Play therapy remains a cornerstone for fostering children’s emotional awareness, regulation, resilience, and adaptive coping skills. Yet many practitioners encounter challenges in helping children externalize and reframe maladaptive thought patterns while simultaneously cultivating empathy and social-emotional competence. While symbolic and expressive play therapy approaches are well established, a gap persists in integrating structured, evidence-based cognitive-behavioral meth methods into play therapy that explicitly target empathy and emotion regulation—two predictors strongly linked to long-term social-emotional functioning.

This workshop addresses that gap in the practice of play therapy by equipping clinicians with strategies to integrate CBT principles—specifically the Think–Feel–Act framework—into play therapy through therapeutic board games and role-play mechanics. These approaches provide children with safe, playful opportunities to explore emotions, identify cognitive distortions, and practice adaptive responses. Evidence supports this integration of CBT and Play Therapy: a meta-analysis by Salazar Kämpf et al. (2023) demonstrated that adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal are positively associated with both cognitive and affective empathy, while maladaptive strategies are linked to reduced empathy and compassion. Likewise, a comprehensive review in Psychological Bulletin (2024) found that emotion regulation is significantly associated with greater sympathy in children and adolescents, underscoring the importance of developing regulation and empathy skills early in life. In parallel, Ferreira et al. (2020) showed that therapeutic board games significantly enhance children’s emotional competences—including recognition, differentiation, and reappraisal—compared to non-emotional games. 

Together, these findings highlight a pressing need in play therapy: to bridge the therapeutic powers of play with evidence-based CBT strategies that deliberately strengthen emotional awareness, empathy, and adaptive regulation. 

Therapeutic board games and role-play activities meet this need by offering playful yet structured interventions that empower children to build empathy, practice perspective-taking, and reframe maladaptive thought patterns within the engaging context of play therapy.​

Continuing Education: This workshop meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credit if paid for registration, for Psychologists, MFTs & LCSWs and LPCC’s. The California Association for Play Therapy (CALAPT) is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (APT Approved Provider # 00-094). NO CREDIT FOR PARTIAL ATTENDANCE. APA Credit is not offered for this workshop.

Who Should Attend: Psychologists, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, School Counselors, Interns, and Students.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructional Methodology: May include PowerPoint Presentation, lecture, demonstration, experiential game play, group discussions.

Diversity Disclosure: This workshop intentionally incorporates diversity and inclusion by addressing how play therapy with CBT and role-play game elements can be adapted for children and families from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Play therapy offers a universal language that transcends verbal barriers, making it especially relevant for children from underserved and minority populations.

We will discuss strategies for modifying therapeutic board game content and emotion-labeling activities to reflect cultural values and norms, ensuring accessibility and relevance. Attention will also be given to developmental differences, neurodiversity (e.g., autism spectrum conditions, ADHD), and family systems perspectives to support inclusivity in practice. Participants will leave with tools to implement culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate play therapy interventions that respect the lived experiences of all clients.

Therapeutic Powers of Play: This workshop integrates the Therapeutic Powers of Play framework (Schaefer & Drewes, 2014). It emphasizes:

• • • Enhancing Emotional Competence: Through CBT-informed emotion labeling, role-play, and therapeutic board games, children develop self-awareness and regulation.
    • Fostering Empathy and Social Skills: Play therapy activities such as scenario-based role-play and nonverbal emotion cards enhance perspective-taking and recognition of social cues.
    • Facilitating Communication: Structured play therapy interventions provide safe opportunities for children to express difficult emotions.
    • Promoting Self-Efficacy: By making adaptive choices within game-based play, children build mastery, resilience, and confidence in real-life situations.

These Therapeutic Powers of Play are woven throughout the workshop to demonstrate the evidence-based and practical benefits of

integrating CBT with play therapy.

Play Therapy Areas:

​ ​Play Therapy History - 0 minutes

​ ​Play Therapy Theories - 15 minutes 

​ ​Play Therapy Methods & Techniques - 50 minutes 

​ ​Play Therapy Applications - 40 minutes 

​ ​Play Therapy Research - 10 minutes 

​​Play Therapy Special Topics (Diversity, Ethics, etc.) - 5 minutes 

​ ​​TOTAL: 120 minutes (2.0 hours)

Cancellations & Refunds: Requests for refunds must be made in writing by e-mail to president@calplaytherapy.org. Requests must be made at least two weeks prior to the training to receive a refund. There is a $25.00 administrative fee for refunds. There are no refunds for cancellations after the deadline, however, registration may be transferred to another individual. There are no price breaks for partial attendance.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by presenters at the CALAPT events do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the CALAPT Board of Directors or its membership. CALAPT reserves the right to make changes to the conference schedule, speakers and presentation, if this becomes necessary.

Accessibility Information: CALAPT is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. Please contact president@calplaytherapy.org to request disability accommodations per ADA/504. Advance notice is necessary to arrange some accessibility needs. Please provide notification two weeks prior to the workshop date.

Health and Safety Information: CALAPT follows all guidance and recommendations set forth by the CDC and other state, local, and federal healthy and safety governance.

Questions and Concerns: Contact us at president@calplaytherapy.org with any event or registration related questions or concerns.