5th ANNUAL PLAYFUL HEART CONFERENCE
LOCATION: The Moose Lodge
3529 Chain Bridge Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030
INCLUDES:
- 4 separate training sessions
PLEASE READ ADDITIONAL CE INFORMATION AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
LOCAL HOTELS:
- Best Western, 3535 Chain Bridge Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 591-5500
- Hampton Inn City of Fairfax, 10860 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 385-2600
1. Virtual – Friday 9/26 from 9am – 12:15pm
Register: FAMILY PLAY THERAPY: THE VALUE OF INVITING FAMILIES INTO DEEPER CONNECTIONS
This workshop explores the role of family play therapy in strengthening attachment, improving family relationships, and helping children with social or emotional difficulties. Participants will learn how systemic, attachment-based, and expressive play therapy approaches—including play, art, and sand therapy—can engage families in meaningful experiential work that promotes empathy, emotional connection, and positive change. Practical family play therapy activities and clinical examples will help clinicians build confidence using creative, dynamic interventions to support healthier family interactions and overall well-being.
Objectives:
- Define the terms “systemic” or “contextual” family therapy and list two reasons for play therapists to consider dyadic work;
- Define the rationale for integrating play and family therapy approaches:
- List three family play therapy activities;
- Provide two guidelines for the active observation of family dynamics as parents engage in play-therapy activities.
Presenter: Eliana Gil, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, ATR
Where: Moose Lodge 3529 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030
When: Friday, September 25, 2026
Presentation: 9:00 am-12:15 pm (ET)
Cost: Early Bird (ends 8/14 at 11:59pm) $80.00, Regular Rate $90.00
Student: $40.00 (With VALID ID). Send to celeste@crossroadsfamilycc.com
Target Audience: Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Play Therapists.
Schedule:
9:00-10:30- Presentation on the terms “systemic” or “contextual” family therapy and explanation for two reasons for play therapists to consider dyadic work and the rationale for integrating play and family therapy approaches.
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45- 11:30 Will teach 3 family play therapy techniques
11:30-12:00 Will Provide guidelines for the active observation of family dynamics as parents engage in play-therapy activities.
12:00-12:15 Questions and Answsers
CE’s 3 In Person APT, NBCC and ASWB- Social Work CE Credit- Certificates will be issues after completion of a course evaluation at the end of the training.
This virtual event has been approved by APT,NBCC and ASWB for 3.00 CE Hours. This workshop meets APT’s definition of Live Webinar
CFCC is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. CFCC maintains responsibility for the program. APT Approved Provider 13-360.
CFCC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7493. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CFCC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
CFCC provider #2347, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 10/04/2025–10/04/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.
2. IN PERSON – Friday 9/26 from 1:15 – 4:30pm
Register: Attachment in the Playroom: Promoting Co-regulation, Connection, and Love
Participants will explore how attachment theory informs effective play therapy practice and enhances caregiver-child relationships. This experiential workshop is designed for play therapists seeking to deepen their understanding of attachment-informed interventions and strengthen their clinical work with children and families through a play therapy lens. The workshop will examine key attachment theory constructs, including secure base, safe haven, and reflective functioning, and their application within play therapy settings to support emotional regulation, connection, and resilience.
Grounded in attachment theory and play therapy, this training integrates current research findings with practical, experiential learning opportunities. Through creative activities, expressive interventions, discussion, and hands-on practice, participants will learn ways to incorporate attachment-informed concepts into play therapy treatment. Attendees will also explore children’s literature and therapeutic activities that promote healthy attachment and strengthen caregiver-child interactions.
Objectives
- Describe at least three attachment theory constructs (secure base, safe haven, and reflective functioning) and their relevance to play therapy practice.
- Identify at least three research findings that support the application of attachment theory within play therapy interventions.
- Demonstrate at least three experiential play therapy activities designed to promote attachment security and strengthen caregiver-child relationships.
- Apply attachment-informed play therapy interventions that incorporate the concepts of secure base, safe haven, and reflective functioning into clinical case examples.
- Utilize at least three children’s books in play therapy and explain the attachment theory concept represented by each resource.
- Design one attachment-informed play therapy intervention that can be implemented to enhance caregiver-child interactions and emotional connection.
Presenter: Anne Stewart, PhD, RPT-S
Where: In-Person – The Moose lodge 3529 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030
When: Friday, September, 26, 2026
Presentation: 1:15pm-4:30pm ET
Cost: Early Bird (ends 8/14 at 11:59pm) $80.00, Regular Rate $90.00
Student: $40.00 (With VALID ID). Send to CELESTE@crossroadsfamilycc.com
Target Audience: Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Play Therapists.
Schedule:
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM Presentation, Attachment Theory Concepts, and Research Findings
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM Break
3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Experiential Play Therapy Activities, Children’s Literature Review, and Role Play Practice
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM Conclusion, Questions, and Discussion
CE INFO: This event has been approved by APT, NBCC and ASWB for 3.00 CE Hours.
- This will be a live in person meeting. This workshop meets APT’s definition of in person Contact hours. Participants may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussion.
- Participants must be present for the entire training and will be awarded contact CE’s upon successful completion of a course evaluation at the end of training.
- CFCC is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. CFCC maintains responsibility for the program. APT Approved Provider 13-360.
