Course Description:

Children who don’t or won’t verbalize can communicate in many meaningful ways beyond spoken words. Helping professionals can benefit greatly from understanding and responding to alternative communication modes such as gestures, facial expressions, body language, play and behavior cues. Rather than focusing solely on eliciting verbal speech, learn how play therapy can support connection, build rapport, reduce anxiety, and foster genuine social interaction. This presentation explores play therapy strategies for recognizing diverse communication attempts, engaging children respectfully, and tailoring environments and interventions to enable participation and relationship building for all children, regardless of verbal output.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Explain multiple modes of communication beyond spoken language and how to interpret them accurately in play therapy.
2. Apply play therapy strategies for engaging non-speaking and minimally speaking children in ways that build trust and encourage healing, growth and change without pressure to verbalize. 
3. Develop ways of communicating that incorporate child preferences, low-pressure environments, and consistent routines to reduce anxiety related to communication and social interaction

Continuing Education Credits

Integrative Counseling Services, PLLC is approved by The Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. Our provider number is 06-168. This course provides 3 non-contact APT credits. 

Integrative Mental Health Counseling Services, PLLC is recognized  by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental  Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for  licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0085. This course provides 3 CE credits. 

Integrative  Mental Health Counseling Services, PLLC is recognized by the New York  State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved  provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0308. This course provides 3 CE credits.