FAPT 2026 Annual Conference

Friday Keynote Presenter: Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

Geek Play Therapy: Creative Pop Culture Interventions for Today’s Mental Health Challenges

Intermediate| Play Therapy Skills and Methods, Play Therapy Special Topics

Geek Play Therapy is an emerging framework that blends play therapy principles with the rich worlds of pop culture and fandoms. In this workshop, participants will explore how superheroes, animation, gaming, and music can activate the Therapeutic Powers of Play to foster self-expression, emotional regulation, resilience, and connection. Through case applications, experiential activities, and discussion, clinicians will discover practical ways to integrate Geek Play Therapy into their practice while staying grounded in play therapy theory and ethics.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Define Geek Play Therapy as a lens for integrating fandoms into play therapy practice while aligning with the Therapeutic Powers of Play.
2. Identify at least four fandom-based interventions that promote outcomes such as self-expression, regulation, social competence, and empathy in play therapy.
3. Demonstrate one experiential Geek Play Therapy activity that fosters creativity, mastery, and resiliency in play therapy sessions.
4. Analyze ethical considerations and issues of cultural humility when incorporating pop culture into play therapy practice.
5. Apply Geek Play Therapy strategies to address anxiety, grief, trauma, and identity concerns across developmental stages in play therapy.
6. Develop strategies for documenting geeky play therapy interventions in alignment with play therapy treatment planning and progress notes.

Saturday Morning Keynote Presenter: Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

Villains, Shadows, and Healing: Geek Play Therapy on the Dark Side of Play

Intermediate | Play Therapy Special Topics

From Darth Vader to Maleficent, villains embody the shadow qualities children often struggle to express—anger, shame, fear. Within play therapy, Geek Play Therapy invites clinicians to use these characters as metaphors that activate the Therapeutic Powers of Play. Through Jungian and Adlerian perspectives, participants will discover how villain play in sandtray, storytelling, and art can externalize conflict, promote mastery, and strengthen resilience, transforming darkness into opportunities for healing.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe how Jungian and Adlerian theories support the use of villains within Geek Play Therapy and play therapy practice.
2. Identify three Therapeutic Powers of Play activated when children engage with villain play (e.g., regulation, mastery, empathy).
3. Practice at least two Geek Play Therapy interventions using villain archetypes to externalize anger, shame, or trauma in play therapy.

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Your Choice (Choose ONE) Saturday Afternoon Break-out Sessions featuring:

Creating Safe Spaces: Play Therapy Approaches for Highly Sensitive Children with Lauren Donovan, MSW, LCSW, RPT™

Intermediate | Play Therapy Special Topics

Highly sensitive children (HSCs) process sensory information more deeply and intensely than their peers, often experiencing the world with heightened emotional and physical responsiveness. This presentation explores specialized play therapy techniques designed to honor and support the unique neurological wiring of these children while creating therapeutic environments that feel genuinely safe and accessible.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the key characteristics and needs of highly sensitive children in play therapy settings
2. Understand how traditional play therapy approaches may need modification for HSCs
3. Implement environmental and relational adaptations that support regulation and engagement in play therapy
4. Apply specific play therapy interventions that leverage the strengths of high sensitivity
5. Develop strategies for working with families in play therapy to support HSCs at home and school

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Discussion Group: The Inner Counselor: Self-Reflection and Presence in Sand Tray Play Therapy with Aimee L. Jennings, LMHC, RPT-S™

