Workshop Focused on Play Therapy

ALAMOSA (March 15) – The Adams State Counselor Education Department hosted Dr. Garry L. Landreth on September 26 and 27. Landreth is internationally recognized for his writings and work in promoting the development of child-centered play therapy.

Landreth’s two-day workshop, “Healing the Hurting Child: The Necessary Dimensions of Child-Centered Play Therapy,” focused on the benefits of play therapy. According to Dr. Susan Varhely, Counselor Education chair, 80 participants attended the event. “Registration was waived for this two day workshop for students and counseling professions in order that folks could take advantage of the experience.”

The workshop focused on the perceptual world of the child, the dynamic elements of the relationship that facilitate the play therapy process, structuring the relationship in the playroom, “reading” themes in children’s play, the four healing messages needed by a child who is hurting, helping children develop self-control and self-responsibility, the ACT model of therapeutic limit setting, the language of facilitating change in children, guidelines for selecting appropriate toys and materials and a conceptual model of the process of change in play therapy.

Landreth is a Regents Professor in the Department of Counseling and founder of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. He is a frequent speaker at play therapy conferences around the world.