Parts I - III Learning Objectives & Agendas

Part I

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  1. Explain the concepts of Gestalt Therapy and how they apply to the process of working with children and adolescents using the Oaklander Model of Gestalt Play Therapy with children.

  2. Use multiple media to enable children to develop a strong sense of self, a basic tenant of the Oaklander Model – using Play Therapy with children.

  3. Describe the concept of the I/Thou relationship and why it’s such an important part of the play therapy process – using the Oaklander Model.

  4. Apply the developmental concepts related to children and how play therapy using the Oaklander Model process addresses these issues.

  5. List Peter Mortola’s 4 part process to apply to most exercises of play therapy using the Oaklander Model.

  6. Learn and experience how the contact functions apply to children gaining an improved sense of self.

  7. Demonstrate Oaklander play therapy techniques and experiences to strengthen children’s contact functions.

  8. Describe the parts of the Oaklander Model therapeutic process and the application of play therapy.

Agendas

Day 1 Agenda:
8:00am - 8:30am – Welcome and introductions
8:30am - 9:40am – Introduction to the Oaklander Model
9:40am - 10:00am – Break
10:00am - 10:40am – Developmental factors
10:40 am - 11:15 - Introduction to the therapeutic process
11:15am - 11:35am – Break
11:35am - 12:35pm – Drawing experience
12:35pm - 1:00pm – Closure - Q&A

Day 2 Agenda:
8:00am - 8:30am – Check in and Introductory Experience
8:30am - 9:30am – Therapeutic Process (continued) and experience
9:30am - 9:50am – Break
9:50am - 10:15 - Therapeutic process continued
10:15am - 11:15am – Working with Clay
11:15am - 11:35am – Break
11:35am - 12:00 - Demonstration with clay - first session
12:10 - 12:30 – Experience
12:30pm - 1:00 pm – Closure and Questions

Part II

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  1. Demonstrate how to address emotions in the therapeutic process with play therapy, in particular the use of anger and aggressive energy.

  2. Understand why anger is such a difficult emotion to manage and how to address this difficulty in treatment.

  3. Experience how to use different media in play therapy, including drawing and clay for use as projective tools to allow children to gain awareness and experience of their deeper emotions.

  4. Learn through theory and experience using play therapy techniques how the Oaklander model treats children who have dealt with grief and loss.

  5. Describe and identify the difference between children and adult’s process of grief.

  6. Discuss and identify children’s response to death and loss based upon their developmental phase.

  7. Experience and be able to use play therapy techniques to enable children and adolescents to address their grief.

  8. Identify and develop techniques to address the types of reactions parents have when their children are struggling. 

Agendas

Day 1 Agenda:
8:00am - 8:35am – Welcome to Part II - Introduction
8:35am - 9:30am – Theory Working with Anger and Aggressive Energy and discussion
9:30am - 9:50am – Break
9:50am - 11:00am – Drawing experience, Demo and practice
11:00am - 11:20am – Break
11:20am - 11:50am – Cognitive work
11:50am - 12:35pm – Clay Work
12:35pm - 1:00pm – Closure

Day 2 Agenda: 
8:00am - 8:30am – Check in and Introductory Experience
8:30am - 9:10am – Grief interview
9:10am - 9:30am – Break
9:30am - 10:15am – Grief and Loss theory
10:15am - 11:30am – Collage work and Demo
11:30am - 11:50am – Break
11:50am – 12:10pm – Drawing experience
12:10pm - 12:30pm – Cultural considerations
12:30pm - 1:00pm – Questions and closure

Part III

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  1. Apply the principles of the Oaklander Model using play therapy to the sand tray.

  2. List and experience the steps of forming a prompt, selecting the items and making the tray.

  3. Master the process of being a therapist, client and observer with play therapy.

  4. Identify the types of toys that are helpful for a sand tray collection.

  5. Describe theory and provide examples regarding the Oaklander Model’s concept of termination.

  6. Define what and when the self-nurturing process is used in the Oaklander Model.

  7. Explain how the Self-nurturing process works with clients using the Oaklander Model and Play Therapy.

Agendas

Day 1 Agenda:
8:00am - 8:30am – Welcome back and check in
8:30am - 9:30am – Sand tray theory
9:30am - 9:50am – Break
9:50am - 10:20am – Demonstration
10:20am - 11:00am – Group 1 Practicum
11:00am - 11:35am – Group 2 STP
11:35am - 12:00pm – Break
12:00pm - 12:30pm – Group 3
12:30pm - 1:00pm – Closure and Questions 

Day 2 Agenda:
8:00am - 8:30am – Check in
8:30am - 9:15am – Working with Puppets - Theory and Demonstration
9:15am - 9:30am – Termination handout
9:30am - 9:50am – Break
9:50am - 10:30am – Self-nurturing theory
10:30am - 11:30am – Demo and breakout rooms
11:30am - 11:50am – Break
11:50am - 12:30pm – Experience
12:30pm - 1:00pm – Closure for the weekend