Play Therapy for Adoptive Children and Families: Navigating the Seven Core Issues in Adoption to Create Healthy Self-Expression, Attachment, and Trauma Healing
- Speakers:
- Sabra Starnes, LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, RPT-S™ | Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, PhD
- Duration:
- 2 Hours 01 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Jun 05, 2025
- Product Code:
- POS150166
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Adoption introduces unique emotional and behavioral complexities that significantly shape a child's needs and experiences.
When working with adopted children in play therapy, understanding the Seven Core Issues in Adoption—loss, rejection, guilt/shame, grief, identity, intimacy, and mastery/control—is essential for effective intervention.
Join Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and international/transracial adoptee, and adoptive parent alongside Sabra Starnes, LCSW, RPT-S, a transracial adoptee and adoptive parent with over 24 years of experience as an adoption therapist, as they bring unique perspectives and extensive expertise in adoption-related issues in play therapy.
You’ll learn how various adoption types—foster, domestic, kinship, and international; same-race and transracial; open, semi-open, and closed—can shape the content and dynamics of your play therapy sessions and influence how children express themselves and navigate their relationships.
Gain actionable insights, enriched play therapy techniques such as bibliotherapy, backstory exploration, Theraplay and more, and discover a deeper empathy for the unique experiences of adopted children.
Don’t miss this session to enhance your clinical skills and support the well-being of adopted youth and their caregivers in meaningful ways.
Credit
Handouts/Brochure
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual - Play Therapy for Adoptive Children and Families (1.6 MB) | 21 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - Play Therapy for Adoptive Children (198.7 KB) | 29 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Speaker
Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, PhD Related seminars and products
Beyond Words Psychological Services LLC
Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker is a licensed psychologist, international/transracial adoptee of color, and an adoptive parent. She specializes in providing mental health support focused on adoption, trauma, and racial identity work through her private practice based in Denver, Colorado. She is a frequent speaker and trainer at adoption agencies, camps, and conferences throughout the US, and the creator of the National Adoptee-Therapist Directory. She is also the author of The Adoptee Self-Reflection Journal, The Adoptive Parent Self-Reflection Journal, and the Adoptees Like Me illustrated series for elementary readers.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Chaitra Wirta-Leiker maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Chaitra Wirta-Leiker has no relevant non-financial realtionships.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com
Questions?
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Objectives
- Determine common behavioral patterns that arise in adopted youth during play therapy sessions through the framework of the Seven Core Issues in Adoption.
- Utilize four play therapy techniques to help children and their caregivers process core adoption-related issues.
- Assess and process complex emotions related to identity, grief, or control through symbolic play and specific therapeutic activities.
Outline
Common Types of Adoption and How They May Influence the Content of Play Therapy Sessions
- Foster, Domestic, Kinship, International
- Same-Race, Transracial
- Open, Semi-Open, Closed
Seven Core Issues: Loss, Rejection, Guilt/Shame, Grief, Identity, Intimacy, and Mastery/Control
- How each can influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in adopted children
Play Therapy Techniques: Impact on Play Therapy
- Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors: The Seven Core adoption issues can manifest as emotional dysregulation, attachment difficulties, or behavioral challenges. These are expressed in play therapy through themes of loss, rejection, or control.
- Emergence in Play Therapy: Offers a safe space to explore and process complex emotions related to identity, grief, or control through symbolic play and specific therapeutic activities.
- Play Therapy Interventions:
- Bibliotherapy: Using stories to help children process their adoption experiences.
- Backstory: Exploring the child’s adoption narrative for healing.
- Theraplay: Building attachment and relational connections.
- Sandtray Therapy: Symbolically expressing emotions using sand and miniatures.
Adoption experiences are diverse, and the research and techniques presented in this course may not fully address each client's unique circumstances. Clinicians who apply generalized assumptions about adoption risk overlook critical nuances in their clients' individual needs.
Target Audience
- Play Therapists
- Psychologists
- Physicians
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Nurses
- Social Workers
- Counselors
Reviews
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