\'Play Therapy Tool Box for the Counsellor\'

Sat 13 Jun
Presenter: Ciara Walsh
The Newpark Hotel Kilkenny
13-06-2015   Registration 9:30am. Start 10:00am to 5:00pm
7 CPD hours
Workshop is limited to 20 places including 5 student places.

The Southeast Regional Committee

Present a workshop entitled:

\'Play Therapy Tool Box for the Counsellor\'


Presenter Bio:
 Ciara holds a Masters in Social Work (MSW), an Honours Bachelor of Social Science and is an Accredited Play Therapist. She works creatively and therapeutically with children, adolescents and their families in the public and private sector. She has extensive experience in the area of grief and loss, working nationally and internationally with families in the area of oncology, disability and long term illness. She has a keen interest in working with children/young people who have experienced parental separation and associated difficulties or building attachments with estranged parents and their children.

Workshop Outline

This One Day experiential and theoretical workshop is designed to give Counsellors working with children or adolescents some creative techniques and tools to help them to engage and build a relationship with the therapist. We will begin by looking at your own inner child, as to work creatively with children and adolescents you need to tap into that part of you for it to be real and honest for your client.
Ciara will bring you into the world of the child using theory and experiential exercises so if you do not want to ‘get on the floor and get your hands dirty’ this workshop is not for you!!!
We will then look at how to communicate, engage and build a relationship with the young person. There will be discussion about assessment, observation and child developmental stages. Practical tools will be explained and demonstrated.
We will look at how to engage children/adolescents creatively in discussing topics such as anxiety/stress, loss, endings with a child and also when to refer to a play therapist and how to choose the right therapist.

Outline of the Programme:

10:00 Introduction
10:20 Play Therapy Theory and Other relevant Theory, Introducing some practical tools
10:45 Getting in Touch With your Inner Child- Discussion and Experiential exercises
11:30 Break
11:45 Communicating With Child and Practical Tools to Assist this
12:00 Engagement of Child-Demonstration on some techniques and the experiential exercises
12:30 Building Relationships with Child- Demonstration of some tools
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Relaxation and re-group exercise
14:15 Techniques/Tools to help Child express feelings
14:45 Topics of Interest – for example: bullying, loss, anxiety, family breakup
15:15 Feedback to wider group on this experience
15:20 Break
15:30 Endings with a Child –some tools discussed
15:45 Sharing of resources/literature that may be useful
16:15 When to refer to Play Therapy and How to Choose the right therapist
16:30 Evaluation
16:40 Questions and Answers
17:00 Finish

Training Level: All Levels


Pre- ordered Lunch available but not included in price.

Nice grounds to explore. Free parking. 


CPD certificates will be emailed to participants after attendance at the Workshop.