Mailing Address      P.O. Box 286  Rhinebeck, NY 12572

      Office Address         23H East Market St. Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Phone:  (845) 876-3400

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Please note e-mail is not confidential so do not e-mail private information (such as about patients).

New England Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Sheraton Hotel in Needham, MA. Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Play Therapy Strategies with Children Who Act Out with Aggression or Violence. Presented by Dr. David Crenshaw, this will explore key concepts rooted in an integrative theoretical model called Child Responsive Therapy (CRT) with roots in psychoanalytic and attachment theory, relational therapy and informed by neurobiological and developmental psychopathology research. The specific practical play therapy strategies presented will be grouped under the following main goal-directed headings: 1) creating a safe place; 2) modulating affect and anger expression; 3) teaching the language of feelings; 4) accessing the inner world of the child; 5) “tickling’ the self-observer; 6) addressing the invisible wounds including when indicated trauma work; 7) facilitating hope; 8) preparing for therapeutic termination. Sheraton Needham Hotel reservation information 781-444-1110. Registration and questions about the conference, dietary concerns, CEU questions call 877-509-7755 ext. 0. (APT Provider # 02-123)

Dr. David Crenshaw on Creative Play Therapy Strategies with Aggression in Children: “Fawns in Gorilla Suits." Starbright Training Institute, The Dr. Eliana Gil Center for Healing and Play, 8626 Lee Highway, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22031. Tel: (703) 205-0491. Website for details and registration: http://gilcenter.com/Training.aspx?#GuestSpeakers#GuestSpeakers

Honoring Symbols & Depth in Play Therapy by David Crenshaw, PhD., ABPP, RPT-S.  In psychoanalytic theory the purpose of a symbol is the masking of meaning. The choice of symbol for self-expression in play therapy may determined by a mix of conscious and unconscious factor but often precisely captures what is emotionally meaningful for the child. In this workshop, clinical examples of various forms of symbol expression through play, drawings, storytelling, and direct symbol work will be discussed in terms of therapeutic value from psychoanalytic and child-centered theoretical perspectives. Examples of both child-centered and therapist-directed symbol work will be explored.

To register by mail make checks payable, in U.S. dollars, to the New York Association for Play Therapy, Inc. Mail to: The New York Association for Play Therapy, P.O. Box 477, Rhinebeck, NY 12572.

For information: Please contact Chris Foreacre at (845) 758-9391or e-mail: chrisf@frontier.com.

Thursday, 4/21/11

Brief Description of Training: Children with difficult temperaments are 7 times more likely to have behavior problems than children with easy temperaments. But temperament is only one thread in the tapestry of complex factors woven together that determine the path that child development takes. Biological including neurobiological, genetic, psychological, family and sociocultural factors are all contributing influences. The more we appreciate the complexity of contributing factors the better we can adequately address the problem of aggression in children in play therapy. After highlighting some of the key points that will be contained in the didactic power point slides contained in the handouts, the presenter, who has devoted more than 30 years to the residential treatment of children and adolescents in child welfare, many of whom exhibit aggressive acting-out, and often carry the silent wounds of multiple trauma and devastating loss, will present in a power point presentation and through video clips some of his work with impulsive, aggressive children. Experiential exercises will be woven in to give participants a chance for hands-on experience and to work with the material in small group discussion. Children who are impulsive and reflexively aggressive will be contrasted with those children whose underlying emotional process is more complicated typically related to trauma. Cases presented of both children and adolescents will emphasize the key role of symbolization in play and in creative expression in mastering the rage and sorrow that drives the acting-out behavior of children with complex trauma.

To register and get further information, click here.

