Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Self Care for the Play Therapist: Strategies to Prevent Secondary Trauma and Burnout in Play Therapy

October 4 @ 9:00 AM 11:00 AM

All times are in Central Time Zone

$80 2 APT CE, 2 NBCC Clock Hours, 2 ACE CE

This workshop is a Live Interactive Webinar, and meets the APT definition of Live Webinar. Attendees must attend the training in its entirety, with camera on, complete the training evaluation and a post-test (for live webinar attendance) to be eligible for the CE Certificate.

Self Care for the Play Therapist: Strategies to Prevent Secondary Trauma and Burnout in Play Therapy Description

When big stories emerge in the Play Therapy room, therapists use the biggest part of themselves: empathy, compassion and mirror neurons. Working with childhood trauma requires the therapist to not only be attuned to the client, but also remain attuned to how they are experiencing the play therapy process.  Discover a deeper understanding of trauma, how it reveals itself in play therapy, and how to take care of the self of the therapist to prevent secondary trauma and burnout while treating trauma.

Self Care for the Play Therapist: Strategies to Prevent Secondary Trauma and Burnout in Play Therapy Objectives

  • Identify Play Therapy techniques to work with childhood trauma: interpersonal trauma, developmental trauma, generational trauma 
  • Explore the neurobiology of affect, mirror neurons and attunement and their impact on the Play Therapy process.  
  • Demonstrate at least two strategies to care for self to mitigate the risk of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue in Play Therapy.

Training Agenda

9:00 am Playful Check-In

9:05 – 9:45 am Discussion of the various types of trauma

9:45 – 10:30 am The neurobiology of trauma play

10:30 – 11:00 am Demonstration of techniques for self-care in Play Therapy

All trainings require at least a Master’s Degree in a Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work or related field, and completion of EMDR Basic Training (for EMDRIA Approved Advanced Workshops).  Graduate Students may enroll in the training, and understand that continued education credit cannot be provided to individuals who do not hold proper credentials.  

Play Therapy credit is available to licensed mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health program. 

Embark Counseling Services, LLC only assumes the responsibility for the registration part of the event.  All other costs are the responsibility of the registrant, unless otherwise stated.

Register Today!

We are having a temporary issue with our Tickets Plugin. To confirm registration at this training, please email trainings@embark-counseling.com of your registration confirmation, and send payment to either one of these options:

PayPal: @TeresaBartch0728

Venmo: @embarkcounseling14

You will receive an email confirming your registration at this training once your request and payment are received.

Registration closes at 7:00 pm the night before the training

Self Care for the Play Therapist: Strategies to Prevent Secondary Trauma and Burnout in Play Therapy Trainer:

Teresa Paterson Bartch, LPC, LCPC, RPT-S™ 

Teresa is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor™.  She owns Embark Counseling Services, a group practice in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area, specializing in working with children and teens, from an attachment informed, family systems lens.  She has extensive experience providing trauma competent clinical services, along with her Therapy Dog in Training, Rafi Rose, as well as a board approved clinical supervisor in Missouri and Kansas.  She completed her Play Therapy Training at Mid-America Nazarene University, and has completed numerous specialized trainings in working with children and adolescents, complex trauma, developmental trauma, autism spectrum disorders and anxiety.  She utilizes Play Therapy, Family Systems, Adlerian and EMDR in her clinical work.  She is a certified EMDR therapist and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant.  She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, where she enjoys training and supervising emerging mental health professionals.

Board Positions:

Kansas Counseling Association President-Elect (2022-2023)

Kansas Counseling Association President (2023-2024)

Missouri Association for Play Therapy (2022-2024)

This workshop and presenter have no conflict of interest in this workshop, nor is there any commercial or financial support, or any affiliate agreements.

Obtaining CE Credit

Attendees must attend the training in its entirety, with camera on (for live webinar attendance), complete the training evaluation and a post-test (for live webinar attendance) to be eligible for the CE Certificate. Certificates of attendance will be emailed within 7 business days of the completion of the training and receipt of the evaluation and a passing score on the post-test (80% or higher), if applicable.

Workshop Cancellation and Refund Policy

Non-Refundable Fees:  $35.00 Administrative Fee is included in your registration fee for each event.

Cancellation requests must be made in writing, and postmarked (or emailed) no later than seven (7) days prior to the date of the event. 

Cancellations received at least seven days prior to the event will receive a refund, less the $35.00 administrative fee.  Cancellations received within seven days, no shows, or requests after the event will not receive a refund or credit toward future events.  

Embark Counseling Services, LLC receives the right to cancel any training, workshops or courses that receive fewer than five (5) registrants within two weeks of the scheduled event and may be rescheduled to a later date.  Those who are registered will be notified of the cancellation and rescheduling in a timely manner and will be offered either a refund or a credit toward a future training, workshop or course.  If Embark Counseling Services, LLC cancels the training, workshop or course for any other reason, you will receive a full refund, or credit toward a future event (including administrative fee).

No partial credit will be given for any training, workshop or course.  You must attend the event in its entirety to receive continued education credits.  For live webinars, you must have your camera on at all times to receive credit for attendance. 

All trainings require at least a Master’s Degree in a Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work or related field, and completion of EMDR Basic Training (for EMDRIA Approved Advanced Workshops).  Graduate Students may enroll in the training, and understand that continued education credit cannot be provided to individuals who do not hold proper credentials.  

No exceptions will be made to the cancellation or refund policy.

Questions or concerns, including requesting any special needs or accommodations, should be addressed to trainings@embark-counseling.com.

Grievance Policy

Embark Counseling Services, LLC is fully committed to comply with all legal and ethical standards, including non-discrimination, in all of its activities:  Marketing, content and treatment of its attendees and trainers.

We do understand that although we are intent on delivering our trainings, workshops and courses in a fair manner, conflict and complaints will arise.  In the event that this would happen, Embark Counseling Services, LLC will attempt to alleviate the issue as quickly and equitably as possible.

All grievances regarding trainers, content, delivery of material or the training facilities should be addressed by sending a confidential email to trainings@embark-counseling.com.  Our representative will attentively attempt to address concerns in a timely manner.


Embark Counseling Services, LLC is an APT Approved Provider 22-670.

Embark Counseling Services, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7305. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Embark Counseling Services, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Embark Counseling Services, LLC, Provider #1910, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Embark Counseling Services, LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 02/05/2024-02/05/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.  

Play Therapy Training
ACEP No. 7305
Association for Play Therapy (APT) Approved Provider. APT Approved Provider logo.
APT Approved Provider 22-670