Aggression, Destruction, and Messiness in Play Therapy: What’s the Meaning? Where’s the Boundary? And How Do We Respond Effectively?
*CEs from this workshop will count towards your CCPT/CPRT/CCGPT certification renewal.
In play therapy, it has been said that “without limits, there could be no therapy.” In this workshop, participants will learn the trajectory of limit-setting in the child-centered play therapy process, including advanced limit-setting techniques. Dr. Ray will address methods that lead to successful limit-setting and how limit-setting can be used to enhance the therapeutic relationship. Participants will also learn how to track the progress of limit-setting and how to promote limit-setting in parent consultation. Dr. Ray will identify the most common and most-commonly broken limits in play therapy and how to respond consistently as a CCPT therapist.
Days/Times
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM CT
Objectives:
- Participants will be able to identify the basic steps of play therapy limit-setting.
- Participants will learn creative alternatives to dealing with challenging limit-setting situations in play therapy.
- Participants will identify the five characteristics of successful limit-setting.
- Participants will be able to identify the most commonly broken play therapy limits.
- Participants will learn to communicate limit-setting through choice-giving in play therapy.
- Participants will learn to when to use and how to communicate the ultimate limit in play therapy.
Meet the Speaker
Dee Ray, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, Certified CCPT-S, Certified CPRT-S, Certified CCGPT-S/T is Regents Professor and Elaine Millikan Mathes Professor in Early Childhood Education in the Counseling Program and Emerita of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. Dr. Ray has published over 150 articles, chapters, and books in the field of play therapy, specializing in research specifically examining the process and effects of Child-Centered Play Therapy. Dr. Ray is author of A Therapist’s Guide to Development: The Extraordinarily Normal Years, Advanced Play Therapy: Essential Conditions, Knowledge, and Skills for Child Practice, Child-Centered Play Therapy Treatment Manual, and co-author of Multicultural Play Therapy, Group Play Therapy, and Child-Centered Play Therapy Research. Most recently, Dr. Ray published her book on education, Playful Education: Using Play Therapy Strategies to Elevate Your Classroom which focuses on the significance of teacher-child relationships in the language of play. She is a founding board member and past president of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, as well as current board member of the Association for Play Therapy. She is founding editor of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, American Counseling Association Fellow, and recipient of the American Counseling Association Don Dinkmeyer Social Interest Award, Association for Humanistic Counseling Educator Award, Association for Play Therapy Outstanding Research Award, Top 25 Women Professors in Texas Award, and many others. Dr. Ray supervises counseling services to community clients at her university clinic and leads a school outreach program providing play therapy to hundreds of children each year. Dr. Ray also co-created and oversees the international certification program for Child-Centered Play Therapy, Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, and Child-Centered Group Play Therapy. Dr. Ray additionally operates the counseling practice, EmpathyWell, in Highland Village, TX where she facilitates play therapy, training, and supervision.