Play Therapy Online Training Academy:
Live Webinar & Recording:
The Heart of Healing a Child in Play Therapy
Presented by Dr David Crenshaw PhD, ABPP, RPT-S
Award-Winning Clinical Psychologist, Play Therapy Supervisor, Training Presenter and Author
Thursday 22 October 2026 - USA | Friday 23 October 2026 - Australia
Non-Contact CE /PD/OPD Training Hours: 2
I am delighted to welcome Dr David Crenshaw from the United States, one of Play Therapy's most inspirational and internationally respected trainers who will be presenting: The Heart of Healing a Child in Play Therapy webinar. With decades of clinical experience and immersion into heart-centered healing work with children, Dr Crenshaw brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.
You are warmly invited to join us for this very special training opportunity!
You are warmly invited to join us for this very special training opportunity!
About the Webinar: The Heart of Healing a Child in Play Therapy
What are the essentials of a healing process with a child in Play Therapy?
While there are multiple contributing factors, perhaps most important is the creation of moments of heart-to-heart connections that lead to the child experiencing being seen, heard, and understood. These are potentially transformative moments of deep encounter and understanding. The heart is where feelings live and reside.
In many cultures, religious, and contemplative traditions dating back to ancient times, the heart symbolizes the emotional center of the person, the life blood, the soul, and the spiritual core of the individual. Cognition and emotions are both important, but arguably the heart is the portal of entry and holds the key to meaningful change in Play Therapy and Child Therapy
The Therapeutic Process & Relational Core:
In this webinar, we will focus on the therapeutic process, especially the “relational core” - the therapeutic relationship between therapist and child in Play Therapy – and trusting in its healing power. We will explore the ways that the therapeutic relationship can be strengthened and deepened.
Among the contributing factors to a strong relational core are:
- Safety and trust
- Empathy
- Heartfelt presence
- “Deep hearing”
- Attunement
- Genuineness
- Non-judgmental acceptance
- Openness-receptiveness
These qualities invite us to continually deepen our way of being with each child and within the therapeutic relationship.
Dr Crenshaw Reflects:
“I assume that none of us as Play Therapists and Child Therapists ever reach our full potential in developing therapeutic relationships—relationships that, as Dr Carl Rogers and Dr Garry Landreth stress, represent the ‘healing way of being with the child’. The ongoing development of our capacity to be deeply present, attuned, empathic, genuine, and receptive to the child is therefore an essential part of the healing process itself.”
From Eliana Gil, PhD, RPT-S Recipient of the Association for Play Therapy APT Lifetime Achievement Award
“Dr. David Crenshaw is a dedicated professional with decades of experience making meaningful emotional connections with
children and youth. He is one of the most authentic voices, consistent and compelling, providing wisdom each time he speaks.
Give yourself the gift of attending and listening from one who has deep knowledge of heart healing.”
— Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S Founder and President, Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
“What I most appreciate about David is the quality of his presence. He reminds us that healing does not begin with technique - it begins
with empathy, steadiness, and authentic connection. His leadership continues to guide our field back to the relational core of Play Therapy.”
“Dr. David Crenshaw is a dedicated professional with decades of experience making meaningful emotional connections with
children and youth. He is one of the most authentic voices, consistent and compelling, providing wisdom each time he speaks.
Give yourself the gift of attending and listening from one who has deep knowledge of heart healing.”
— Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S Founder and President, Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
“What I most appreciate about David is the quality of his presence. He reminds us that healing does not begin with technique - it begins
with empathy, steadiness, and authentic connection. His leadership continues to guide our field back to the relational core of Play Therapy.”
Learning Objectives:
On completion of the training, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least two building blocks of the therapeutic relationship that can be strengthened to increase the probability of transformative heart-to-heart connections
- Describe why the therapeutic relationship/relational core is both transtheoretical and data driven by the research
- Explain in Child Responsive Therapy (CRT) what is the key variable in the child that determines whether the therapist responds in a child or therapist directed manner
About Dr David Crenshaw:
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David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D., ABPP is Retired, Clinical Director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1969 from Washington University in St. Louis. He is a Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist (American Board of Professional Psychology, ABPP). Dr. Crenshaw is a Fellow in the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. He was also awarded a Fellow in the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Fellow in the APA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology. He is a licensed psychologist in New York State and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor by the Association for Play Therapy. He has taught graduate courses in Play Therapy and child/adolescent counseling at Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University.
