Play Therapy to Address Suicidality Across the Lifespan Workshop Pasadena 9.12.26

Facilitator: April Duncan, DSW, LCSW, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™

Training date: September 12th, 2026 

Session time: 9:00 am-3:30 pm PST 

Location: Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 1972 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103

APT Continuing Education Hours: 5.0 APT Contact CEs 

Description:

As mental health professionals & play therapists, we have a duty to clients of all ages to effectively identify, document and treat clients who are at risk of harming themselves. This workshop will provide play therapists with the skills to provide ethically-sound support to clients across the play therapy process. Attendees will engage in experiential activities to assess and treat suicide risk in the playroom. Time will also be spent identifying play themes that may signal self-harm or suicidal risk in play therapy sessions. Play therapy interventions to support safety both in and out of the playroom will be explored, along with play-based strategies to support those who may be at higher risk of suicide including children of color and LGBTQ youth.

Learning objectives: 

1. Identify play themes that may signal issues around self-harm in play therapy sessions.
2. Utilize play therapy interventions to support clients who display signs of self-harm.
3. Analyze play therapy interventions to assess suicide risk in children of all ages.
4. Describe play therapy interventions to decrease suicidal risk in children & adolescents.
5. Explain key items in the playroom to support youth experiencing suicidality.

Agenda

• 9:00 am-10:30 am Lecture & experiential learning 
• 10:30 am-10:40 am Break 
• 10:40 am-12:10 pm Lecture & experiential learning 
• 12:10 pm-12:20 pm Break 
• 12:20 pm-1:50 pm Lecture & experiential learning 
• 1:50 pm-2:00 pm Break 
• 2:00 pm-3:20 pm Lecture & experiential learning 
• 3:30 pm-3:30 pm Q&A and wrap-up