News from the Playground!

Our next regional workshop is on Friday, September 17, 2010 in Rogersville, Alabama.  Rogersville is near Huntsville. But more specifically between Athens and Florence. If you follow the link there is a link for directions that can tell you exactly how far it is from your home.

Penny Baker, LPC will present this workshop entitled  “Play Therapy Techniques for Enhancing Emotional & Social Skills of Children” at Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge, 4401 McLean Drive, Rogersville,AL 35652

Individuals with ADHD, High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder,Asperger’s Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disorder and other Social-Skill Problems can lack the innate ability to think through and succeed in everyday social situations. They often miss subtle visual cues and invade the personal space of others. For some these little social snags quickly add up and they have difficulty “fitting in.” These problems continue into adult life if not addressed. Social skills are arguably the most important set of abilities a person can have. Human beings are social animals and a lack of good social skills can lead to a lonely life, contributing to anxiety and depression. Great social skills help you meet interesting people, get that job you want, progress further in your career and relationships. This workshop will provide an overview of play therapy techniques that can be utilized to improve the social skills of children and adolescents. We will discuss social skills techniques and how to incorporate those into various treatment settings. Practical play therapy techniques to promote social skills at school, in the home,and in a treatment setting will be highlighted. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

We also want to remind you to SAVE THE DATE for our January workshop. Engaging Adolescents: Inspired Techniques for Teens and Tweenswith Brijin Gardner set for January 28, 2011.

Follow us on FACEBOOK as well at Alabama Association for Play Therapy.

Stay cool!

AAPT

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On Friday, September 17, 2010 Penny Baker, LPC will present a workshop entitled  “Play Therapy Techniques for Enhancing Emotional & Social Skills of Children” at Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge, 4401 McLean Drive, Rogersville,AL 35652

Individuals with ADHD, High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder,Asperger’s Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disorder and other Social-Skill Problems can lack the innate ability to think through and succeed in everyday social situations. They often miss subtle visual cues and invade the personal space of others. For some these little social snags quickly add up and they have difficulty “fitting in.” These problems continue into adult life if not addressed. Social skills are arguably the most important set of abilities a person can have. Human beings are social animals and a lack of good social skills can lead to a lonely life, contributing to anxiety and depression. Great social skills help you meet interesting people, get that job you want, progress further in your career and relationships. This workshop will provide an overview of play therapy techniques that can be utilized to improve the social skills of children and adolescents. We will discuss social skills techniques and how to incorporate those into various treatment settings. Practical play therapy techniques to promote social skills at school, in the home,and in a treatment setting will be highlighted. For more information including a brochure you can download log onto our registration area of the website.

We also want to remind you to SAVE THE DATE for our January workshop. Engaging Adolescents: Inspired Techniques for Teens and Tweenswith Brijin Gardner set for January 28, 2011.

Follow us on FACEBOOK as well at Alabama Association for Play Therapy.

Stay cool!

AAPT

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The Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative (ACHMI) is sponsoring a conference on July 14th. LET’S GET REAL: Healthy Teens, Healthy Families and Responsible Fatherhood Regional Summit will be held on July 14, 2010 at Montgomery Riverwalk Renaissance Hotel & Conference Center. CEU’s are available for all workshops. There is also a special tract just for teens!

Participants will gain KNOWLEDGE and the latest “Best Practice” in the areas of:
•Relationship and marriage education
•Responsible fatherhood programs
•Health and wellness programs
•Military family programs
•Parenting programs
•Youth development programs, and faith-based and community organization development
•Special tract emphasizing issues facing Alabama teens!

Check out the conference information and pass it onto to other who might be interested.

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Teens and Tweens

Engaging Adolescents: Inspired Techniques for Teens and Tweens

We are pleased to announce our speaker for the January 2011 workshop will be Brijin Gardner and she will present a workshop full of techniques for reaching teens and tweens.  We had the privilege of attending Brijin’s workshop at the APT conference in Atlanta this year and we want to bring her to Alabama.

The workshop will be held on Friday January 28, 2011 in Birmingham.  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.  You will walk away with many new ideas and techniques for working with this age group.

Also remember to follow us on Facebook as well!

We are finalizing plans for a September workshop on helping children with Social Skills so watch for more information about that in the near future.  Please let us know if you’d like to see a regional workshop in your area.

AAPT

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REGIONAL WORKSHOP INFORMATION AND TOPIC LIST

Regional Workshops

Regional workshops are a great way to have play therapy or other topics brought to your area!  Most regional workshops would include one major speaker on most any topics in play therapy as well as a few other topics.  All are listed below.  They are typically half day workshops held on a Friday afternoon.  However, other times and days can be discussed.  Continuing education credits can be earned for play therapy, NBCC (LPC), LMFT, and Social Workers.