Intermediate/Advanced| Play Therapy Special Topics

At the heart of both sand tray and play therapy lies a sacred relationship—the meeting between the therapist’s inner world and the client’s symbolic expression. This 3-hour experiential discussion group explores the therapist as witness—one who is both present to the child’s unfolding story and attuned to their own inner responses. Participants will deepen awareness of how their own emotional landscape, regulation, and embodied presence influence the field of play. Through reflection, discussion, and experiential learning, attendees will explore the balance between being with and within the process—the delicate art of witnessing without interpreting, holding without controlling, and allowing meaning to arise organically. Drawing from the traditions of Margaret Lowenfeld, Dora Kalff, Gisela De Domenico, and person-centered and Gestalt play therapy, as well as Polyvagal-informed neuroscience, this workshop invites participants to integrate both theoretical understanding and personal reflection. Therapists will be encouraged to consider their own play histories, triggers, and nervous system responses as part of the living dialogue that occurs in the sand and in the playroom.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Reflect on and describe their own internal experience of witnessing within sand tray play therapy, exploring how personal history, regulation, and emotional presence shape their capacity to attune and co-regulate with clients.
2. Practice sand tray play therapy techniques that foster mindful witnessing, developing greater self-awareness of how their tone, body posture, and energetic presence influence safety and symbolic expression in the therapeutic space.
3. Discuss how the interplay between self-awareness, sand tray play therapy principles, and Polyvagal-informed understanding supports the therapist’s role as a regulated and reflective witness, capable of holding both their own and the client’s emotional truths within the creative field of play.

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Bridging the Gap: Using Pop Culture to Engage Caregivers in Play Therapy with Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

Intermediate | Play Therapy Skills and Methods, Play Therapy Special Topics

Caregivers often enter the playroom unsure of what therapy is, why play is the medium, or how their child’s favorite characters could possibly be part of the healing process. This workshop provides clinicians with both the theory and practical skills to strengthen caregiver understanding, reduce resistance, and increase investment in play therapy. Drawing on the Therapeutic Powers of Play, Adlerian and narrative principles, and pop culture metaphors, participants will learn how to normalize caregiver uncertainty, communicate the value of play therapy in accessible ways, and use fandom references as bridges for trust and collaboration. Clinicians will walk away with strategies and language to explain, justify, and model the therapeutic work to caregivers while fostering rapport and connection.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe common caregiver barriers to understanding and accepting play therapy.
2. Explain how Adlerian and narrative play therapy principles inform caregiver involvement and collaboration.
3. Demonstrate two interventions for engaging caregivers through fandom references to normalize and explain play therapy concepts.

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Authentically You: Empowering Neurodivergent Children with Play Therapy with Tara McDonnell, LCSW, RPT-S™ and Samantha (Sami) Wallshein

Beginner/Intermediate| Play Therapy Special Topics

This workshop is designed to equip play therapists with the necessary skills and strategies to effectively and respectfully work with neurodivergent children. Presented by both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, this workshop will provide insight into and knowledge of neurodiversity and how neurodivergent children experience the world. This will enable therapists to enhance treatment outcomes for neurodivergent children, while promoting their self-esteem and sense of empowerment in a neurotypical world. Through lecture, discussion and case studies, participants will learn how to engage neurodivergent clients using Play Therapy in an authentic and affirming way to help them navigate challenges. With new diagnoses of neurodivergence increasing, this workshop provides a valuable opportunity for play therapists to deepen their understanding and strengthen their ability to support neurodivergent children in their therapeutic journey.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe and discuss neurodiversity, the importance of neurodiversity-affirming practice, and the consequences of working with neurodivergent clients without an affirming approach
2. Demonstrate specific skills and techniques for using Child-Centered Therapy to effectively engage neurodivergent clients and promote a collaborative and authentic therapeutic alliance between therapist and client
3. Identify techniques to utilize neurodivergent clients’ creativity, special interests and talents to effectively engage and empower clients in the Play Therapy space to optimize treatment outcomes.

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Kryptonite, Capes, and Case Notes: Supervision Adventures in Play Therapy with Tara Moser, LCSW, RPT-S™, CAAIS

Advanced| Play Therapy Special Topics

Supervising play therapists can feel a lot like stepping into a superhero universe—full of strengths, challenges, and the need for creativity. This interactive workshop will equip supervisors with practical tools and playful strategies to strengthen their supervisory skills.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least three core competencies of effective play therapy supervision, including strategies tailored to developmental levels of supervisees.
2. Described common “kryptonite” challenges that arise in the supervisory relationship and apply metaphor-based interventions to address them.
3. Demonstrate creative, play based supervision techniques that incorporate pop culture or superhero based metaphors to enhance clinical insight, reflection, and supervisee engagement.
4. Evaluate documentation practices (case notes, supervision records) for alignment with ethical and legal standards in play therapy supervision.

