This workshop will allow participant to deepen their work with families. Family Play Genograms allow the family members to break up old patterns and habits, see each other in new ways and tell family stories. Therapists get to see families in action, use metaphor to explore challenging ideas and understand family dynamic using Play Therapy. This training emphasizes the Powers of Play of Facilitating Communication and Enhancing Social Relationships. Genograms are a tried and true Family Therapy intervention. They give us information about the family past and present including the family’s immigration journey, relationship patterns, values and more. Typically we work with adults on a three generation genogram to get the information we need about the history of the family system. When you have children in the room, this process can feel tedious or boring for them. They may not feel they have a meaningful role in naming and exploring family dynamics. Their voices could be minimized in favor of adult voices and perspectives. In order to meaningfully include children in the genogram process we need to include them in developmentally appropriate ways. This training breaks down developmental levels into three levels – Preschool Age Children (3-5), School Age Children (5-12) and Adolescents (13+). Each level is discussed and developmentally appropriate, systems theory aligned, play genogram ideas will be taught and practiced by participants. The goal is to make even the youngest members voices heard and valued in Family Therapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify 3 developmentally appropriate Family Play Therapy Genogram directives
2. Create a Family Play Therapy Genogram and practice processing it
3. Assess family patterns using a Family Play Therapy Genogram