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Playful Foundations: Deepening Your Adlerian Journey
Continue your exploration into Adlerian Play Therapy with our second session, "Playful Foundations: Deepening Your Adlerian Journey." Designed for participants who already have a foundational understanding of Adlerian Play Therapy principles, whether gained through our introductory course or other training, this session focuses on deepening your knowledge and strengthening your clinical skills.
You’ll explore Adlerian therapeutic strategies in greater depth, with particular attention to fostering self-awareness, self-esteem, and social interest in child clients. Through interactive role-play exercises, you’ll practice establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships using Adlerian techniques while building confidence in applying these approaches in practice.
We’ll also explore how to create an inviting, supportive play therapy environment that reflects Adlerian values. By the end of the session, you’ll have expanded your practical toolkit, strengthened your ability to develop comprehensive case conceptualizations, and identified opportunities for continued professional growth in Adlerian Play Therapy.
Learning Objectives
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Refine the ability to document play therapy sessions effectively, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and alignment with ethical and legal standards.
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Learn how to integrate Adlerian and trauma-informed approaches into clinical notes to support treatment planning and insurance requirements.
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Explore techniques for engaging families in play therapy sessions, fostering systemic change, and improving family communication.
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Develop strategies for working with resistant caregivers and strengthening therapeutic alliances in family sessions.
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Analyze Adlerian concepts of inferiority and superiority, identifying how they manifest in clients’ play and interactions.
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Explore overcompensation patterns in children, teens, and young adults and apply play therapy interventions to address underlying core beliefs.
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Identify trauma responses in play therapy sessions and differentiate between trauma-informed interventions and traditional play techniques.
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Learn and apply new play therapy interventions tailored to a variety of presenting concerns, including anxiety, depression, and attachment disruptions.
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Integrate expressive arts, sand tray, and geek therapy elements into their play therapy practice to enhance engagement and effectiveness.
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Modify traditional play therapy techniques to fit the developmental needs of adolescents and young adults.
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Explore creative approaches, including gaming, fandom-based therapy, and narrative interventions, to foster engagement and therapeutic progress.
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Practice conceptualizing cases through an advanced Adlerian and trauma-informed lens, incorporating key play themes and family dynamics.
Presenter
A self-proclaimed geek, Maria Laquerre Diego, LMFT, RPT-S, is an internationally recognized expert and leading voice in integrating play and pop culture into clinical practice to make therapy more culturally-responsive and enhance connection in the therapy room. As the founder and President of A New Hope Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to providing innovative professional development for mental health providers, Maria has developed groundbreaking workshops and conferences including the Geek Play Therapy Summit and the Play Therapy: Disney Bound Conference, which draw clinicians from across the country and beyond.
A published author and sought-after speaker, Maria’s innovative work invites clinicians to embrace playfulness, fandom, and the Force as tools for healing. She is author of the book chapters published in 2025, “Embracing Geek Play Therapy: A Creative Approach for LGBTQIA+ Individuals” and “Are Villains Even Villains?”
Details & Registration
Date: October 29 & 30, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Mountain Time (See how this translates into your timezone).
Location: Online Zoom Training (MST Timezone)
Pricing:
$300 Full Professional Rate
$250 Mid-Level Professional Rate
$185 Student / Accessible Professional Rate
*Pricing includes CE Certificate
Schedule:
8:50
Check In/Sign in
9:00
Presentation Begins
10:30
15 Minute Break
12:00-1:00
Lunch Break
2:30
15 Minute Break
4:30
Presentation Ends
What if I can't make the training live? We've got you covered! With this event, you can register to attend live or for the recording only and watch it whenever it works for you. All registrants will receive access to the recordings, which will be available for 30 days.
Of Note: If you are attending the online training live, it is required that you have your video on and are actively participating in order to earn the offered CEs. Please do not engage in other activities while in this training including driving, driving through for that coffee fix, or rearranging your closet - this training requires your attention and engagement. You will receive an email with the Zoom link and any handouts the day prior to the training.
Continuing Education Credits: Following successful completion of a post-test with a score of at least 80%, this training will provide:
• 12 NBCC Contact CE Hours if you attend live, and 12 NBCC Non-Contact CE Hours if you attend by recording.
• 12 APT Non-Contact CE Hours. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) classifies both live and recorded webinars as non-contact continuing education, and participants may apply these hours toward RPT™ credentialing requirements.
A New Hope Therapy Center, our sister organization and partner for trainings and workshops, is an Approved Provider for the Association for Play Therapy (APT) - Approved Provider 20-631. A New Hope Academy has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7816. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. A New Hope Academy is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.