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Creative Approaches Integrating EMDR and Play Therapy with Loretta Player LMHC, QS, RPT-S™

Beginner / Play Therapy Special Topics

This training is designed for mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents and wish to learn more about how to integrate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with play therapy techniques. Participants will gain an understanding of the eight phases of EMDR therapy and be introduced on how to apply these phases within a play therapy framework to address trauma and other emotional and behavioral issues in young clients.

After the session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the core concepts of the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and how it applies to children within the EMDR framework.
2. Identify the key components of the 8-phase EMDR protocol and how to adapt each phase for child clients using play therapy techniques.
3. Demonstrate developmentally appropriate methods for engaging children in EMDR preparation, including the creation of safe places, identifying resources, and developing affect regulation skills.
4. Apply expressive and play-based strategies (e.g., sandtray, art, and movement) to support target identification, desensitization, and reprocessing with child clients.

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Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. each day with the sessions beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. Lunch is on your own with many options at the conference site and within walking distance.

FAPT has a room block at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando Airport. Reservations can be made directly with the HOTEL by calling 407-856-0100 or by clicking this link. Please request the GROUP rate for FLORIDA ASSOCIATION FOR PLAY THERAPY. Reservations due date, Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Cancellation Policy: $50 is non-refundable. Written cancellations received 30 days or more prior to the start of the conference will receive a full refund of the balance minus $50. Cancellations less than 30 days prior to the start of the conference will forfeit the total cost of registration. Please note: refunds will not be provided after March 25, 2026.

In the very unlikely event that the workshop must be cancelled or postponed by the organizers, the Florida Association for Play Therapy will provide a full refund of the registration fees.

Registering for this event implies your agreement to the following COVID-19 policy.

6 hours of continuing education are available each day.

The Florida Association for Play Therapy (FAPT) is an approved provider for the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. APT Approved Provider 02-115. Play therapy credit will not be awarded to non-mental health professionals. FAPT is approved by the Florida Department of Health under FL Statute 491 to offer continuing education for Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors. Provider Number BAP-50-10520 expires 03/31/2027. FAPT is approved by the Florida Department of Health under FL Statute 490 to offer continuing education for Psychologists. Provider Number BAP-50-10520 expires 05/31/2026.

Schedule at a Glance

Friday, April 24th:

08:00-09:00 – Registration/Check-in/Continental Breakfast

09:00-10:30 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

10:30-10:45 – BREAK - Exhibits Open

10:45- 12:15 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

12:15-01:30 – LUNCH on your own

01:30-03:00 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

03:00-03:30 – BREAK - Exhibits Open

03:30-05:00 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

05:00–05:30 - Exhibit Tables Remain Open

Saturday, April 25th:

08:00-9:00 – Registration/Check-in/Continental Breakfast

08:30-09:00 - FAPT Annual Meeting & Awards

09:00-10:30 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

10:30-10:45 – BREAK - Exhibits Open

10:45- 12:15 – Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T

12:15-01:30 – LUNCH on your own

01:30-03:00 – BREAKOUT Sessions - Preselected**

03:00-03:30 – BREAK - Exhibits Open

03:30-05:00 – BREAKOUT Sessions - Preselected**

Interesting in Sponsoring?
Sponsoring the 2026 Annual Conference will provide your business with unparalleled exposure to a dedicated group of professionals.

We offer multiple levels of sponsorship, so there’s a package to fit every budget and marketing goal. Your sponsorship not only helps make this event possible, but also provides you with multiple opportunities to promote your business to a wide audience of mental health practitioners.

Please review the sponsorship details here and sign up on the registration page. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at conference@floridaplaytherapy.org.

About our presenters...

