Bringing Play Therapy to a New Community:
Healing Trauma through Play in Jamaica

In the Summer of 2007, the presenter introduced play therapy to the Child Abuse Mitigation Project in Jamaica. This session examines cultural considerations in conducting play therapy, including diverse perspectives of play, child socialization, and parent-child interaction. Case studies from the Jamaican work will be presented in depth to examine the universality and diversity of the power of play in healing.

Clinical Work with Parents and Young Children across a Range of Issues and Cultures: Treatment of a Deaf Mother and her Deaf Baby

This session presents a case of a deaf mother (and her family) and her deaf infant. Fields worked with them for 2¾ years until the little boy became 3 years old; she then worked with the mother and two subsequent children. The grandparents were also known. This case study has relevance for work with parents and children in general, as well as cultural interest. Fields knew no sign language at the start, and the mother barely knew the therapist's language. How they found a language in common is part of the story.

Introduction to the DIR/Floortime Model:
Fostering Early Stages of Engagement and Purposeful Communication

This session introduces the basic concepts of the “Developmental, Individual Differences, and Relationship Based” (DIR) model of assessment and intervention and illustrates how to encourage affect-based developmentally appropriate interactions for children with special needs. The aim of this presentation is to provide a general overview of this model, its theoretical base, how it is implemented, and how it incorporates various therapeutic modalities to support the health and wellbeing of children with developmental difficulties. Video clips of clinical material will be used to illustrate the application of the model in the context of a private practice, school, and home settings, and take into account developmental, spatial, and cultural considerations.

The Meanings of Play: Developmental Perspectives

This session begins with a brief discussion of the kinds of activities that are called “play” and their differing roles in the lives of children. The central part of our discussion focuses on imaginative or pretend play. Drawing on participants' observations, we will consider questions such the following: Are there different kinds of imaginative activities? What is the shape of a “play episode”? Can we identify the sources of themes revealed in a child's play? How do different theories conceptualize the functions of play for the child playing alone or with other children? Are there aspects of play that are “universal” for all children? How do the cultural and familial contexts in which children grow up influence their play?

Playwork

This session offers an introduction to play and playwork as understood in the United Kingdom. Through a mix of play memories, presentation, Q&A, and discussion, participants will explore the reasons for playwork and the playwork principles.

The Politics of Play Advocacy

The political climate of educational and social policymaking in the United States has made it increasingly difficult for practitioners of play-based teaching and childcare to do good work. It is therefore critically important that we all become public advocates for play-friendly schools, communities, and policies. This session will focus on the key goals, targets, techniques, obstacles, and potential allies involved in this work.

The Power of Play Therapy

This session discusses the basic principles of non-directive play therapy, including the therapist's role in the play session and the multiple reasons for treatment. An in-depth look at two case studies will provide further insight into the therapeutic power of play and how children use play as a way to emotionally recalibrate and heal.

Staging Play

This session is designed as an introduction to the importance of the physical context of children's play. We will review major theories of how children use materials in their play and how the arrangement of physical environment impacts the kinds of play children engage in. We will explore the implications of this in the planning and design of settings for children's play with illustrations, particularly from New York City. Workshop participants will critically review a play setting that they are most familiar with as preparation for the subsequent fieldwork.

Talking with Parents: Fostering Respect for Play

There are many different views of the merits and value of play in educational settings. Early childhood educators, child development specialists, school administrators and even politicians cannot seem to agree on the role of play in the classroom, so how can we possibly expect parents to value play when there is such a lack of clarity? Most parents have strong feelings concerning play and childhood, which are often connected to their own cultural expectations of the roles of work and play in life. How can parents become our “allies” in our fight to keep play firmly grounded in early childhood classrooms and other educational settings?