What are some of the benefits to having a regional workshop?

• It is an opportunity to promote play therapy
• Allows a larger audience to learn about the benefits of play therapy
• Networking with other professionals
• Learning about a specific play therapy topic
• Earning continuing education credits without excessive travel

Why plan regional workshops?

We feel that by planning local workshops like these, play therapy can be promoted in many more areas of the state. These workshops will also provide additional resources and training for those familiar with play therapy.  It also allows local groups to invite therapists unfamiliar with play therapy to a local workshop and educate a wider audience about this type of therapy. We want people to be aware of what play therapy is and its benefits because it is something we believe in. Having these workshops allows us to accomplish this goal and benefit our members and friends.

Possible topics for regional workshops*

ABCs of Play Therapy: Understanding the Basic Concepts and Uses of Play Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy

Creating a Family Legacy

Creative Discipline Strategies

Developing Optimism and Resilience in Families

Ethical Concerns With Blended Families In Traditional and Play Therapy

Ethics in the Practice of Counseling

Finding Sunshine After the Storms: Expressive and Play Therapy Techniques For Treating

     The Trauma of Sexual Abuse

Once Upon A Time: Using and Writing Therapeutic Stories for Trauma Recovery

Play Therapy with Blended and Foster Families

Techniques for Enhancing Emotional and Social Skills for Children and Adolescents

Using Play therapy with Children during Military Deployment

Working with Military Families

*If you are interested in a specific topic you do not see here contact Dwight to discuss.

How to arrange a regional workshop

Are you interested in hosting a regional workshop in your area? Then contact Dwight Wilson at d.wilson@alabamaplaytherapy.org or 256-762-7578.  

We are currently planning our January 2011 workshop so watch for upcoming information.

Remember to follow us on Facebook!

Enjoy your day!

AAPT

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Just a friendly reminder…

Online Pre Registration for the Spring Workshop Play Therapy For Anxiety Disorders with Paris Goodyear Brown will close at midnight Wednesday April 28th.  Up until then you make take advantage of the pre registration rate.  After that you must register at the door. Mail in registration must have been post marked by April 25th.

For more information, to download a brochure or to register go to www.alabamaplaytherapy.org.

We hope to see you there!

 Alabama Association for Play Therapy

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To find out sign up for our Spring Workshop with Paris Goodyear Brown.  According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental, emotional, and behavioral problems to occur during childhood and adolescence. About 13 of every 100 children and adolescents ages 9 to 17 experience some kind of anxiety disorder.”  Having effective tools and techniques in our therapist tool box is an essential element in effectively treating anxiety disorders in children, teens and adults.  This workshop is a great place to obtain some of those tools.

We are also looking into the possibility of partnering with the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home to bring Theraplay to Alabama and we’ll talk more about that at the workshop on April 30th.

To register or get more information log onto our website at www.alabamaplaytherapy.org.

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AAPT has Paris Goodyear Brown for our Spring Workshop and we hope you will register to attend. Her workshops are fun and practical with many ideas you will walk away with and be able to use on Monday! Please let other colleagues know about the workshop as well.  For more information and a brochure click here.

Please remember to add us on Facebook as well.

Enjoy the spring!

AAPT

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AAPT has been asked to pass along this information to you. Please also remember registration is open on the website for our April 30th workshop with Paris Goodyear-Brown. 

1. A non-profit agency located in Pell City seeks a counselor to work primarily with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. Position is for thirty hours per week. Please fax resume to (205) 338-1979 or email resume to sccac@coosahs.net.

2.  Magnolia Creek Treatment Center, a national treatment center for eating disorders outside of Birmingham, Alabama is seeking a part-time Primary Therapist. A licensed professional is preferred, but all 
candidates will be considered. A specialization in trauma counseling will be advantageous but not required. For more information go to www.magnolia-creek.com and view the “About Us” link for “Career 
Opportunities”. Magnolia Creek is an equal opportunity organization that offers competitive pay.

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Our Spring 2010 workshop is set for April 30, 2010 with Paris Goodyear Brown presenting Play Therapy for Anxiety Disorders.  There are increasing numbers of children dealing with anxiety disorders and they often prove very challenging in the therapy process.  This technique based workshop will provide the most current information and a multitude of activities to take with you to use with children and adolscents dealing with anxiety disorders. 

You can sign up on the website and download the brochure and find other information by logging onto www.alabamaplaytherapy.org.

Remember become a “fan” on Facebook by looking up Alabama Play Therapy Associations Fan Page.  Check out the photos from our Winter workshop with Daniel Yeager as well.

Enjoy the arrival of Spring!

AAPT

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