Brief Description of Training: This presentation will focus on creative and hopeful approaches in play therapy to address child trauma. The strategies will be anchored in developmental psychopathology research as well as recent findings in neuroscience. The delicate balance of honoring resilience and strengths within the child, adolescent, and family without minimizing suffering is essential to reverence in healing. Specific intervention techniques will be presented and illustrated that attendees will be able to use in trauma-informed play therapy. Since trauma in children is often unable to be expressed in words, a range of creative arts techniques developed by the presenter along with other leading play therapists in the field will be shared, including symbolic play interventions, therapeutic use of symbols, drawing and storytelling strategies. The compelling value of symbolic play in enabling children who suffer from preverbal trauma will be illustrated with two cases, one in which the trauma and neglect occurred in the first 3 months of life and a second case where a shattering trauma event occurred at 15 months of age. The critical role that symbolic play and other creative symbolic depiction plays in creating the trauma narrative will be highlighted. A resilience framework for treating severe child trauma will be delineated based on recent resilience research in the wake of Type II or Complex Traumas in children. The care of the play therapist will be emphasized in order to guard against secondary trauma and compassion fatigue. Methods of presentation will include powerpoint slides that will be totally different from the didactic slides contained in handouts and experiential exercises to allow small group processing for major take home points of the day.

To register and get further information, click here.

“Engaging the Disengaged: Strategies for Connecting to Adolescents Coerced into Therapy” -  9:00 to 1:00pm. Sponsored by NASW-NY Hudson Valley Division.  David Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP will discuss connecting and engaging the reluctant adolescent in therapy, especially when the adolescent is coerced into therapy by parents, court, or school. His presentation will be followed by a discussion with Anne Paden, NP-P about medications for adolescents: issues of compliance and concerns. For more information, call (800) 724-6279 ext.32 or email Marybeth at Lookupat@aol.com.   Located at Marist College Lowell Thomas Building Room# 125, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Narratives of “Magical Moments” of Healing and Transformation in PlayTherapy- 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Instructor: David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP, RPT-S. The healing properties of play and the child’s innate drive for healing can result in rare, but dramatic “magical” breakthroughs.  These moments in the healing process are worthy of examination. The presenter will use a narrative approach to illustrate both challenges and “magical” moments in play therapy.  In play therapy the therapist and child effect each other in complex ways, coming together for brief periods or “now moments” that are more intense interactions (which permanently change the relationship between child and therapist).  Through the play-therapist-child relationship, the presenter will illustrate the healing properties of play as a theoretical rationale for transformative experiences.  The presenter will share examples covering a wide range of clinical challenges and breakthroughs in play therapy, including Selective Mutism; cases involving trauma including preverbal trauma, separation anxiety, loss and grief.   Play Therapy Institute of New Jersey. Contact: mailto:ptti@mac.com  Telephone: (609) - 448-2145.

The Challenge of Shame-Based Dynamics in Play Therapy- 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Instructor: David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP, RPT-S.  This workshop will address the difficult dilemmas posed by the emergence of shame in play therapy and its ability to shut down the therapeutic process.  This is one of the most delicate and difficult issues to confront in therapy with young children, as well as with adolescents because revealing shame in therapy is experienced by kids as exceedingly painful and intricately related to the stigmatizing effects of trauma, and its related dynamics of secrecy and silencing.  The presenter will guide attendees to work through play therapy and help children with this difficult experience. Play Therapy Institute of New Jersey. Contact: mailto:ptti@mac.com  Telephone: (609) - 448-2145. 

Honoring Symbols and Depth in Play Therapy: Contemporary Psychodynamic and Jungian Approaches; 9:30am – 12:30pm. Invited Presentation at the 27^th International Play Therapy Conference in Louisville, KY. David Crenshaw & Eric Green. In psychoanalytic theory the purpose of a symbol is the masking of meaning. The choice of symbol for self-expression in play therapy may be determined by a mix of conscious and unconscious factor. In this workshop, clinical examples of various forms of symbol expression through play, drawings, storytelling, sand play and direct symbol work will be discussed in terms of therapeutic value from Psychoanalytic and Jungian theoretical perspectives. Contact Conference Coordinator Kathy Lebby, (559) 294-2128 x5 or go to their web site http://www.a4pt.org/ps.training.cfm?ID=1140 for further information. 

