Who Am I: Play Therapists Using Sandtray to Examine Culture

Karen Pernet

Training Description

As our communities become more diverse, therapists need to be comfortable exploring our own culture and its effect of our work. The goal of this training is, using the modality of sandtray, to create a safe space where participants can reflect on her or his own culture-defined as a “a broad multidimensional concept that includes ethnicity, race, gender, social class, sexual orientation and so on.”  The training is highly experiential:  each person will create an individual sandtray and discuss both the content and the process.  As a group we will engage in a conversation relating our own culture to our work as play therapists.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to describe the process of play therapists creating a cultural sandtray
• Participants will be able to list 2 advantages for play therapists examining their culture using the modality of sandtray vs a didactic approach
• Participants will be able to discuss 2 ways that the cultural sandtray deepened their self-awareness as individuals and as play therapists

Agenda

9:00-9:15 Introduction; Each Chose a figure that represents how each participant feels in the moment

9:15-9:45 Goal of workshop; Definition of Culture; Review slides of previously created culture trays

9:45-11:00 Each Participant creates individual sandtray, takes a few notes and a photo; Trainer processes with each person-“Tell me about your tray”

11:00-11:15 Break (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

11:15-12:15 PM Group discussion of experience: Strengths; Issues; Looking at ethnicity & race; gender; class; power differentials; Thoughts about using sandtray to explore culture & how you can use this professionally

12:15-12:30 Evaluations and Adjournment

Meet Our Trainer

Karen Pernet has been in practice for over 25 years and specializes in play therapy and sandtray for people of all ages. She uses her training as a Play Therapist, a Gestalt Therapist and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) to enhance the sandtray experience. Karen has a personal as well as a professional interest in the topic of culture and diversity.

This course meets the qualifications for (3.25) BBS CEUs for LCSWs and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.