Description:
Creative interventions such as play therapy, drama, art, movement, and music in therapy provide more opportunities for the expression of emotions and thoughts than traditional talk therapy. This is especially true for working with trauma survivors, as creative interventions to include play therapy are better able to access parts of the brain that are most affected by trauma. Drama therapy activities such as storytelling, role play, and puppetry are beneficial in trauma treatment for this reason. This workshop will explore the effects of trauma, why drama techniques in play therapy are appropriate for trauma survivors, and drama therapy activities that therapists can apply in their work.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this workshop, participants will be able to…
- Define trauma and how it affects various domains of functioning (e.g., emotional, social, and cognitive)
- Describe how trauma affects the brain (e.g., the neurosequential model)
- Describe the principles of trauma-informed play therapy
- Explain the history and theory of drama in play therapy
- Explain why drama therapy, play therapy, and other expressive modalities are beneficial in trauma-informed therapy
- Demonstrate drama therapy activities that therapists can use in play therapy with trauma survivors
Presenters: Krista Verrastro, MA, RDT and Sonia Hinds, APRN, PMH-BC, RPT
Krista Verrastro, MA, RDT is a Registered Drama Therapist with over 10 years of experience as a psychotherapist. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from New York University. She is currently in private practice in the Baltimore, MD area. She has worked in a variety of settings, such as outpatient mental health clinics, schools, and nursing homes. She specializes in helping people who feel used, abused, neglected, and rejected transform from surviving to thriving. She presents nationally and internationally about drama therapy and mental health issues.
Sonia Hinds, APRN, PMH-BC, RPT-S; Founder and Director of Chesapeake Beach Professional Seminars. Founder and Director of Barstow Acres Children’s Center, a non-profit organization that provides children’s mental health services. Trained in Gestalt play therapy with Violet Oaklander (retired). Authored chapter, Play Therapy with African-American Children in text, Cultural Issues in Play Therapy by Eliana Gil, Ph.D., RPT-S and Athena Drewes, PsyD, RPT-S.
Continuing Education:
Continuing Education Hours / Clock Hours for: Counselors / Social Workers / School Psychologists / Marriage & Family Therapists / Psychologists / Art Therapists / School Counselors / Play Therapists: 6
NBCC Clock Hours: 6/0.6 CEUs.