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Dr. Crenshaw has been a vigorous advocate for Courthouse Dogs to provide comfort to child witnesses when testifying in criminal and family court trials. He serves on the Advisory Board and Research Committee of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation in Seattle. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 22 books and over 100 journal articles and book chapters on topics of child and adolescent therapy, child trauma and abuse.
Dr. Crenshaw's contributions to the field have been recognised through numerous awards, including:
Dr. Crenshaw's contributions to the field have been recognised through numerous awards, including:
- The “Excellence in Psychology Award” by his colleagues in the Hudson Valley Psychological Association (HVPA) in 2009
- The Hudson Valley Psychological Association honored him with its first ever Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012
- The Coalition against Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault (CASADA) honored him with its CASADA Award for contributions to combating Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault in 2013
- The Great Friend to Children Award by the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in 2015
- A 2nd Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 by the New York Association for Play Therapy
- A Lifetime Achievement Award (3rd) from the Association for Play Therapy (International) in 2021
Who is this Play Therapy Training for?
- Mental Health Professionals including Psychologists, Social Workers, Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Creative Arts Therapists, Mental Health Nurses and School Counsellors, as well as interns and students in these fields
- Child Centered Play Therapists, Play Therapists working in different modalities and those in Play Therapy training programs
- Play Therapy Clinical Supervisors & Trainers
- Educators, Early Intervention Specialists, Health and Allied Health Professionals, including students in these fields
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Date & Time of the Live Webinar:
Thursday 22 October 2026 — United States
- New York / Eastern Time: 7:00–9:00pm
- Chicago / Central Time: 6:00–8:00pm
- Denver / Mountain Time: 5:00–7:00pm
- Los Angeles / Pacific Time: 4:00–6:00pm
Friday 23 October 2026 — Australia
- Sydney, NSW: 10:00am–12:00pm
- Perth, WA: 7:00–9:00am
Registration & Fees:
- Early Bird Registration: $45 USD | $65 AUD
- Standard Registration: $60 USD | $85 AUD (from 13 October 2026)
- Full-Time Student Registration: $30 USD |$45 AUD Proof of current full-time student enrolment may be requested to confirm eligibility for the student rate
Special Rates Offered:
- For agencies, organisations and groups registering 3 or more therapists, staff members or interns
- Child Centered Play Therapy Online Course current and past participants
For special rates and more inforamtion, workplace invoices and questions, please email: [email protected]
Your Registration Includes:
- A 2 hour non-contact live online webinar with Dr David Crenshaw
- The opportunity to ask questions during the live webinar Q&A
- 30 days access to the webinar recording following the live session
- 2 CE/PD/CPD non-contact training hours
- A Certificate of Attendance following successful completion of the required quiz
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A portion of the proceeds from this training will be donated to the Fund for Healing & Hope, established by the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie in honour of Dr David Crenshaw.
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Register Now:
Please review the Registration Information before completing your registration.
We are pleased to offer the option to register and pay in US dollars (USD) or Australian dollars (AUD).
Choose your registration option below:
We look forward to welcoming you to this special webinar with Dr David Crenshaw.
The Heart of Healing a Child in Play Therapy Webinar/Recording:
Please note: After completing payment you will receive a tax invoice/receipt and an email with information about the training.
Occasionally these emails go into a junk/spam folder so please check this if you do not receive this email.
Occasionally these emails go into a junk/spam folder so please check this if you do not receive this email.
“Dr David Crenshaw’s extensive head knowledge about healing work with children is eclipsed only by his heart knowledge of the children themselves. As a Storykeeper for some of the most hurt children in his time at the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home, his storytelling in training inspires and equips. David’s congruence, curiosity, and playful presence make him a delightful teacher. You are in for a treat.”
Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S Creator of Trauma Play; Clinical Director, Nurture House
Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S Creator of Trauma Play; Clinical Director, Nurture House
