Annual Ohio Association for Play Therapy Conference 

OAPT invites you to join in our spring conference featuring:

Jamie Lynn Langley, LCSW, RPT-S

Jamie Lynn Langley, LCSW, RPT-S is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist -Supervisor, specializing in working with children and families. She has been in private practice in Smyrna, TN since late 2016, having first worked in community mental health for over twenty-seven years. Jamie is on faculty at Middle TN State University and is president of the TN Assoc. for Play Therapy. Jamie has a passion for creativity and nature and integrates these in her clinical work, as well as in supervision, writing, training and for self-care.

Overview of Workshops:

April 28, 2022: Let's Get Creative! Engaging the Restorative Powers of Imagination and Creativity in Play Therapy

Creativity is an engaging process in which all ages can participate and reap emotional and cognitive benefits. However, we often find children and teens are actually being less creative. This may be attributed to more structured activities, increased time and fascination with virtual games, and/or growing educational expectations. This lack of creativity is of concern in that it is vital to brain health as it serves as “brain food” for cognitive and adaptive functioning.

This six-hour interactive workshop will promote varied opportunities for play therapists to explore and experience the restorative powers of creativity and imagination within play therapy, utilizing varied expressive arts and materials. From puppet play, projective play, messy play, constructive play, free play and more; creativity and imagination can be integrated within diverse theories and structures of play therapy, often as a prescriptive approach. Depending upon client needs and the theoretical orientation of the play therapist, these can include Child-Centered Play Therapy as well as those along the continuum of more directive modalities.

Various art materials will be utilized during the training including non-conventional household items that may be more accessible for those participating in telemental health play therapy, as well as more budget friendly and creative options for play therapists.

*Offering 3.0 APT CEs for Special Topics and 3.0 APT CEs for Skills and Methods

April 29, 2022: Let's Go Outside! Embracing Nature Play Therapy for a Double-Dose of Healing

Play therapy modalities and approaches generally involve an indoor play area with specifically selected toys, by which a play therapist holds the healing space for clients to do their therapeutic work via play. Nature Play Therapy is a modality in which the play therapist can literally go outside with the child, teen or family in nature's play space utilizing varied "toys" discovered in nature such as sticks, stones, leaves, mud and more. With these, imaginative play can blossom where a stick can be a sword, a broom, a magic wand, or any number of things that the child might choose. Messy play, risky play, and other types of stimulating play often thrive in an outdoor environment. Nature’s toys can also be brought inside the playroom as well as utilized virtually.

This six-hour presentation will provide an overview of Nature Play Therapy as a burgeoning model with extensive roots that can be integrated with various modalities of play therapy including Child-Centered Play Therapy, Gestalt Play Therapy and more. Various forms of Nature Play will be explored that can be incorporated in play therapy as well as prescribed by play therapists in-between sessions for continued growth and resilience. Grounded in the therapeutic powers of play, including positive emotions, self-esteem and self-regulation, combined with nature’s well-researched curative benefits, Nature Play Therapy offers a double-dose of healing.

Participants are encouraged to gather some nature items (picked-up rather than picked) such as sticks, stones, leaves, acorns, feathers, and shells and bring to use for experiential activities.

*Offering 3.0 APT CEs for Special Topics and 3.0 APT CEs for Skills and Methods

Click HERE to view conference brochure for additional information and schedule

Register Now!