Program Details

Dates
This six-day training will take place in two three-day segments
Segment 1 - September 2025
9/25, 9/26, 9/27
Segment 2 - September 2025
11/13, 11/14, 11/15

Training Format
In-Person Training 

Location
Children's Trauma Healing Center
Turnersville, NJ

Presenter
Demi Banchs, MA, LPC, RPT™
Demi Banchs CV 

Program Description

This training explores the core concepts of integrating play therapy with a neurobiologically respectful, “bottom-up” approach to healing. Participants will learn how to assess neurodevelopmental needs and create targeted, neurosequential treatment plans that align with the brain’s natural patterns of development and regulation. Grounded in attachment-informed and trauma-responsive care and guided by core neurobiological principles, this training supports healing and positive development across all brain regions and functions. Through hands-on learning, therapists will gain practical tools to identify and address the root of behaviors and promote lasting, meaningful change.

Learning Objectives

  1. Differentiate between bottom-up and top-down approaches in play therapy and identify clinical indicators for selecting each approach.
  2. Describe bottom-up development and its relevance to play therapy.
  3. Explain the sequence in which the brain processes input.
  4. Identify the general functions of major brain regions.
  5. Explain the sequence of engagement and its role in attuned therapeutic responses in play therapy.
  6. Discuss behavior as a form of communication and identify how this framework guides play therapy assessment and treatment planning.
  7. List and describe the steps to providing an attuned response within a play therapy session.
  8. Name and describe the eight sensory systems and how various play therapy interventions utilize these senses.
  9. Identify factors that influence a child’s experience of adversity and integrate these into trauma-informed play therapy conceptualization.
  10. Describe the differences between patterns of stress that lead to resilience or increased vulnerability.
  11. Define the “therapeutic web” and explain how it enhances connection, collaboration, and treatment effectiveness in the play therapy treatment planning process.
  12. Describe the steps to treatment planning.
  13. Discuss cultural considerations in treatment planning.
  14. Explain the rationale for conducting thorough assessment in play therapy.
  15. Identify three types of assessment used in play therapy and determine when each is appropriate.
  16. Demonstrate two play-based strategies for assessing sensory preferences in play therapy.
  17. Conceptualize assessment data through a neurodevelopmental lens to guide play therapy treatment planning.
  18. Demonstrate the ability to identify and utilize the strengths of the child and their family in the play therapy treatment planning process to support resilience and engagement.
  19. Demonstrate the ability to sequence treatment goals and objectives in a neurodevelopmentally respectful order during play therapy treatment planning.
  20. Identify interventions aligned with the developmental capabilities of each major brain region and develop play therapy activities that match each region’s language.
  21. Identify appropriate directive and non-directive play therapy interventions from an integrative perspective.
  22. Align play therapy intervention implementation with Bruce Perry’s 6 R’s to promote healing and engagement.
  23. Describe how state-dependent functioning influences a child’s capacity to engage in play therapy and adjust interventions accordingly.
  24. Discuss at least three methods for evaluating progress in play therapy.
  25. Explain the rationale behind clinical decision-making in the play therapy treatment planning process in a way that supports caregiver understanding, collaboration, and trust.

CE Credit

Play Therapy
36 APT Contact CE Credits

This event is sponsored by Children’s Trauma Healing Center. Children’s Trauma Healing Center is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (APT Approved Provider No. 24-749).

Play therapy credit available to mental health professionals & graduate students in a mental health program.

Play Therapy Primary Areas of Instruction

  • Play Therapy Skills and Methods
  • Play Therapy Special Topics


Social Work
For information regarding social work CEs, please contact us, [email protected].


Please contact us with any questions regarding continuing education credit eligibility.

Accommodations for the Differently Abled

Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact us, [email protected].

Discount Opportunities

We’re committed to making high-quality training accessible to those supporting children and families. A limited number of discounted registrations are available for the programs listed. All discounts require approval prior to registration and must be obtained by contacting us directly.

Group Discount
For teams from the same organization:
10% off for groups of 3–4 participants
15% off for groups of 5 or more participants

To qualify, participants must register together.

Student Discount
Students currently enrolled in a master’s-level graduate program in a mental health profession (e.g., professional counseling, school counseling, social work) are eligible for a 15% discount. 

Proof of current enrollment is required.

Service-Based Discount
Therapists are eligible for a 20% discount if they meet any of the following:

  • Accept Medicaid clients
  • Work in a nonprofit setting clinically serving children and families
  • Serve as a school counselor or social worker in a Title I school


Verification of employment or licensure status may be requested.


To inquire about a group, student, or service-based discount, please contact us, [email protected], prior to registering. If approved, you’ll receive a custom discount code to apply at checkout.

Discounted spots are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note: Discounts cannot be combined. If eligible for multiple discounts, the highest applicable discount will be applied. Previously provided coupons for attending workshops cannot be combined with other discounts.