Mending Wounded Hearts

Treating childhood trauma with Attachment Centered Play Therapy & EMDR

Description

Working with children and families who have been exposed to trauma can be a daunting prospect for mental health clinicians. Trauma is manifested and experienced differently for each child, parent, and family system. So much of what the child experiences is “unspeakable” and learning to use the natural language of childhood to explore, process, and make meaning for the child is critical. Helping the family to repair, rebuild, and create security is a crucial element to trauma work and the attachment component is often neglected or misunderstood.

In this exciting workshop for mental health professionals and graduate students, participants will learn:

• How trauma impacts brain development, relationships, and behavior.
• What complex trauma entails and how to assess for the warning signs
• How play therapy can help clients heal from and move beyond their personal trauma - letting go of their victim status and integration of the pre/post trauma self
• Ways to create safety within the attachment system and help the family repair and move
  forward together

Objectives

• Utilize attachment centered play therapy to help trauma victims heal repair and rebuild
  attachment security
• Practice two new play therapy interventions to address trauma symptoms manifested by
  children and families exposed to trauma
• Develop understanding of how trauma impacts brain development, relationships and behavior