The Healing Power Of Play Therapy

Dora Henderson is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S™) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Qualified Supervisor (LMHC-QS), specializing in integrating the power of play with EMDR and the integration of neuroscience with play therapy. She is also a TraumaPlay™ Supervisor and an EMDR Consultant-in-Training, and the co-host of the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summit at the Beach. Dora is passionate about helping individuals of all ages heal from traumatic experiences and move towards a happier, healthier life. She has training and certifications in various areas, to include Sand Tray Therapy, TraumaPlay™ , Theraplay®, MAP, Adlerian therapy, as well as the Safe & Sound Protocol. Dora is also the creator of beautiful puppets and books, to including Neuro & the Ception Force Friends™ series, Polly Vagale, Neuro & The Ception Force Friends and The Vagus Nerve Super Highway, as well as the Adventures of Sandi & Clammy series. Her trainings, consultations and supervision, and professional work integrates play, puppetry, expressive arts, and neuroscience in easy-to-use and family-friendly ways.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dora Henderson maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Dora Henderson receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dora Henderson is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and the EMDR International Association.

Dr. Dan Siegel is the founder and director of education of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, where he was also co-principal investigator of the Center for Culture, Brain and Development and clinical professor of psychiatry at The School of Medicine.

An award-winning educator, Dan is the author of five New York Times bestsellers and over fifteen other books which have been translated into over forty languages. As the founding editor of the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology (“IPNB”), Dan has overseen the publication of over one hundred books in the transdisciplinary IPNB frame which focuses on the mind and mental health.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dan completed his postgraduate training at UCLA specializing in pediatrics, and adult, adolescent, and child psychiatry. He was trained in attachment research and narrative analysis through a National Institute of Mental Health research training fellowship focusing on how relationships shape our autobiographical ways of making sense of our lives and influence our development across the lifespan.

Speaker Disclosures
Financial: Dr. Dan Siegel serves as the Medical Director at the Lifespan Learning Institute and is the Co-Founder and Director of Education at the Mindsight Institute. He is also the founding editor of the Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology. Dr. Siegel receives royalties as a published author and serves as a scientific advisor for the Inner Development Goals initiative and as an advisor for the Center for Child Well-Being. Additionally, he receives honoraria and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. Dr. Siegel has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Dan Siegel is an honorary member of the Austrian Federal Association for Mindfulness. He also serves on the Board of the Garrison Institute and as an advisory board member for both Gloo and Convergence.

Paris Goodyear-Brown, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S™ and approved EMDR consultant, is the creator of TraumaPlay™, the executive director of the TraumaPlay Institute, the clinical director of Nurture House, and an adjunct instructor of psychiatric mental health at Vanderbilt University. She is a Ted Talk speaker, a master clinician, a thought leader in the fields of child trauma and play therapy globally, has received the APT award for Play Therapy Promotion and Education, and served as the executive director of the Lipscomb Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Center. She is on the board of TNAPT and has written over twenty chapters and articles as well as twelve books, including Trauma and Play Therapy, Parents as Partners in Child Therapy, Big Behaviors in Small Containers, and her newest edited volume Polyvagal Power in the Playroom. Paris delights in serving traumatized children and families locally, loves to travel with her family, and finds great joy in equipping child trauma therapists all over the world.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Paris Goodyear-Brown maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with TraumaPlay Institute, Vanderbilt University, and Nurture House. She receives royalties as a published author and compensation as a consultant. Paris Goodyear-Brown receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Paris Goodyear-Brown is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and the National Association of Social Workers.

Sophia Ansari, LCPC, LPCC, RPT™ is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist™, as well as an author, international speaker, activist, and owner of the Let’s Play Therapy Institute. She brings a deep passion for mental health, education, and community empowerment.

Sophia works with schools and organizations around the world to create strength-based, inclusive learning environments. Known for her creative approach to therapy, she incorporates pop culture, video games, and storytelling into her work and has shared her insights through publications, Comic-Con panels, and global trainings.

She also co-hosts Hero Nation, a podcast on the Geek Therapy Network that explores how media and geek culture can support mental health. Sophia holds a B.S. in biology from Wright State University and an M.A. in mental health counseling from the University of Cincinnati.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sophia Ansari is the owner of Let’s Play Therapy Institute. Sophia Ansari receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sophia Ansari has no relevant financial relationships.

Alvin Bonds, II is dually licensed in Tennessee as a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC/MHSP). Alvin currently owns a group private practice in Jackson, TN where he provides clinical oversight to other clinicians, as well as individually seeing clients of all ages and presenting issues. Alvin has obtained the credential of National Certified Counselor (NCC), as well as Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Alvin is currently working on his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University and has a passion for teaching and supervision and provides guidance not only to master-level counselors in training. Alvin is a Registered Play Therapist - Supervisor (RPT-S™) and through his practice, is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education and coordinates various training programs on play therapy and other topics to offer continuing education to mental health professionals.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Alvin Bonds, II is the owner of Revelation of Hope Counseling Services, LLC. He has an employment relationship with Revelation of Hope Foundation, Inc. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Alvin Bonds, II is a member of the American Counseling Association, Association For Play Therapy, Tennessee Association of Marital and Family Therapy, Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor Association and is a clinical fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S™, is an international teacher, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, creator of the Business of Therapy and host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast. She is the author of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity and is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Dion maintains a private practice and is the founder and president of Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and co-founder of Synergetic Education Institute. She receives royalties as a published author. Lisa Dion is the creator and host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Dion is a member of the Association of Play Therapy.