- CFCC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7493. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CFCC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- CFCC provider #2347, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 10/04/2025–10/04/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.
3. IN PERSON – Saturday, 9/27 from 9am – 12:15pm
Participants will explore how racial, cultural, and spiritual identities influence family dynamics, emotional expression, and healing, particularly for children and families of color.This experiential workshop is designed for therapists seeking to deepen their work with families through a culturally responsive and identity-affirming play therapy lens. The workshop will also examine how racialized stress, intergenerational patterns, and spirituality emerge in family therapy and how these experiences can be engaged therapeutically to create healing spaces in play therapy where children and families feel seen, supported, and valued in their full identities.
Grounded in play therapy and mind-body approaches, the training helps clinicians move beyond surface-level cultural competence toward more intentional, relational, and embodied therapeutic work through reflection, case discussions, and experiential activities, participants will learn practical ways to integrate identity into assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention.
Objectives:
1. Identify at least three ways racial, cultural, and spiritual identities influence family dynamics, child behavior, and emotional expression within play therapy settings.
2. Describe how racialized stress and intergenerational experiences of oppression may present in children’s play and family interactions.
3. Demonstrate at least two culturally responsive play therapy interventions that integrate elements of a family’s racial cultural, or spiritual identity.
4. Apply an identity-informed lens to case conceptualization by incorporating at least three identity-related factors (e.g. race, culture, spirituality, family values) into a sample case scenario.
5. Utilize at least two reflective practices to increase self awareness of personal biases, cultural assumptions, and their impact on the therapeutic relationship.
6. Develop one actionable strategy to intentionally incorporate a family’s cultural or spiritual practices into ongoing treatment planning.
Presenter: Kristian Owens, LCSW-C, RPT,
Where: In-Person – The Moose lodge 3529 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030
When: Saturday September, 26, 2026
Presentation: 9:00am-12:15pm (ET) Time
Cost: Early Bird (ends 8/14 at 11:59pm ) $80.00, Regular Rate $90.00
Student: $40.00 (With VALID ID). Send to CELESTE@crossroadsfamilycc.com
Target Audience: Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Play Therapists.
Schedule:
9:00-10:30- Discuss understanding of identity, culture and family systems in play therapy
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45- 11:30 Review culturally responsive play therapy interventions and self-reflection
11:30-12:00 Case conceptualization and treatment planning
12:00-12:15 Questions and Answers
CE INFO: This event has been approved by APT, NBCC and ASWB for 3.00 CE Hours.
- This workshop meets APT’s definition of in person Contact hours and qualifies as a Play Therapy Cultural and Social Diversity Topics
- This will be a live in person meeting.
- Participants may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussion.
- Participants must be present for the entire training and will be awarded contact CE’s upon successful completion of a course evaluation at the end of training.
- CFCC is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. CFCC maintains responsibility for the program. APT Approved Provider 13-360.
- CFCC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7493. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CFCC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- CFCC provider #2347, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 10/04/2025–10/04/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.
4. IN PERSON – Saturday 9/27 from 1:15 – 4:30pm
Register: When One Hour Isn’t Enough: Accelerating Progress Through Filial Therapy
This workshop introduces clinicians to filial play therapy, an evidence-based model of play therapy that equips parents to conduct therapeutic play sessions with their children. Participants will learn how to structure filial play therapy, teach parents foundational play therapy skills, and support families in strengthening attachment, emotional regulation, and communication. This training emphasizes practical application of
play therapy techniques within the family system, allowing clinicians to extend the impact of play therapy beyond the therapy room.
Objectives:
- Describe the theoretical foundations and structure of filial play therapy and its role within the broader framework of play therapy.
- Identify and demonstrate at least three core parent coaching skills used in filial play therapy, including tracking, reflecting feelings, and therapeutic limit setting within play therapy sessions.
- Apply play therapy principles to design a structured filial play therapy parent training plan, including session sequencing, parent coaching, and home-based play therapy implementation.
Presenter: Cathy Canfield, LCSW, RPT-S
Where: In-Person – The Moose lodge 3529 Chain Bridge Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030
When: Saturday, September, 26, 2026
Presentation: 1;15pm-4:30pm (ET) Time
Cost: Early Bird (ends 8/14 at 11:59pm ) $80.00, Regular Rate $90.00
Student: $40.00 (With VALID ID). Send to CELESTE@crossroadsfamilycc.com
Target Audience: Social Workers, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Play Therapists.
Schedule:
1:15-2:45PM Foundations of filial play therapy
2:45-3:00 Break
3:00-3:30 Review parent coaching skills and treatment planning
3:45-4;15 Discuss designing a structured filial play therapy parent training plan
4:15-4:30 Conclusion and Questions
CE INFO: This event has been approved by APT, NBCC and ASWB for 3.00 CE Hours.
- This will be a live in person meeting. This workshop meets APT’s definition of in person Contact hours. Participants may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussion.
- Participants must be present for the entire training and will be awarded contact CE’s upon successful completion of a course evaluation at the end of training.
- CFCC is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. CFCC maintains responsibility for the program. APT Approved Provider 13-360.
- CFCC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7493. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CFCC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
- CFCC provider #2347, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 10/04/2025–10/04/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.