Lupine Wellness Center to Hold a Play Therapy Symposium

The Lupine Wellness Center (Lupine) at Arkansas State University (A-State) will host its first ever Play Therapy Symposium in conjunction with co-sponsors, the Play Therapy Education & Research Center at A-State and Crescent Counseling.

A pre-symposium will be held from 11:30 to 12:30 on Friday, July 11 and the full symposium speaker schedule and vendors will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. Both days will be held at 330 University Loop in the Education/Communications building with registration being held in the lobby.

The pre-symposium will include a lunch session on July 11 from 11:30 to 12:30 with a cost of $15. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch for a presentation by Assistant Professor Dr. Patrice Parkinson and Associate Professor Dr. Savannah Cormier, where the duo will teach participants two play therapy interventions that are immediately usable.

Saturday’s Symposium includes five breakout sessions. Participants are given two options for attendance and cost with a half day of workshops costing $30 and a full day of workshops costing $50. Participants can register and pay at https://www.crescentcounselingpllc.com/trainings.

Saturday’s schedule will begin with registration check-in, sign-in, & raffle entry at 10:00 a.m. in the lobby of the A-State education building. Breakout sessions begin at 10:30 with two sessions available from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Participants can choose from a beginner’s level session “Introduction to Play Therapy” presented by Dr. Parkinson and Kayla Morris, and an advanced level session “Synergetic Play Therapy” presented by Dr.  Cormier and Hannah Dobson.

Following a 10-minute break, Dr. Cormier and Neely Boyd will present an “Animal-Assisted Play Therapy” session from 11:40 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

From 12:40 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. there will be a lunch break & vendors’ session on the second floor. Snacks will be available, but participants are encouraged to also visit the Carl R. Reng Student Union to purchase lunch. The raffle winner will also be chosen during this time.

The final session of the day will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The final presentation, titled “Connecting Inside the Sandbox: Integrating Play Therapy and Creativity into Supervision and Counseling,” will be presented by Dr. Cormier and Dr. Lacy Overley.

The event is designed to both support the continued growth of local play therapists and raise funds to support Lupine and its programs. All services at the Lupine are provided either free or at low-cost, sliding fee scale. Funds raised go directly to support Lupine’s goal of providing accessible, affirming mental health services and high-quality training experiences for future clinicians.

This event offers valuable professional development opportunities for independent and provisionally licensed mental health professionals and students interested in play therapy. Participants will gain A-State approved* and Play Therapy Approved provider contact/live continuing education credits that count toward the Registered Play Therapist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor credential/credential renewal. Participants will have the opportunity to earn up to 4.5 contact continuing education units.

Continuing education credit is only available to those in the mental health field. Administrators, educators, parents, and general population are welcome to attend but may not find the content as relevant as other events promoted by Lupine and may not receive Play Therapy education credits toward the Registered Play Therapist credential.

To celebrate the first symposium, Lupine is adding a raffle to early registration. One of the first 10 people to register for Saturday’s symposium will receive a gift from Crescent Counseling’s Mugs and Things shop, featuring playful and inspiring items for therapists and helpers. A raffle will also be held during the symposium on Saturday with the winning participant receiving a gift basket, as well.

For more information about the Play Therapy Symposium or to sign up as a vendor, please contact Dr. Savannah Cormier at scormier@AState.edu.