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Center for Play Therapy - At the University of North Texas

Workshop information for 2010 will be updated soon!!

Monday, July 6, 2009 (9:00 am - 4:30 pm)
Facilitating Growth in the Play Therapy Process
Linda E. Homeyer, Ph.D., LPCS, NCC, RPT-S

Dr. Homeyer is a Professor in the Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University-San Marcos. She serves the program as the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator. An advocate for children and play therapy, she participates extensively in service, teaching, and writing. Dr. Homeyer co-authored Sandtray: A Practical Manual; The Handbook of Group Play Therapy; Play Therapy Interventions with Children's Problems; and The World of Play Therapy Literature, as well as many book chapters and journal articles. She served several years on the Texas Association for Play Therapy Board of Directors and is currently serving a second term as the Immediate Past President on the Association for Play Therapy Board of Directors. Dr. Homeyer has taught in Malaysia, India South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and even on a cruise ship!

Mary O. Morrison, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S

 Dr. Morrison is an Assistant Professor at Texas State University, San Marcos.  She is a former assistant director of the Center for Play Therapy. She is involved in the Association for Play Therapy at the state and national levels. Dr. Morrison currently serves as the President-Elect for TAPT and is on the research committee for TAPT. Her research interests include trauma, play therapy process, play therapy in the schools and working with parents and teachers. 

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 7 - 8, 2009  (9:00 am - 4:30 pm)
 From Tried-and-True to Bold-and-New: Maximizing Play Therapy Outcomes with an Integrated Systemic Approach
Risë VanFleet, Ph.D., RPT-S

 Dr. VanFleet is the Founder and President of the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center in Boiling Springs, PA, as well as its Playful Pooch Program.  She is a well-known and popular international speaker, trainer, author, and practicing child/family psychologist.  With 35 years of experience in a variety of settings, Dr. VanFleet has been honored with 3 major awards for her training work, including one from APT.  She is a Past President/Coard Chair of the Association for Play Therapy and founder of the International Collaborative on Play Therapy.  Dr. VanFleet is the author of dozens of books, manuals, and chapters on Filial Therapy, play therapy, and canine-assisted play therapy, and she is featured on several DVD workshops, most recently, Filial Play Therapy, produced by the American Psychological Association.  She has trained thousands worldwide.  Risë also holds several credentials related to canine communication, behavior, and training, and she is an accomplished pianist and award-winning nature photographer specializing in Alaskan wildlife.


Thursday, July 9, 2009   (9:00 am - 4:30 pm)

Play Therapy and the Attachment Dynamic 

Virginia Ryan, PhD

Dr. Ryan trained in the US and has lived in England for many years.  She is a Chartered Child Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a qualified Play Therapist and Play Therapy Supervisor with the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT).  She also is a Certified Filial Therapist and Filial Therapy Instructor with the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center, USA.  Her part time clinical practice is Ryan Children’s Services Ltd in Hull, East Yorkshire, UK (See www.playandfilialtherapy.co.uk).  Virginia also is Senior Lecturer (i.e. Associate Professor) and Director of the MA/Diploma in Non-directive Play Therapy, SPSW Dept, University of York, UK, which leads to a professional qualification as a play therapist with BAPT.

Friday, July 10, 2009  (9:00 am - 4:30 pm)

 Beyond the Dilemma of Directiveness and Non-directiveness: A Model of Clinical Decision Making

Lorri Yasenik MSW, RSW, RFM (CPT-S) (RPS)

 Ken Gardner, M.Sc., R.Psych (CPT-S)

Lorri Yasenik and Ken Gardner are the Co-directors of the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The Institute is internationally recognized in the field of play therapy as an approved facility for those training to become Registered or Certified Play Therapists. Lorri is a Clinical Social Worker and works extensively with children and families in the areas of treatment of trauma, high conflict separation and divorce, and a range of situational and developmental issues. Ken is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the areas of learning/adjustment, and has years of experience as a school consultant, as well as a trainer in the area of play therapy.


Monday, July 13, 2009  (9:00 am - 4:30 pm)
Play Therapy is Not Just for Kids: Sandtray with Adolescents and Adults
Stephen A. Armstrong, Ph.D., LPC-S, RPT-S.

Dr. Armstrong is an Associate Professor and doctoral coordinator in the Department of Counseling at Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMU-C). He teaches several play therapy courses including Sandtray Therapy at TAMU-C.  He also maintains a private practice in Dallas where he uses sandtray with clients and supervises. Over the past eight years, he has developed a humanistic method of sandtray processing that focuses on here and now experiencing.  Dr. Armstrong is the former editor of the International Journal of Play Therapy and has published several articles on sandtray therapy and in August 2008, he published a book, Sandtray Therapy: A Humanistic Approach, which includes an unedited clinical adult sandtray session in high definition on DVD. Additionally, he has presented at several national and international conferences.