Full Spectrum Play Therapy: Sensory-Somatic Strategies for Engaging the Whole Child

Play, Nature, and Connection: An Outdoor Retreat for Child Play Therapists

A FULL DAY TO SLOW DOWN, TUNE IN, AND PLAY…Spend the day outside with a community of fellow child therapists, diving into playful, sensory-rich experiences designed to support regulation, reflection, and joy. We’ll lean into nature’s rhythm, remembering how healing it can be—for us and the kids we walk alongside.

RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE SENSES…Explore how sight, sound, touch, movement, and breath shape the way children experience connection and safety. Through hands-on group activities, small group discussions, and quiet moments to reflect, we’ll deepen our understanding of sensory processing, trauma, and whole-body play.

BLENDING APPROACHES THAT CENTER THE CHILD…This workshop weaves together elements of Theraplay, Child-Centered Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, and Polyvagal Theory—offering playful, embodied ways to support co-regulation, repair, and resilience. Come ready to move, get curious, and try things on in an environment where exploration is the goal.

CREATING AND GROWING TOGETHER…Facilitated by MereAnn Reid, LPC, RPT, and Jamie Watson, LMFT, RPT-S, this retreat invites you to use what’s already around you—sticks, stones, fabric, laughter, presence—to create playful, meaningful interventions. We’ll swap ideas, build on each other’s creativity, and find new ways to support the kids in our care.

TOOLS YOU CAN USE RIGHT AWAY…You’ll leave with practical ideas, sensory-informed strategies, and a renewed sense of connection to your work. Whether you’re in a traditional playroom, school, or outdoor setting, this day is designed to stretch your practice while honoring your intuition and clinical wisdom.

COME PLAY OUTSIDE WITH US! Join us for a day that fills your cup and reminds you why you do this work. Together, we’ll embrace the wild, wonderful, and regulation-rich power of outdoor play. We can’t wait to be in this with you.

Learning Objectives:

By the completion of this six-hour workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Connect at least three child-centered play therapy interventions to trauma-responsive treatment goals and educational advocacy strategies that support children experiencing chronic dysregulation.

2. Identify at least three play therapy tools designed to meet neurodevelopmental needs by increasing regulation, connection, and felt safety, and explain how each tool supports these areas.

3. Demonstrate the ability to reframe at least two examples of off-track behavior as bids for connection, felt safety, and regulation, and apply at least two corresponding play therapy skills or sensory tools to address those needs.

4. List and describe at least four creative, cost-effective, sensory-smart interventions for child and adolescent clients that can be used in the playroom and adapted for home and school settings.

5. Compare and contrast two models of states of regulation and explain their applications in play therapy and parent education.

6. Identify at least three somatosensory channels beyond the five primary senses and demonstrate one directive play therapy approach that engages these channels to support regulation and coping skills.

   
   

Cancellation and grievance policy: Registration is required. Please let us know if you are unable to attend. There is a participation cost, so a refund will not be issued if the cancellation occurs within 7 days of the event. A $25 cancellation and refund fee applies. If you have questions or concerns about this or any training provided by the presenters, please contact our co-sponsor. There will be an evaluation to complete after the workshop to obtain continuing education credits (CEs).

APT Approved Provider (#25-761) This workshop offers 6 APT contact CEs. *The Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (OBLSW) has placed the Association for Play Therapy (APT) on its list of Accepted Credentialing Bodies. Social workers who take courses approved by an APT Approved Provider (such as ORAPT) can count the hours toward their continuing education requirement. This is for the state of Oregon ONLY. This is not an NASW-approved workshop.*

We are offering two scholarship spots for graduate students. Once we have filled those spots, depending on attendance, we will offer other scholarships, giving special attention to those who experience intersectionality and economic stress. Click here to fill out the scholarship form.

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About the Presenters:

MereAnn Reid, LPC, RPT™: MereAnn is an attachment-focused play therapist, parent coach, and founder of Raising Family Resilience, LLC, hosting a series of workshops and retreats for parents who want to feel more connected to their kids without losing themselves. She is a contributing author of The Embodied Brain and Sandtray Therapy: Stories of Healing and Transformation, on the power of play therapy in healing grief and attachment in adoption. She practices a brain-body approach to play therapy, drawing on an in-depth study of relational neuroscience, Theraplay (Level I), certified Synergetic Play Therapist, polyvagal theory, and certified Safe & Sound Protocol facilitator (music-based listening therapy for retuning the nervous system), brain-based parent coaching, and offers assessments using the Neurosequential Model of Assessment (Level I-trained). MereAnn lives in Portland, Oregon, where she runs a small private practice in a big yellow bungalow, with stuffed animals, puppets, art materials, and a coffee-table sandtray keeping her company. You can find her parent coaching work at https://www.familyzest.com/, and her child therapy practice at https://mereannreid.com/

Jamie Watson, LMFT, RPT-S™: Jamie brings over a decade of experience working with neurodivergent children and families, including those navigating developmental differences and complex trauma. Jamie is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and is certified in Foster and Adoptive Family Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She also has training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and has long integrated play-based and attachment-centered interventions into her work. Teaching has been a meaningful part of Jamie's career since shortly after completing her graduate program. She has taught a variety of graduate-level courses, with favorites including Play Therapy, Child Development, and Practicum and Internship. In addition to her teaching and clinical work, Jamie has served as the Mental Health Therapy Director at a pediatric nonprofit and currently runs a consultation and supervision practice supporting pre-licensed and seasoned therapists nationwide. Jamie is also trained through Pet Partners as an animal handler and has incorporated Animal-Assisted Therapy into her clinical work for eight years, using her previous therapy dog, and is currently training her Goldendoodle to continue that tradition. She profoundly believes in the healing power of connection, whether through play, relationships, or the presence of a well-timed wagging tail. You can find more information about her on her website, www.jamiewatsonconsulting.com