0                                                                    “Sexual Abuse: Healing Strategies of Child Responsive Therapy” (CRT) St. Mary’s College in South Bend, IN    sponsored by Family and Children’s Center of South        Bend, IN

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Strategies for Working with            Children and Teens Who Act-Out Aggressively”         sponsored by the Virginia Association for Play Therapy      (6^th Annual  Winter Workshop) Virginia Beach, VA        http://vapt.cisat.jmu.edu/

“Creative and Practical Techniques in Child and      Adolescent  Psychotherapy,” Bard College Psychology Colloquium; Preston Theatre in Preston Hall; Thursday,     Feb. 19^th; 4:30-5:30pm

“Being Creative when Children Clam Up” 2009 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium "Seizing the Day - Therapy and the Art of Engagement"; Psychotherapy's Premier Conference! Earn a maximum of 29 CE hours    March 26th -29th, 2009 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC  For more information, just click www.psychotherapynetworker.org

"Hopeful and Creative Strategies in Play Therapy to Heal  Trauma in Children: Honoring Resilience without Trivializing Suffering” to be presented at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

“Key Clinical Issues in Grief Therapy” Sponsored by the Mental Health Guild of the Hudson Valley, Maverick Center for Psychotherapy, Woodstock, NY from 3:30 pm to 6:00pm.

“Counseling Adolescents”—Johns Hopkins School of Education Summer Week-long workshops   Contact the Department of Counseling and Human Services at 410-516-7928 or 301-294-7037 or http://onestop.jhu.edu/education/online-forms/

03/11/08                     “Fawns in Gorilla Suits” Presentation in Rochester, MN for School Psychologists, Social Workers and Teachers

“Fawns in Gorilla S“Fawns in Gorilla Suits” Presentation to the Staff at           Keystone Residential Treatment Centers in Newport News,  VA  sponsored by Kid’s Link

07/21/08                     “Play Therapy Strategies with Disruptive Behavioral  Disorders”  sponsored by the Play Therapy Institute of        New Jersey, Hightstown, NJ

07/22/08                     “Play Therapy Strategies to Engage Children and    Adolescents”  sponsored by the Play Therapy Institute of      New Jersey, Hightstown, NJ

10/16/2008   “The P"The Poetry of Play, ‘Ghosts in the Play Room’, and the      “Dance of Countertransference” Presentation with           Sueann Noziska, CSW, RPT-S at the International Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference in Dallas, TX

10/18/2008                “The Sounds of Silence in the Play Room” Presentation         with John Seymour, Ph.D., RPT-S at the International Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference in Dallas,       TX

“Three Levels of Aggression in Children and Titrated  Interventions”—Zubrow Auditorium, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia—contact Donna Wolf-Palacio at        wolfpald@pahosp.com 

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits—Practical Play Therapy Strategies with Aggressive Children”—Kentucky Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Louisville, KY. All day presentation, for Information, please contact Suzette Turner- Clark: sturner@ivytech.edu

“Evocative Strategies in Play Therapy”-- Kentucky Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Louisville, KY.  All day presentation, for Information, please contact Suzette Turner- Clark: sturner@ivytech.edu

Please plan to attend the Eighth Annual Conference of the New York Association for Play Therapy Conference, at the Marriott  Hotel in Albany, NY featuring for two days, Helen Benedict, Ph.D., Baylor University, speaking on Play Therapy with Attachment Disorders. For information and brochure, please contact Chris Foreacre: chrisf@webjogger.net

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Practical Play Therapy Strategies with Aggressive Children” Play Therapy Institute of New Jersey  Summer Institute all day presentation. Contact Dr. Heidi Kaduson for information: ptti@mac.com

Wednesday, 07/11/07  

The Use of Drawings and Storytelling Strategies in Play Therapy” —Play Therapy Institute of New Jersey Summer Institute—all day presentation. Contact Dr. Heidi     Kaduson for information: ptti@mac.com

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Practical Play Therapy Strategies with Aggressive Children”—University of North Texas Summer Play Therapy Institute, all day presentation, Denton, Texas. Contact Dr. Sue Bratton: bratton@unt.edu

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Practical Play Therapy Strategies with Aggressive Children”—Iowa Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Iowa City, Iowa—all day presentation. For more information, please contact: Susan Schmitz, MSW:  susan_schmitz@yahoo.com

“Fawns in Gorilla Suits: Practical Play Therapy Strategies with Aggressive Children”—University of Minnesota at Mankato, MN—all day presentation.  For information, please contact: Ginger Zierdt or Jill Ryan: ginger.zierdt@mnsu.edu or jill.ryan@mnsu.edu