IDEALS of Kentucky offers five options for training therapists, plus supervision leading to certification in RE Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, and Filial Therapy.  Supervision is described under the Certification section.

• One day add-on training in RE Therapy in communities that have active MML programs
• 3 day RE therapy training
• 2 day Child-Centered Play therapy training
• 2 day training in the Parenting Skills program
• 2 day training in Filial therapy

These trainings are offered yearly at IDEALS of Kentucky, around the country, and also at the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE).  See NIRE workshops by visiting www.nire.org 

Current workshop dates are listed in Events.

Below is a brief description of each workshop.

9 Hour Add-on in RE Therapy for Communities Who Have Active MML Programs

This is a new option for licensed or supervised therapists who have attended MML classes and Leader Training.  Once a therapist knows the 10 RE skills and how to teach the skills using MML materials, there is minimal additional content to equip a therapist to use RE effectively in therapy situations.  This training is being offered as a post-institute at the 2008 Smart Marriages Conference in a 7.5 hour format.  See www.smartmarriages.com for details.

The additional content includes:

• Intake procedures–which set the tone for the entire therapy process
• Helping fragile couples manage conflict and volatility; diminishing any threat of violence
• Use of a therapist’s empathic capacity to help couples say what they need to say to each other and hear what they need to hear from each other–techniques we call Becoming, Troubleshooting, and Laundering
•  Working in crisis situations–”This had better be good or I’m calling a divorce lawyer tomorrow.”

The 10 Hour add-on training covers these topics and equips therapists to be listed (provided they agree to use RE with couples who come to them from MML classes or the web listing) on the www.relationshipenhancement.org website.

For other times this workshop is scheduled, see Events

3 Day RE Therapy Training

This workshop carries 18 CE credits.  It teaches the 10 RE skills, how to teach the skills in therapy settings, and the advanced techniques described in the one day workshop.   It is for licensed or supervised therapists who work with couples or families.  The workshop begins with RE philosophy and intake process, which sets the tone for the therapy.  How to teach the RE skills (with a strong emphasis on Empathy, Expression, Discussion, Problem Solving, and Conflict Management) and how to use the skills to help couples dialogue through their problems is the primary focus of the first two days.  The third day applies the special RE techniques of Becoming, Troubleshooting, and Laundering to work with troubled couples and presents RE in both experiential and crisis formats.   It is not necessary to already know the 10 RE skills to attend this workshop.  The training includes about 6 hours of practice with the RE skills and helping others learn them.

2 Day Child-Centered Play Therapy Training

This workshop carries 12 CE credits.  Virginia Axline’s Child-Centered Play Therapy is presented.  Participants practice skills in each Child-Centered Play Therapy area:

Following the Child’s Lead

Showing Understanding (Empathy)

Using Limit Setting

Questions

Role Plays

In addition, common toys, themes, and stages of play therapy are presented, as well as how to discuss play therapy with parents.  Identification of situations appropriate for child-centered play, integration of child-centered play with other treatments are included.  Workshop includes about 4 hours of mock play sessions for participants in dyads.

Check Events for scheduled trainings

2 Day Training in the Parenting Skills Program

12 CE credits.  Louise Guerney’s Parenting Skills Program is a simple to use resource for therapists, case workers, parent educators, and in-home workers.  This parenting program is especially appropriate for parents who have difficulty nurturing or structuring/limit setting with their children.  Topics within the program include:  Awareness of your child, Showing Understanding (empathy), Structuring to Prevent Problems, Parent Messages, Effective Reinforcement, Limit Setting and Consequences, and Choosing the Best Response.

This training teaches how to use the Parenting Skills Concepts in a group program or individually with parents in wrap-around services or therapy settings.  Concepts within the program are applied for preschool, school-age, and adolescent children.

Like all IDEALS trainings, about 1/3 of the program is practice.  Participants practice in dyads and small groups.

This workshop is a wonderful prerequesite for Filial Therapy training.  For scheduled training, check Events

Filial Therapy or Program Training

12 CE credits.

Filial Therapy and Filial Play are highly-effective interventions for children and their parents with a wide variety of difficulties–from adjusting to a move to dealing with divorce to children who are depressed, ADHD, belligerant, or whatever.  Filial also helps parents become an integral part of their children’s work of healing.  In Filial, parent and professional become co-therapists to provide play sessions and home applications to assist children who are experiencing difficulties.  For a full description of Filial, see the Mastering the Magic of Play (for the Filial program) or Child Therapy section of this website or the Filial section at www.nire.org

Filial Training at IDEALS consists of a 2 day training.  A prior training in Child-Centered Play, either as a professional or as Mastering the Magic of Play participant, and either the Parenting Skills Workshop or a prior reading of the Parenting Skills book are required.

The Filial Training focuses on three skills:  (1) how to teach parents child-centered play skills (2) how to work with parents as you “supervise” their play sessions (3) how to help parents apply what they learn in play sessions to “real life”  in every day interactions with their children.  About one-third of the workshop is hands-on practice in role plays and mock Filial sessions.

Check Events for schedule.