Description
709: Let’s Talk Theraplay®: An Evidenced-based Program for Enhancing Attachment, Self-esteem, Trusting Others, and Joyful Engagement
Angela Mains, M.A.
Lifeline Children’s Services
100 Missionary Ridge
Birmingham, AL 35242
Summary
Theraplay® is a treatment for enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. It is based on the natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child and is personal, physical, and fun! Children, their caregivers, and the family as a whole impacted by a wide variety of presenting problems have been successfully treated using the Theraplay model—attachment insecurity, complex trauma, loss and separation, developmental delays, children on the autism spectrum, withdrawn, depressed, fearful, shy, acting out, angry, non-compliant, impulsive, hyperactive (ADHD), withdrawn, depressed, fearful, anxious/shy, and more…. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has rated Theraplay “effective” (highest rating) on the National Registry for Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (2017). This presentation seeks to provide clinicians with an introduction to, and overview of, the model. It can equip mental health professionals to know if they would like to explore further training for themselves or where to refer clients who are struggling with issues that Theraplay can effectively treat. (http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ProgramProfile.aspx?id=156#hide3 Jernberg, A.M., & Booth, P.B. (1999). Theraplay: Helping parents and children build better relationships through attachment-based play. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Jernberg, A. (1984). Theraplay: Child therapy for attachment fostering. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 21(1), 39-47. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087526 Norris, V., & Lender, D. (2021). Theraplay: The Practitioner’s Guide, Jessica Kingsley Publishers)
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
• Study foundational principles of attachment and healthy parenting
• Identify the four dimensions of Theraplay treatment used to assess the parent/child relationship and plan the course of treatment
• Experience videos and explore playful interventions for licensed mental health professionals to help build, repair, and regulate the parent/child experience and be applied in a variety of settings, including homes, schools, camps, and more
