March 11-14, 2027
|The Great Hall
2027 NJ APT Conference
Time & Location
March 11-14, 2027
The Great Hall, 400 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch, NJ 07764, USA
Event Details
Choose the Training Option That Fits Your Goals
This conference offers two ways to participate in the Theraplay training, allowing you to choose between an introductory experience or the complete Level One training.
Both training options will be presented by Karen Doyle-Buckwalter.
Option One: Day 1 ONLY – Foundations of Theraplay® and the Marschak Interaction Method
One-Day Introductory Training
Program Description
This one day program introduces participants to the foundational concepts and clinical principles of Theraplay®, an attachment-based, adult-led approach to strengthening relationships between children and their caregivers. Participants will experience a Theraplay interaction and explore the core characteristics of the approach, including the four Theraplay dimensions of Structure, Engagement, Nurture, and Challenge.
The day will examine attachment theory and its application to Theraplay practice, with attention to how attachment experiences influence children’s behavior, emotional regulation, and relationships with caregivers. Participants will also consider the impact of trauma and how Theraplay can be thoughtfully adapted to meet the needs of children who have experienced relational disruption, loss, or trauma.
Participants will be introduced to the treatment process and to the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM), including its purpose as an assessment of caregiver-child interaction. Through a case example and discussion, participants will begin to develop an understanding of how observations of caregiver-child interactions can inform clinical understanding and treatment planning.
The day concludes with opportunities to practice Theraplay principles and skills, integrate the material presented, and consider how the concepts can be applied in clinical work.
Learning Objectives
Describe the Theraplay wheel, identifying the functions of the “tire,” “rim,” and “spokes” within Theraplay play therapy treatment.
Name the 4 dimensions of a healthy relationship, as described by Theraplay, a modality of play therapy.
Name 3 limitations of attachment-based research.
List three attachment or neuroscientific approaches that explain why Theraplay, a modality of play therapy, works.
Describe how Theraplay treatment can build resilience for a child.
Explain the benefits of utilizing the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) in your play therapy practice.
Identify at least 2 considerations related to ethical implementation of the MIM.
Name at least 3 qualities that indicate “strength” and/or “need” for each of the four Theraplay Dimensions as indicated within the MIM.
Practice 2 activities from each Theraplay Dimension.
Option Two: Days 1-4 – Level One Theraplay and the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)
Four-Day Level One Theraplay® & Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) Training
Program Description
This option includes day 1 plus days 2 - 4 which build upon the foundational concepts introduced on day 1 and provide participants with increasingly in-depth opportunities to apply Theraplay® principles in clinical practice. Participants will deepen their understanding of the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM), including MIM analysis, the feedback process, sensory processing, and the use of MIM observations to inform treatment planning.
Through discussion, demonstration, and extensive role-play practice, participants will explore the clinical application of Theraplay with children and caregivers. Topics include working with caregivers, touch in Theraplay, supporting children experiencing dysregulation, understanding resistance, providing parent support and feedback, and developing a weekly Theraplay treatment process. Participants will also consider the application of Theraplay with adolescents and explore transference and countertransference within the therapeutic relationship.
The final portion of the training emphasizes integration and clinical application. Participants will have opportunities to practice responding to a range of clinical situations, participate in application-focused role plays, discuss implementation of Theraplay in their professional settings, and review the certification process.
Learning Objectives
Describe the Theraplay wheel, identifying the functions of the “tire,” “rim,” and “spokes” within Theraplay play therapy treatment.
Name the 4 dimensions of a healthy relationship, as described by Theraplay, a modality of play therapy.
Name 3 limitations of attachment-based research.
List three attachment or neuroscientific approaches that explain why Theraplay, a modality of play therapy, works.
Describe how Theraplay treatment can build resilience for a child.
Explain the benefits of utilizing the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) in your play therapy practice.
Identify at least 2 considerations related to ethical implementation of the MIM.
Name at least 3 qualities that indicate “strength” and/or “need” for each of the four Theraplay Dimensions as indicated within the MIM.
Practice 2 activities from each Theraplay Dimension.
Analyze the MIM at a beginning level to benefit families in play therapy.
Name 3 potential treatment goals to be achieved during a MIM feedback session with caregivers.
Summarize the eight senses and their role in play therapy.
Demonstrate 3 play therapy activities from Theraplay’s Structure dimension.
Implement treatment goals based on MIM findings, sensory/regulatory needs, and developmental needs of the child.
Demonstrate 3 play therapy activities from the Engagement dimension of Theraplay.
Name at least 3 benefits of involving caregivers in play therapy treatment.
Describe how to guide caregivers to participate in Theraplay play therapy sessions.
Demonstrate 3 play therapy activities from the Nurture dimension.
Name 3 reasons why touch is an important aspect of Theraplay treatment.
Describe the sequence of a Theraplay play therapy session.
Describe 4 potential trauma exposures to consider when engaging in Theraplay treatment with a child or family.
Identify at least 3 considerations that should be taken into account when planning a Theraplay session.
Name the 6 phases of weekly play therapy treatment.
Demonstrate 3 play therapy activities from the Challenge dimension of Theraplay.
Describe how caregiver attachment history might impact progress within Theraplay work.
Describe how the level of caregiver involvement changes over the course of Theraplay treatment.
Describe factors that might make working with a caregiver more difficult and identify what a play therapist might do if they find that the that they are working with a “complex caregiver.”
Describe at least 4 ways that a child might show they are experiencing dysregulation.
Demonstrate at least 2 ways to co-regulate a child who is experiencing hyper-active dysregulation.
Demonstrate at least 2 ways to co-regulate a child who is experiencing hypo-active dysregulation.
Identify a client with whom you would like to implement Theraplay and begin planning your first session.
Describe transference and countertransference and identify how to recognize each within a Theraplay play therapy session.
Name at least 3 ways a play therapist can engage in self-care to mitigate the impact of transference/countertransference.
Describe at least 3 benefits of involving adolescents in Theraplay treatment.
Describe at least 2 adaptations that might be necessary when engaging in Theraplay treatment with an adolescent.
Plan and role-play a Theraplay session with a particular client/family in mind.
Identify and plan for possible challenges related to Theraplay implementation in your play therapy practice.
Describe the clinical supports available to those who are beginning Theraplay-informed practice.
Attendance Requirement: Day 1 may be attended as a stand-alone introductory training. Participants who wish to continue with the full Level One training must attend all three additional days (Days 2–4). Attendance at Days 2–4 constitutes the continuation of the four-day Level One training and allows participants to receive credit for the complete four-day program.
Schedule
Day 1
Foundations of Theraplay® and the Marschak Interaction Method AND Level One Theraplay and the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Day 2
Level One Theraplay and the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Day 3
Level One Theraplay and the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Day 4
Level One Theraplay and the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM)
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Tickets
1 Day Admission - 3/11/27 ONLY
Sale ends
Feb 11, 2027, 6:00 PM
This ticket provides admission to the one-day Foundations of Theraplay® and Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) training, taking place March 11, 2027.
From $150.00 to $250.00
$200.00
+$5.00 ticket service fee
$250.00
+$6.25 ticket service fee
$150.00
+$3.75 ticket service fee
4 Day Admission
Sale ends
Feb 11, 2027, 6:00 PM
This ticket provides admission to the full four-day Level One Theraplay® and Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) training, taking place March 11–14, 2027.
From $1,000.00 to $1,200.00
$1,000.00
+$25.00 ticket service fee
$1,000.00
+$25.00 ticket service fee
$1,200.00
+$30.00 ticket service fee
Total
$0.00