Annie Monaco and Ann Beckley-Forest are internationally acclaimed authors, trainers and therapists. They have collaborated over many years, founding Playful EMDR, an online hub for training and consultation, and co-editing their celebrated book, EMDR with Children in the Play Therapy Room: An integrative Approach (2020). Together they share a passion for healing the trauma of children, teens, and adults who experienced childhood trauma, and providing EMDR in playful and creative ways. They are both Registered Play therapists, EMDRIA approved trainers and faculty members of the Child Trauma Institute.

• Ann Beckley-Forest is renown for her integration of play therapy and EMDR. She is a clinical social worker, Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor, and approved provider of continuing education through the Association of Play Therapy. She practices in Buffalo, New York.
• Annie Monaco brings more than 25 years experience working with children, resistant and high-risk teens, and adults. She has a special interest in complex trauma and dissociation, and working with families, foster care, juvenile justice and out-of-country adoptions. She is also a faculty member of the Buffalo School of Social Work.

What will the workshop cover?

This in-depth workshop draws on the presenters rich experience, demonstrating practical integration of attachment theory, polyvagal theory, dissociation theories, play therapy approaches and family systems therapy. It will expand your skills and understanding in working with complex trauma, attachment wounds and dissociation … and you will have fun while you’re learning! The workshop will assist you to integrate EMDR and play therapy techniques in creative and effective ways, even with your complex clients. Many of the strategies are suitable for adults who experienced childhood trauma.

Day 1: Play Therapy with Trauma-Exposed Children: Exploring the intersection of treatment models

• Understand the role of trauma-informed prescriptive play therapy in supporting emotional safety, and improving regulation and ‘digestion’ of the sensory, somatic and thematic elements of trauma
• Explore the integration of play therapy with Francine Shapiro’s Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, using play to enter the memory networks and promote healing
• Identify 5 themes that may indicate post-traumatic play vs developmentally expected play
• Learn 10 prescriptive play therapy activities to manage dissociation and hyperarousal in and out of sessions

Days 2 & 3: Creative and Playful EMDR: Treating Complex Trauma, Healing Attachment Wounds and Managing Dissociation

The workshops combine videos, lectures, small group practice, and experiential activities using play therapy, sand tray, clay and art.

Learn advanced strategies with dissociation:

• Distinguishing self-states and identifying different types of emotional parts/roles
• Art-based approaches to allow dissociative parts of self to emerge, and promoting internal co-operation
• A play-therapy based conference table intervention with the use of expressive materials and “Clay Little Me”
• Strategies to work with aggressive, suicidal and perpetrator parts
• Learn a screening interview of children, teens and caregivers, to evaluate dissociation
• Parents’ tip sheet to help them work with their child’s internal system

Working with avoidant and hard to engage children and teens:

• Engage young people who are resistant to trauma work, hard to engage or avoidant
• Learn a story telling approach to support trauma processing and position caregivers and parents as resources
• Integrate dyadic attachment repair with caregivers using the EMDR protocol for childen and teenagers
• Learn playful resourcing and preparation strategies, as well as flexible and adaptive use of EMDR

Includes a 30-page training booklet

The training resources include include a child-focussed formulation worksheet, screening tools, modified EMDR protocols, grounding and soothing strategies suitable for children, young people, and adults with attachment wounds.

Cost for 3 days

• Register before 30 June for our End of Financial Year special and receive an additional 10% discount on the Early Bird fee.
  Use code EOFY10 at checkout
• Early bird $890+ GST (until 14 August)
• Normal fee $1100 +GST

Registrations close Friday 8th November.

Places are limited. Lunch and morning tea provided.

The workshop runs from 9am to 5pm daily.

Who may attend?

• To attend the full 3 Days, participants must have completed Level 1 EMDR training
• Day 1 does not require EMDR training. It is suitable for play and other therapists curious about the role of EMDR in helping children process and heal from trauma. Register here for Day 1 only
• Meets requirements for CPD for Focussed Psychological Strategies

Special offer

This workshop series is brought to you in partnership with Sarah Schubert. Annie and Anne are presenting a different workshop in Perth. Participants who attend BOTH workshops go into the draw for a signed copy of their book EMDR with Children the Play Therapy Room: An integrative approach (2020) and a set of Theratappers. Registration information for Perth here