British Columbia Play Therapy Association

Do better. #TransAwarenessWeek

I know seeing our children wield their play swords and point their pretend guns can be triggering. As parents, we want our children to be l...oving and kind. Our worst fear is raising mean, violent social deviants, am I right? Our first instinct during these moments is often to shut it down and say "Play nicely with the toys!" as we nervously smile at other parents. But here's the thing - play = learning. Children use play to learn and explore deep human themes like right vs wrong, good vs evil, safety vs danger, power vs vulnerability. Play is children's vehicle for processing what they are exposed to. So yes, being around violence (via real life or through media) can influence children's play and lead to more aggression (through play or behavior) but pretend play that has aggressive undertones doesn't necessarily equate to more violence towards others. What's most important is to ask yourself, "Can my child play nicely with others? Do they get along with their peers?" If they're struggling with social interactions, then absolutely, they will need more support in learning social and coping skills. I'll make a follow up post with some helpful tips to keep in mind about weapon play. For now, what questions do you have about this topic? Do you remember engaging in weapon play as a child? How did your parents respond? What fears come up when you see your child(ren) engage in weapon play? Sound off in the comments! PS: Have you grabbed your copy of the Play Challenge Workbook?! It's comprised of tips and important things to keep in mind about play. It also includes helpful reflection exercises. Link in my bio to snag your free copy. See more

A virtual Play Café Event! This Play Café will cover some basic ideas and frameworks for using sandtray and sandplay therapy with couples. When couples reach an impasse in their relationship, a great deal of emotional energy is devoted to disagreements and conflict with little energy left to seek creative solutions. Partners often differ in their love language and communication style which can make it difficult to ‘talk’ through relational conflicts towards resolution. Accord...ing to Zappacosta (2004), non-verbal therapies such as sandtray can play an important role in helping couples externalize their experiences within their relationship and for each person individually. Carly works as a child and family therapist for a Burnaby non-profit and has a small private practice in her local community of New Westminster. Carly has also been a part of the BCPTA Education Committee for several years. We are very excited to Welcome Carly for our December Play Café event! Registration opening soon! bcplaytherapy.ca

"Many parents overlook play as a tool for discipline, Markham says. But fantasy play offers oodles of opportunities to teach children proper behavior. "Play is their work," Markham says. "That's how they learn about the world and about their experiences." Which seems to be something the Inuit have known for hundreds, perhaps even, thousands of years."

It looks like more terms have been added - the list continues to grow!

Who else can relate?

Guide from @ohhappydani on going from "information overload" to action and purpose Here's how she breaks it down: " General knowledge (what most of you h...ave done already) - gaining a broad understanding of the topic at hand Topical research - honing in on specific aspects of the larger cause while gaining specialized insight & context Pairing passion with a cause - HERE is where I want most of you to camp out next. I recently asked you all what stirs your heart - and you gave me so many beautiful answers. It is 100% possible to use your purpose as a tool in seeking justice. Aligned action - Identifying your skills, gifts, and talents, and using them to leave your mark on your world." #iweigh #allyship #activism

Guide from @ohhappydani on going from "information overload" to action and purpose Here's how she breaks it down: " General knowledge (what most of you h...ave done already) - gaining a broad understanding of the topic at hand Topical research - honing in on specific aspects of the larger cause while gaining specialized insight & context Pairing passion with a cause - HERE is where I want most of you to camp out next. I recently asked you all what stirs your heart - and you gave me so many beautiful answers. It is 100% possible to use your purpose as a tool in seeking justice. Aligned action - Identifying your skills, gifts, and talents, and using them to leave your mark on your world." #iweigh #allyship #activism

"This is about not repeating damaging mistakes for our future generations." Guide by @everydayracism_ @ London, United Kingdom

Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi Description A #1 New York Times Bestseller Featured in its own episode in the Netflix original show Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices ... Featured on Good Morning America, NPR's Morning Edition, CBS This Morning, and more From the National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist comes a fresh new board book that empowers parents and children to uproot racism in our society and in ourselves. Take your first steps with Antiracist Baby Or rather, follow Antiracist Baby's nine easy steps for building a more equitable world. With bold art and thoughtful yet playful text, Antiracist Baby introduces the youngest readers and the grown-ups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism. Providing the language necessary to begin critical conversations at the earliest age, Antiracist Baby is the perfect gift for readers of all ages dedicated to forming a just society.

As requested by Geoff Kagan Trenchard, here is the list of Gender Neutral Terms to Address a Group that my 4th graders brainstormed! (Cropped, but with room to add more)

This is so true!

Many of you asked what to listen for when interviewing for a new therapist in response to a previous IG post. I, Melody Li, have compiled a few of my top "red f...lags" to watch out for when asking a therapist about the identity work that they've personally done. Folks with marginalized identities seeking care is an especially vulnerable process. (I initially built our social justice-oriented directory in response to many of us that have been burned by therapists). You have the right to know what healing and transformation work the therapist has done and continues to do before considering starting a therapeutic relationship. If they are not healing, how would they guide you? You hold the power to interview the therapist. If you encounter any of these "red flags", you have the power to move on without explanation. You do not owe it to them to share how their response impacts you - although you can if it feels empowering to do so. If you do express confusion or concern, the therapist's level of receptiveness, humility, and responsiveness may give you some indication of how openly they receive feedback in the therapeutic space. This is important! I see these "red flags" DAILY within mental health professional settings when therapists discuss their work and their clients. I'm sharing them with you so you can be more informed and empowered and to hopefully avoid gaslighting or inequitable power dynamics in what is supposed to be your sacred healing space. I hope that these are helpful, and I invite our community to share more with us in the comments. Kind reminder: our labor is not free. If this content is helpful for you, please consider supporting us by donating or purchasing a t-shirt or sweater on our store (link in the comments). We appreciate our community's support! [Image description in alt text]

Join us for this amazing online training opportunity!! https://www.bcplaytherapy.ca/eve/two-days-with-candy-smith/

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the recent passing of Dr. Charles Schaefer, considered as one of the founders of play therapy. Together with Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Dr. Schaefer founded the Association for Play Therapy in 1982 with the intention of creating a space where professionals could connect to learn and grow in their work with children through the magic of play therapy. Dr. Schaefer has written/edited over 100 books and articles on Play Therapy, was a champion of play and its healing qualities in therapy and promoted research to support the evidence base. Thank you Dr. Schaefer for all that you have done to support children in their healing journey. On behalf of all of our board and committee members, we appreciate you

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day! https://beyond.ubc.ca/orange-shirt-day/

A good reminder. All feelings are ok!