New Mexico Association for Play Therapy

NMAPT NEWS

New Mexico Association for Play Therapy
Volume 6, Issue 2
October 2008

Board of Directors
President: Jessica Patterson, President-Elect: Courtney Lynch, Secretary: Pat Brown, Treasurer: Geri Glover

NMAPT Committees
Membership, Nominations, Newsletter, Conference, Public Relations

Letter From the President

Greetings! As you can probably tell, a season of change is upon us. The temperatures are starting to drop, the State Fair and Balloon Fiesta are here along with the wonderful smell of roasting chili, and school is back in session. As kids go back to school, there is a change in their needs, often addressed by their school and community counselors. I can tell you from the insurance side of things, there has been a drastic increase in the number of children admitted to in-patient hospital, acute settings since the start of the school year. During my previous work with Day Treatment programs, the start of the new school always brought about an increase in program participants typically within the first couple weeks. Many of those admitted were children who were identified by their schools as those who would not be able to manage another semester in their “regular” classrooms. For all of us working with these children, in whatever capacity it may be, it is important to remember that these children need us now, more than ever. To be able to meet their needs as fully as we would like, we must also remember to take care of ourselves! So please, take time to nurture yourself as often as possible. Take time for a movie, a meal with good friends, even a hot bath...just take care of yourself! Nurture your mind as well, by participating in classes, trainings, conferences, and other CEU opportunities. Using these opportunities to speak with fellow counselors can be both educating and rewarding. I hope to see many of you at the International Play Therapy Conference in Dallas in October and at the NMAPT Ethics Seminar in Silver City in November! Until then, be well and take good care!

NMAPT Spotlight:
The Community Lighthouse
In 1994, Mark Ferrigel, LPCC, launched The Community Lighthouse as a counseling resource to Albuquerque’s families. Mark was trained in Jungian Sandtray and Child Centered Play Therapy. Two years later, his wife Charlotte Knauber, LPCC, joined him in this endeavor. A major turning point in the influence and vision of The Community Lighthouse occurred after Mark and Charlotte began to receive training under Byron Norton, E.ed of Family Psychological Services in Greeley, Colorado. Dr. Norton is the founder of Experiential Play Therapy and has traveled around the Mountain West training others in Experiential Play Therapy. When asked what Mark’s first impression was of Dr. Norton’s modality he states: “After the first day [of training], I didn’t think anyone could do what he said. After the second day, I realized he was brilliant.” Mark and Charlotte continued practicing Experiential Play Therapy and have found that their practice more than doubled in clientele since they first began to use the modality in 2000.

Mark and Charlotte believe in effectiveness of Experiential Play Therapy and transferred that belief to using The Community Lighthouse as a training ground for play therapists who want to learn and develop their skills in Experiential Play Therapy. In 2003, Mark and Charlotte formed a supervision group for Experiential Play Therapy and in 2004 they began to host Dr. Norton’s workshops. In 2007, they began to co-sponsor workshops with Dr. Norton.

Mark and Charlotte envision The Community Lighthouse developing into a training institute for Experiential Play Therapy. They will continue to reach out to the community by using their practice as a clinic, but their hope is that they can create a certificate program for Experiential Play Therapy and increase the number of summer training intensives. Next year they hope to expand their trainings to a conference model that will include play therapy break out sessions.

Currently, Mark and Charlotte are members of the Association for Play Therapy and are working toward their RPT/S credentials. The provide internships for up and coming play therapists graduating with their Masters degree through The Community Lighthouse. Their workshops provide APT CEU’s because they are co-sponsored with Family Psychological Services, an APT approved provider.

Upcoming workshops, intensives and supervision groups co-sponsored by The Community Lighthouse and Family Psychological Services are listed on our NMAPT website www.nmapt.org under Local Trainings. If you are interested in learning more about The Community Lighthouse visit their website at www.thecommunitylighthouse.com.

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NMAPT Presents a Free Training for All NMAPT/AZAPT Members
“Ethical Issues In Working with Play Therapy Clients”
3 CEU’s
Association for Play Therapy Approved
New Mexico Counseling Therapy Board and Social Work Board Approved
Presented by: Carol Brennan, Ph.D., LPCC, RPT-S and Geri Glover, Ph.D., LPCC, NCC, RPT-S
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Friday, November 7th, 2008®
Silver City, NM
Western New Mexico University, Global Resource Center
Objectives:
*Be aware of ethical procedures in professional disclosure, malpractice, record-keeping, and informed consent
*Review a variety of ethical dilemmas using an ethical decision-making model
®This seminar precedes the Challenging Child Conference at WNMU.
For more information go to www.nmapt.org. Click on “Local Trainings”.

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2009 NMAPT Annual Conference
!Save the Date!
Paris Goodyear Brown, LCSW RPT-S
Date: April 25th, 2009.
Topic: Treating trauma through
Play therapy.

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“Children are the messages we send to a future that we shall never see.”
– Jonas Salk

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The 2009 Annual New Mexico Association for
Play Therapy
Play Room Project Grant

The winner will receive the following from NMAPT:
o A gift of $500.00 worth of therapeutic toys to be used for   the purpose of play therapy.
o A one-year membership to the Association for Play Therapy.
o Admission to the NMAPT annual conference.

Applications due by Feb 25th, 2009
To learn if you or your agency would qualify for this grant
and to fill out the application go to www.nmapt.org
and click on “Play Room Project”
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School Counselor and Social Workers Using
Play Therapy In Our Schools

Everyday in our local schools children attend who desperately need mental health services, but their families lack the resources and knowledge to provide for their children’s need. The need for a compassionate and clinically trained child counselor exists in every school system. In an article entitled “Play Therapy Practices Among Elementary School Counselors” the author’s state: “Recent literature encourages the use of play therapy as a counseling medium for elementary school counselors. In addition, play therapy helps school counselors in the implementation of the National Standards developed by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). When responsive services are required of the elementary school counselor, play therapy appears to be a developmentally appropriate method of intervention” (Ray et al. 2005).

NMAPT proudly asserts that many of its members are elementary school counselors and social workers. Two of our members, Risa Lehrer MA LPCC, and Heather Knox LISW, are currently working in the New Mexico school system. They both speak to their perception of the effectiveness, challenges and benefits of using play therapy in schools.

What is beneficial about using play therapy in the school system?
HK: Children primarily speak the language of play! For them to be "heard" in their own language, for an adult to "witness" their play and actions is very powerful. So much of school is adult directed, if one sits back, you can actually learn so much more. The children almost breathe a sigh of relief to be able to find a place they can "let down" and go at their own pace.