New England Association for Play Therapy upcoming events

Dyadic Play Therapy: Partnering with Parents in the Playroom (29 May 2026)

Fri, 29 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Dyadic Play Therapy: Partnering with Parents in the Playroom

This training explores the use of dyadic play therapy to strengthen the parent–child relationship through both foundational “being with” experiences and trauma-informed play. Grounded in child-centered and relationship-based approaches, participants will learn how play therapy supports co-regulation, attachment, emotional expression, and relational repair when caregivers are actively included in sessions. Participants will examine how to move between caregiver consultation (collateral work) and dyadic play sessions to support treatment goals. Emphasis will be placed on the use of core play therapy skills (tracking, reflecting feelings, limit setting, following the child’s lead), therapist roles in facilitating parent participation, and strategies for in-the-moment coaching that maintain the integrity of the child’s play process.

Space is limited, so please register early.

Learning Objectives: After successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Describe at least three therapeutic powers of play and their role in dyadic play therapy with caregivers and children.
Explain how dyadic play therapy supports attachment, co-regulation, and relational safety between caregiver and child
Outline the structure of a dyadic play therapy session, including the integration of caregiver consultation and in-session parent participation
Identify two evidence-based dyadic approaches to play therapy

4 APT Contact CE | Intermediate| Play Therapy Seminal or Historically Significant Theories, Play Therapy Special Topics

Schedule

10:00AM - 12:00PM - Training

12:00PM - 01:00PM - Break

01:00PM - 03:00PM - Training

About our presenter: Dana Hillman-Sabato is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ with over 16 years’ experience in children’s behavioral health and specializes in trauma, attachment, and relationship-based interventions. Dana is endorsed by the Connecticut Association for Infant Mental Health (CT-AIMH) as an Infant Mental Health Mentor-Clinical and a certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist (PMH-C). Dana is trained in EMDR, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, TheraPlay, Circle of Security, Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), Child-Centered Play Therapy, and is a PeaceLove CREATOR, and Life is Good Playmaker. She is deeply passionate about dyadic work and the intentional inclusion of parents and caregivers in treatment, recognizing the caregiver–child relationship as the primary vehicle for healing and change. Grounded in attachment theory, Dana uses play therapy to build meaningful, attuned therapeutic relationships that support both children and their caregivers. Dana is the owner of Begin Within, a play therapy practice in Southbury, CT and serves as the Child First Senior Manager of Clinical Operations at Changent.

NEAPT Members $100; Guests $160

NEAPT is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to Play Therapy. APT Approved Provider 02-123. NEAPT maintains responsibility for the program.

Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be requested in writing and received no later than May 8, 2026. Cancellations are subject to a $15 processing fee. Substitutions (someone else attending) or transfer of registration to another training date may be requested. No refunds or partial refunds after May 8, 2026.

By registering for this training, you are giving NEAPT permission to add your email to our email list and you are giving permission for NEAPT to use any photographs or screenshots that are taken during the event containing your likeness for promotional purposes.

Integrative Play Therapy with Older Teens and Young Adults Suffering from Complex Trauma (26 Jun 2026)

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Integrative Play Therapy with Older Teens and Young Adults Suffering from Complex Trauma

Play therapy and the therapeutic powers of play are often thought of in the context of working with children. However, growing research demonstrates the applicability of play therapy with older teens and young adults who are suffering from the effects of complex trauma. Play therapy is useful in helping to revisit experiences from childhood and provides a pathway for self-repair resulting in self-acceptance. Play therapy is uniquely suited for this population due to providing therapeutic safety while stimulating a sense of curiosity and creativity in forming new narratives of previous experiences and the self. Integrative play therapy draws from other approaches to address the cognitive, self, emotional, and social needs of those recovering from complex trauma.

This training will demonstrate the use of play therapy with older teens and adults suffering from complex trauma. Integrative Play Therapy (IPT) is an effective approach in helping individuals suffering from complex trauma in the form of emotional regulation, self-acceptance, and self-repair.

Learning Objectives: After successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

The attendee will describe three ways Integrative Play Therapy is useful when working with complex trauma.
The attendee will identify play therapy techniques specifically used for complex trauma.
The attendee will apply Integrative Play Therapy techniques specifically for emotional regulation, self-acceptance, and self-repair by integrating the techniques into clinical practice.

3 APT Non-Contact CE | Intermediate | Play Therapy Skills and Methods

About our presenter: Dr. Kevin Hull owns and operates Hull and Associates, P.A. a private practice in Lakeland, Florida. After completing his undergraduate training in psychology at the University of South Florida, Kevin completed his Master’s degree and Ph.D.in Professional Counseling at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Kevin is a Registered Play Therapist™ and professor, and has written extensively about the use of play in clinical practice. Kevin is a husband and father of four, and loves to play in the Gulf of Mexico as an open water swimmer.

NEAPT Members $50; Guests $60

VIRTUAL: This will be a virtual meeting. NEAPT requests that video cameras be on and participants be visible throughout the presentation to facilitate engagement. Participants will be awarded APT Non-Contact CE upon successful completion of a post test.

Please note that this virtual training will not be recorded, and live attendance is required.

NEAPT is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to Play Therapy. APT Approved Provider 02-123. NEAPT maintains responsibility for the program.

Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be requested in writing and received no later than June 1, 2026. Cancellations are subject to a $15 processing fee. Substitutions (someone else attending) or transfer of registration to another training date may be requested. No refunds or partial refunds after June 1, 2026.

Dyadic Play Therapy: Partnering with Parents in the Playroom (14 Aug 2026)

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Dyadic Play Therapy: Partnering with Parents in the Playroom

Space is limited, so please register early.

Learning Objectives: After successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Describe at least three therapeutic powers of play and their role in dyadic play therapy with caregivers and children.
Explain how dyadic play therapy supports attachment, co-regulation, and relational safety between caregiver and child
Outline the structure of a dyadic play therapy session, including the integration of caregiver consultation and in-session parent participation

3 APT Non-Contact CE | Intermediate| Play Therapy Seminal or Historically Significant Theories, Play Therapy Special Topics

NEAPT Members $50; Guests $60

Please note that this virtual training will not be recorded, and live attendance is required.

Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be requested in writing and received no later than August 1, 2026. Cancellations are subject to a $15 processing fee. Substitutions (someone else attending) or transfer of registration to another training date may be requested. No refunds or partial refunds after August 1, 2026.