Janet A Courtney, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S™, is founder of FirstPlay Therapy®. She is a Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor, TEDx Speaker and past Chair of the Association for Play Therapy Ethics and Practice Committee and past President of the Florida Association for Play Therapy, FirstPlay Therapy was awarded third place overall in the Best Practices Showcase for FirstPlay Therapy at the First 1000 Days Infant Mental Health Summit (2018) along with the Children’s Healing Institute. She is author and editor of the following books: Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Programs, Models and Practice, and Healing Child and Family Trauma through Expressive and Play Therapies: Art, Nature, Storytelling, Body & Mindfulness and Nature-based Play & Expressive Therapies: Interventions for Children, Teens and Families, and Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide. Her research in practitioner experiences of training in touch and Developmental Play Therapy is published in the American Journal of Art Therapy and the International Journal of Play Therapy. She is a contributing author in several books including Play-based Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the book Environmental Expressive Therapies (2017), and Play Therapy Supervision (2023). She is also published in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture. She offers a certification in FirstPlay Therapy® and provides training to professionals in the Ethical and Clinical Competencies of Touch, FirstPlay® Therapy, Ericksonian-based StoryPlay®, Expressive Therapies, and Nature-based Play Therapy. She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally including Bali, Indonesia, the Cayman Islands, England, Ireland, Morocco, Russia and the Ukraine. She is a provider through the Florida state boards of Mental Health and Massage Therapy, and an approved provider through the Association for Play Therapy. She specializes in infant mental health and infant play therapy, attachment, and Trauma related issues. Dr. Courtney’s new form of Kinesthetic Storytelling® can be found in her children’s book, The Magic Rainbow. Website: www.firstplaytherapy.com

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Janet Courtney is founder of FirstPlay™ Therapy, FirstPlay Café Podcast, and FirstPlay® Café. She is in private practice, has employment relationships with Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work and Barry University, and is a consultant for Barry University Play Therapy Educational Center Curriculum School of Social Work and Continuing Education through the Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Courtney receives royalties as a published author and receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Janet Courtney is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, World Association for Infant Mental Health, and the International Association for the Study of Affective Touch.

Heather Fairlee Denbrough (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor™ and Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor with more than a decade of play experience. Her specialty areas are young children and early childhood, developmental trauma. Attachment issues, parent-child relational problems, suicidal ideation in young children, Synergetic Play Therapy, the nervous system and its role in therapy, parent reflective work/inner work, and reflective supervision.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Heather Denbrough has employment relationships with Playful Integration, Wonders Counseling Online School for Mental Health Professionals, and Children’s Center. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Heather Denbrough is a member of the Association for Play Therapy.

 

Clair Mellenthin, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S™, is an international speaker, author, psychologist, and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Throughout her career, she has specialized in providing play therapy to children, teens, and their families. She is currently the Director of Child & Adolescents at Wasatch Family Therapy. Ms. Mellenthin frequently presents professional play therapy and family therapy trainings on Attachment-Centered Play Therapy, Family, and Trauma issues both nationally and internationally.

Ms. Mellenthin is a sought-after supervisor, training graduate students and interns in play therapy, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Southern California MSW program. She is the past-president of the Utah Association for Play Therapy and remains an active member on the Board of Directors. She is the author of the books Attachment Centered Play Therapy; Play Therapy: Engaging & Powerful Techniques for the Treatment of Childhood Disorders; My Many Colors of Me Workbookand has authored several chapters and articles. In addition to being an experienced play therapist and professor, Ms. Mellenthin also appears on local and national TV and radio as an expert on children and family issues. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Clair Mellenthin has an employment relationship with Wasatch Family Therapy. She is a published author and receives royalties. Clair Mellenthin receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Clair Mellenthin is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Play Therapy.

Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S™, RST-C/T, is a licensed clinical social worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and Registered Sand Therapist Consultant/Trainer with over 25 years of experience working with children, families, and individuals. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and is internationally recognized for her innovative contributions to play therapy. Tammi is the author of Casey’s Greatness Wings and The Bibliotherapy Toolbox: 100+ Creative and Playful Story-Based Interventions to Help Kids Create Safety, Overcome Challenges, and Build Resiliency. She is also the creator of Greatness Sticks, a tool designed to foster resilience and self-esteem in children. A leader in the field, Tammi played a pivotal role in co-teaching the first-ever Sandtray therapy class in China, helping introduce this transformative modality to the country. She is founding board member of the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals (WASTP), an organization dedicated to upholding the integrity of sand therapy through research, training, ethical standards, and global community building. Tammi is a sought-after international speaker and delivered her first TEDx Talk in October 2023, titled Stories in the Sand: Healing Trauma, Anxiety, and Grief.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Tammi Van Hollander is the owner of Main Line Therapy, LLC. She receives royalties as a published author. Tammi Van Hollander receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Tammi Van Hollander is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and the National Association for Social Workers. She is a board member of the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals and a program committee chair for the Specialists of Schools.

