Description:

With the healing power of therapeutic metaphors and the neuro-importance of play at its center, Story-Play®, a new Ericksonian, resiliency-based “indirective” model of play therapy provides participants with hands-on, creative tools for working with children and adolescents who experience phobias, medical issues, abuse, and trauma in a variety of settings to include private practice, hospitals, and the classroom. Case examples and experiential exercises will highlight how StoryPlay® can be effectively utilized with specialized populations or situations. Part I will focus upon the foundations of StoryPlay® Roots, Nine Essential Elements, Therapeutic Metamorphosis – four passages to transformation, and Steps for Creating and Utilizing Storytelling Metaphors both real and made-up. Multi-cultural aspects, Nature as co-storyteller, and relaxation exercises will be integrated. The second part will show how to recognize, retrieve and utilize “blocked sensory resources” to achieve Sensory Synchronicity. Addition-ally, The Artistic Metaphor, StoryCrafts™, Creating and implementing Living Metaphors and Therapeutic Rituals will be explored through case examples and experiential exercises.

Educational Objectives:

1. Define three essential elements of StoryPlay® Therapy.
2. List the four stages of the Therapeutic Metamorphosis model of healing and transformational change.
3. Create and utilize Therapeutic Metaphors for children and adolescents dealing with phobias, medical issues, abuse, and trauma.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*