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Proven, developmentally appropriate interventions for trauma, attachment, and behavioural challenges
 

Play is the universal language of children. It’s how they make sense of the world.

That’s what makes Play Therapy so powerful.

With this gentle approach, you can reach even the most dysregulated young clients and help them heal attachment wounds and trauma…

...So they can finally feel safe, express their emotional needs, and thrive.

At this immersive 2 day Play Therapy Retreat, you’ll discover how to:

  • Effortlessly create safety and trust with young clients
  • See through even the most intense behaviours to recognize what young clients are really saying
  • Apply developmentally appropriate techniques to help children resolve their core emotional struggles

Join renowned Psychologist and Play Therapist Anna Clarke for this hands-on training at the stunning Quarantine Station Hotel, at North Head, Sydney.

You’ll hone your skills with in-person practice and coaching from one of the leading Play Therapists in Australia...

...So no matter your clinical background, you’ll finish the programme feeling confident and prepared to apply these gentle and effective interventions with your young clients right away.

This experiential retreat is only available to 25 clinicians. Our retreats fill up quickly, so register now to secure your spot.

Play Therapy Training Retreat
Presented by by Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons

8-9 May, 2025 | Quarantine Station, Manly | Maximum of 25 participants

This week only! Save up to $400 with Early Registration!

Includes 19.25 CPD Hours

A Unique Getaway:
Experience the Natural Beauty of Quarantine Station

 
Tucked away inside a stunning national park, the historic Quarantine Station hotel offers spectacular views of Sydney Harbor, delicious food, a private swimming beach, and luxurious accommodations.

Past attendees say they felt transformed on both a personal and professional level – confidently equipped with powerful new tools and practices from Polyvagal theory and refreshed and revitalized by their surroundings.

Enjoy two days immersed in the secluded refuge at this boutique hotel. Your daily retreat schedule is designed to allow ample personal time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and amenities, including direct access to Sydney Harbor National Park and professionally guided tours of this fascinating historic site.

Whether you’re relaxing among native wildflowers or exploring Manly’s hidden coves and beaches by kayak, you’re sure to enjoy every aspect of your stay here.

You’ll have plenty of time to hone your clinical skills, and you’ll also have time to unwind, rejuvenate, and connect with yourself and your community of colleagues… all at this remarkable place.

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Q Station – North Head, Sydney
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Q Station – North Head, Sydney
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Q Station – North Head, Sydney
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Q Station – North Head, Sydney

Two Registration Options:

Non-Residential Package
  • 2 days of live in person training
  • Enjoy the historic setting of Quarantine Station, with panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and Manly Cove
  • Lunch, Dinner, and unlimited coffee and tea included
  • Free parking



This training option is perfect for you if...

You live in or near Sydney. You’re excited to advance your practice with this immersive in-person training and at the end of the day you can still return to the comfort of your own home.

Regular price: $1,199 – Early Registration is $799


Residential Package
  • 2 days of live in person training
  • Luxurious accommodation on-site at the historic Quarantine Station boutique hotel
  • All meals included
  • Free parking



This all-inclusive package is perfect for you if...

You are traveling to the retreat from out-of-town or want an immersive learning experience and a chance to relax and rejuvenate in a unique and beautiful setting.

Regular price: $2,499 – Early Registration is $2,299

*Only 5 residential spots still available: join now before the retreat fills up!



CANCELATION POLICY: 50% refund will be allowed up till 30 days from the training day.

Early Registration is about to close — act now to lock in your savings!

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Play Therapy Training Retreat
Presented by by Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons

8-9 May, 2025 | Quarantine Station, Manly | Maximum of 25 participants

This week only! Save up to $400 with Early Registration!

Includes 19.25 CPD Hours

Your Retreat Agenda:

In this hands-on experiential learning programme, you will practice specific play therapy techniques in person and build your confidence applying them in a safe and supportive environment.

You’ll leave with:

  • Step-by-step applications and interventions from Play Therapy to help children regulate their emotions and feel safe and calm
  • Clinical insights to effortlessly integrate Play Therapy into your existing therapy approach, no matter what modalities you currently use
  • Practical Play Therapy resources and tools that you can confidently use in your practice right away