Liliana Baylon, LMFT-S, RPT-S™ has a master’s degree in counseling & Marriage, Family & Child Therapy as well as an MBA from University of Phoenix in Colorado. Since entering the therapy field, Liliana has developed an interest and niche in treating children and families who have experienced trauma, and multicultural issues from an attachment lens. To better treat these populations, Liliana has received training in different modalities, some of which she is a trained educator.

Liliana is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Synergetic Play Therapy Consultant, EFT Supervisor, EMDR Certified, TheraPlay Level 1, Independent Facilitator of the Becoming a Love and Logic Parent Curriculum, Bring Baby Home Gottman Trained Educator, Gottman Seven Principles Program Educator, completed Level 2 Training in Gottman Couples Therapy.

Liliana brings a unique cultural lens into her therapy and supervision sessions. Liliana is passionate about working with fellow mental health professionals to embrace curiosity, inspiration, and discover meaning to rise to their full potential from attachment to and cultural lenses. Liliana offers workshops in the field of mental health and cultural opportunity for psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers and consultations for agencies, schools, private practices, mental health centers & nonprofits in English and Spanish.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lilliana Baylon maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Healing Relationships Counseling SVC, PLLC. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lilliana Baylon is a member of the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Colorado Counseling Association, the Association for Play Therapy, the EMDR International Association, Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

The late Carmen Jimenez-Pride, was the creative mind behind Focus on Feelings®, an emotional literacy curriculum, a licensed clinical social worker, registered play therapist supervisor, certified AutPlay® therapy provider, certified EMDR therapist, registered children’s yoga teacher, certified IFS therapist, and a certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator.

Carmen was a trauma therapist experienced in the clinical treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with culturally diverse backgrounds addressing a wide range of concerns. Carmen’s career in the mental health field spanned more than 15 years.

She was an international speaker, award-winning best-selling author, and business consultant. Carmen was a visionary in the therapeutic community, working to create and develop a wide range of educational tools to assist the clinician, and the client to reach optimum goals. With a focus on cultural humility and cultural diversity, Carmen educated clinical professionals to address racial and cultural trauma within their clinical practices.

Carmen served as the South Carolina Association for Play Therapy President and was the recipient of the 2021 Association for Play Therapy Emerging Leader Award. She also served as the diversity and inclusion director of the Internal Sandtray Therapy Association.

Carmen was the developer of Diversity in Play Therapy Inc.; and the Diversity in Play Therapy Summit. She was also the developer and publisher of Focus on Feelings®.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Carmen Jimenez-Pride had employment relationships with Internal Family Systems Institute and Outspoken Counseling and Consulting, LLC. She was a published author and receives royalties. She received a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She had no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Carmen Jimenez-Pride was a member of the National Association for Addiction Professionals, National Association of Social Workers, and Association for Play Therapy.

 

Dafna Lender, LCSW, is an international trainer and supervisor for practitioners who work with children and families. She is a certified trainer and supervisor/consultant in both Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and an EMDR therapist. Dafna’s expertise is drawn from 25 years of working with families with attachment in many settings: at-risk after school programs, therapeutic foster care, in-home crisis stabilization, residential care and private practice. Dafna’s style, whether as a therapist or teacher, is combining the light-hearted with the profound by bringing a playful, intense and passionate presence to every encounter. Dafna is the author of Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (2023) and co-author of Theraplay® - The Practitioner’s Guide (2020).

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dafna Lender maintains a private practice. She is a published author and receives royalties. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dafna Lender has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Ana M. Gómez, MC, LPC, is the founder and director of the AGATE Institute in Phoenix, AZ. She is a world-renowned expert on the treatment of complex trauma, intergenerational trauma and dissociation and the use of EMDR therapy and adjunct approaches with children and adolescents. She is a psychotherapist with over 25 years of clinical experience and an EMDR Trainer of Trainers. Ana has led workshops and keynote presentations in five continents and over 20 countries and is the author of EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation and several children's books, book chapters and articles on the use of EMDR therapy, dissociation, emotional awareness and literacy.

Ana has developed numerous training programs and protocols that include the EMDR-Sandtray Protocol and The Systemic, EMDR-Attachment Informed Program to Heal Intergenerational Trauma & Repair the Parent-Child Attachment Bond.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Ana Gómez maintains a private practice, is the founder, trainer, and director of AGATE Institute, and is an EMDRIA approved consultant and training provider. She receives royalties as a published author. Ana Gómez receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Ana Gómez has no relevant non-financial relationships.