Lauren Donovan, MSW, LCSW, RPT™ is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play TherapistTM, and Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider who brings specialized expertise to her work with children and families. As the founder and owner of Connected Path Counseling, she has dedicated her practice to supporting neurodivergent children through a neurodiversity affirming approach that celebrates each child's unique strengths and perspective. With her comprehensive training in play therapy and neurodivergent-specific therapeutic interventions, Lauren creates therapeutic environments where children can explore, communicate, and develop skills through developmentally appropriate and engaging methods. Her neurodiversity affirming philosophy ensures that therapy focuses on supporting each child's authentic self while building the tools they need to navigate the world around them.

Aimee Jennings LMHC, RPT-S™ is a licensed mental health professional and experienced play therapist with 30 years of clinical experience and over 14 years of presenting and teaching experience. She specializes in workshops geared towards sand tray therapy, play therapy, expressive arts interventions, and work with highly sensitive children. Aimee has presented at the local and state levels on topics integrating creativity, neuroscience, and theory in the playroom and is passionate about helping clinicians expand their capacity for attunement and depth-oriented therapeutic work. Through experiential learning, Aimee empowers professionals to engage the child’s natural language of play as a pathway for healing and transformation.

Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT, RPT-S™, RST-C/T is the CEO of A New Hope Therapy Center and President of A New Hope Academy, where she blends pop culture, play therapy, and clinical training to inspire both clients and professionals. A national presenter and published author, Maria is known for pioneering “Geek Play Therapy” - integrating fandoms like Disney, Star Wars, Bluey, and K-Pop into evidence-based practice. She has received multiple awards for her impact on mental health and is passionate about making therapy accessible, engaging, and deeply meaningful.

Tara McDonnell, LCSW, RPT-S™ is the Founder of Rising Lotus Therapy Center in West Palm Beach, FL. Tara is dedicated to providing early intervention to help families create a strong and healthy foundation for a lifetime of health and well-being. Specializing in working with children under 6 who have experienced trauma, Tara has extensive experience and training in evidenced-based interventions such as Child-Centered Play Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Tara is an HSP-Knowledgeable Professional, working with Highly Sensitive Children (HSCs). Tara also provides Animal-Assisted Play Therapy with her canine co-therapist, Fiona. Promoting the power of Play Therapy is very important to her and she currently serves as the Chair of the Southeast Chapter of the Florida Association for Play Therapy, and is a member of the International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations. Tara also serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches.

Tara Moser, LCSW, RPT-S™, CAAIS is the owner of Delta Family Counseling and the founder of Pawsitive Kids Camp in Southwest Florida. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist, and Qualified Supervisor for social work in Florida. Tara is an experienced author, presenter, and supervisor who specializes in play therapy, animal-assisted interventions, and the professional development of mental health providers. Her work blends clinical expertise with creativity and community engagement, inspiring professionals to integrate innovative, evidence-informed practices into their therapy and supervision.

Loretta A. Player, MS, LMHC, RPT-S™, EMDRIA Approved Consultant is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. She specializes in trauma-informed care, integrating EMDR, play therapy, and expressive arts in her work with children, adolescents, and adults. Loretta is passionate about mentoring clinicians and providing consultation and training in evidence-based and creative therapeutic approaches. In addition to her clinical work, Loretta provides individual and group consultation for EMDR and Play Therapy, and is actively engaged in training and mentoring clinicians in evidence-based practices. She has served in leadership roles as a Regional and Senior Regional Lead Therapist, where she facilitated clinical teams, developed trainings, and supported therapists in their professional growth.

Samantha (Sami) Wallshein is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern and Registered Play Therapist™ candidate who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and their families, primarily with children between the ages of 3 and18. Sami provides trauma-informed care that focuses on early intervention, with the goal of helping children internalize a positive sense of self. She incorporates Client-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) with elements of Attachment-Based Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Sami has clinical experience working in private practice as well as schools where she worked with neurodivergent adolescents between the ages of 11-18. She has worked successfully with children who have experienced anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and attachment disruptions. As a proud AuDHD-er, she also works with children who are on the Autism Spectrum, have ADHD, and/or are experiencing other various social-emotional challenges.

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