WA4PT Fall Conference Series Day 1

Presenter Bio: Sara Loftin, M.S., LPC-S, RPT-S graduated from the University of North Texas with a Master’s in counseling, specializing in play therapy.  Sara previously worked in the private practice setting and has worked at Children’s Health: Children’s Medical Center in Dallas as a Clinical Therapist for eleven years.  Sara facilitates play therapy, Child-Parent Relationship Training, group therapy, and parent education for families and patients with various physical and mental health diagnoses.  Sara has worked in several areas of Children’s, including the Eating Disorder Unit, Psychiatry Unit, Day Treatment Program, and main hospital.  Sara primarily works on the Psychiatry Consult-Liaison Team with patients from multiple services, including but not limited to cardiology, ICU, pulmonology, oncology, hematology, trauma, gastroenterology, complex care clinic, pain management, and craniofacial.  Sara is passionate about working with chronically and terminally ill patients and their families and is a contributor to play therapy publications.

Description:

Sara Loftin, MS, LPC-S, RPT-S is going to be working with us to provide a training called Scared of Shots: Play Therapy with Chronic Illness and Medical Anxiety. She will be presenting on how medical anxiety impacts children with chronic medical conditions, children with minor or acute illnesses or injuries, and healthy children.  The audience will gain insight into the developmental needs of children experiencing medical anxiety and/or chronic illnesses and tools to enhance their practice.  Specifically, participants will gain insight into working with children with chronic illnesses, including changes to assessment, various common pediatric illnesses, necessary collaboration, and the impact of illness on development. Participants will explore facilitating play therapy with children and working with caregivers.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe 3 different common chronic illnesses children may have while attending play therapy sessions.
• Discuss play therapy themes with clients with pediatric illnesses.
• Utilize 2 directive activities with older play therapy clients with chronic illnesses.
• Identify ways to support and educate the family of a play therapy client with a chronic illness.
• Define medical anxiety as it compares to the DSM 5 diagnosis of Blood-Injection-Injury phobia.
• Discuss case studies highlighting needs of children with medical anxiety impacted by acute illnesses and injuries and those with chronic medical conditions.
• Explore therapeutic play therapy activities utilized with children with medical anxiety to promote coping and discuss strategies to support parental advocacy and collaboration with the medical team.