Day 1 - 8th May, 2025
 
  • Why Play Therapy Works
    • Discover the foundational theories of play therapy
    • How play therapy can accelerate and enhance your therapeutic outcomes with young clients
    • Dive into the ethics of play therapy
    • Essential legal considerations in Australia
    • Appropriate boundaries in your play therapy practice
  • Building a Strong Therapeutic Alliance with Young Clients
    • The rapport-building activities that engage children
    • Keys to creating a strong foundation for therapeutic play
    • What to do when a young client won’t engage
  • Adapting Your Practice to the Needs of Young Clients
    • The key differences between working with young clients and adults
      • Setting realistic goals for each developmental stage
    • How to choose developmentally appropriate interventions for each child’s needs
    • Effective, child-centred communication strategies that foster trust and understanding
    • Considerations for adapting Play Therapy to Telehealth
  • The 4 Essential Play Therapy Skills
    • Empathic connection for emotional regulation
    • Mirroring for age-appropriate communication
    • Limit setting to ensure safety
    • Pacing and how to start and end play therapy sessions
  • Key Emotional Expression Skills for Young Clients
    • How to build emotional literacy with play therapy
    • How to help young clients name and express their emotions in developmentally appropriate ways
  • Setting Boundaries and Limits
    • Techniques for setting clear boundaries and limits within play therapy sessions
    • Hands-on exercises in limit-setting



Day 2 - 9th May, 2025
 
  • Choosing the Right Interventions for Each Client
    • Differentiate between directive and non-directive play approaches
    • Case studies: When to use directive play and non-directive play in your practise
  • Neurodivergent- and trauma-informed adaptations to play therapy
    • Working with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
    • The role of Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCES)
    • The critical protective factors for supporting young clients’ wellbeing
  • Healing Attachment Wounds through Play Therapy
    • Interventions to promote healthy attachment behaviours between children and parents
    • Using play to decrease shame
  • Working with Parents and Caregivers
    • Common challenges for working with parents and caregivers
    • Explaining expected benefits for children and key therapeutic principles to families and caregivers
    • How to engage parents and caregivers inside and outside the therapy room
  • Using Play Therapy for Each Developmental Stage
    • Practise techniques for identifying therapeutic themes
    • How to ensure therapeutic goals are aligned with the child’s developmental needs

Play Therapy Training Retreat
Presented by by Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons

8-9 May, 2025 | Quarantine Station, Manly | Maximum of 25 participants

This week only! Save up to $400 with Early Registration!

Includes 19.25 CPD Hours


BONUS! Take your skills further with this complimentary bonus package. Register for the retreat today to lock in this special offer.

Bonus 1: Integrating IFS Skills and Synergetic Play Therapy
Includes 1.25 CPD Hours
A $69 Value – Yours FREE


Take your Play Therapy interventions further with Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. In this focused workshop, you’ll discover how to skillfully apply practical, age-appropriate interventions for young clients from both Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Synergestic Play Therapy. Find out how these two popular modalities complement each other in child and family therapy and finish the workshop with:

  • Powerful techniques for establishing safety and rapport with young clients
  • Developmentally appropriate tools to apply parts work successfully with young clients including sand play, toys, art and talk- based therapies
  • Key skills for attuning to your own parts and ways of tracking and tending to parts that become activated both in and outside of sessions
This product is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with the IFS Institute and does not qualify for IFS Institute credits or certification.
Bonus 2: Art Therapy for Children and Adolescents – Including art in existing assessment & treatment approaches
Includes 6 CPD Hours
A $249 Value – Yours FREE


Discover how to use Art Therapy to help your clients process childhood life experiences, communicate ideas, fantasies, and beliefs in this comprehensive programme.

Art Therapy is a practical, developmentally appropriate way to engage young clients in the process of play and explore emotional and behavioural issues as they arise. In this training, you’ll learn how Art Therapy interventions can also reveal impasses, blocks, and disturbances in thinking and feeling as difficult issues start to surface in the therapeutic process.

In this bonus programme, you’ll discover how to:
  • Tailor Art Therapy interventions to each young client’s specific needs and context
  • Process symbolic messages with different age groups
  • Enhance therapeutic skills in non-verbal assessment and intervention
  • Apply alternative communication techniques when working with children and young people
  • Understand ethical and legality issues regarding the art made in therapeutic settings

Meet Your Retreat Leader


Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons
Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons, is a Psychologist and Play Therapist with a passion for supporting children and young people. With a background in Out of Home Care, they are passionate about the transformative powers of play in building healthier relationships and supporting emotion regulation. Anna holds a Master in Child Play Therapy and collaborates with parents, carers, schools, and stakeholders to provide collaborative care. They are passionate about early intervention, approaching behaviours through a trauma-informed and Neurodiversity-Affirming lens.

Anna actively advocates for Neurodiversity-Affirming approaches to therapy. Anna is also experienced working with survivors of sexual assault and family violence. They are currently part of the Witness Intermediary Pilot Scheme within the Tasmanian Department of Justice, where they conduct communication assessments during police interviews and court proceedings.

Click here for information about Anna Clarke

Play Therapy Training Retreat
Presented by by Anna Clarke, MAPT, BPsych Hons

8-9 May, 2025 | Quarantine Station, Manly | Maximum of 25 participants

This week only! Save up to $400 with Early Registration!

Includes 19.25 CPD Hours


NOTE: No additional discounts or coupons may be applied to this online retreat.
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