-Bin, L., Kai, D., & Liang, Y. (2021). The relationship between meaning in life and subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(1), 467–489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00230-y
Maass, U., Hofmann, L., Perlinger, J., & Wagner, B. (2022). Effects of bereavement groups–a systematic review and meta-analysis. Death Studies, 46(3), 708–718. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2020.1772410
Rodríguez Delgado, M., Agarwal, S., Backer, A., & Colburn, V. F. (2023). Group supervision using sandtray. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 14(4).
Smith, Elyssa B & Altenberg, Nicole. (2025). The experience of countertransference in play therapy: A postintentional phenomenological study. International Journal of Play Therapy, 34(3) 132-144. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000239
Trelles-Fishman, A. (2019). Towards emotional containment for staff and patients: Developing a work discussion group for play specialists in a pediatric ward. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 45(1), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/0075417X.2018.1550663
Van Hoy, Angelika & Rzeszutek, Marcin. (2022). Burnout and psychological wellbeing among psychotherapists: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.928191
Whitehouse. (2025). Play therapist self-care and wellbeing: A correlational-predictive study. Dissertation Abstracts International., 86(4-B), No Pagination Specified.

 

 

Attendance and CE Credits:

As an approved Continuing Education Sponsor of APA, The Sand Therapy Training Institute awards CE credit in accordance with the APA’s Standards and Criteria. Credit is awarded only for actual instructional time, and variable credit for partial attendance may not be granted. Full attendance in all sessions of this offering is required for CE credit.

Play Therapy Connection: 

This course integrates play therapy principles and play therapy competencies, appropriate for play therapists and expressive arts therapists.