Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training

03/17/2026

📅 April 18–19, 2026
Sand Tray in Play Therapy with Children & Teens
🕘 9:00 AM–4:30 PM MT (both days)
📍 St. George, UT | In-person only
Early bird registration closes soon - March 21, 2026
Two days of deep, experiential learning with your hands in the sand. You’ll create and process sand trays alongside fellow play therapists, grounding your work in theory, meaning, and felt experience.
12 Play Therapy Contact CEs & Social Work Live/In-Person CEs

📅 SAVE THE DATE: June 6, 2026
Healing Trauma Through Play Therapy: A Neuroscience & Attachment Approach
🕘 9:00 AM–4:30 PM MT | Hybrid
📍 St. George, UT + Zoom
A powerful, integrative play therapy training that clarifies how to support trauma processing, build safety, and strengthen the therapeutic relationship using neuroscience and attachment principles. This is an integrative play therapy training focuses on how to conceptualize trauma using a neuroscience and attachment lens. You’ll walk away with play therapy strategies and activities across each stage of the treatment process to use right away with your clients.
6 Play Therapy CEs & 6 Social Work CEs

Attending the play therapy training is just the beginning.
New members receive 60 days of free access to Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE, where you’ll continue building confidence through consultation, community, and practical application support.

For more information and to register, hop over to my website on the Training page

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/17/2026

What are the 3 essential ingredients that make play therapy truly effective? 🥪

Think of it like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… simple, but powerful when the right elements come together.

Curious what they are? 👀

Watch the video and discover the three key ingredients every play therapist should know.

For more training, updates, visit:
www.rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/17/2026

Struggling to understand your play therapy clients?

Discover how effective case conceptualization is key to identifying and addressing the root causes of their challenges.

Let's dive deep into understanding patterns that sustain problems.

03/16/2026

You can own the most beautiful sand tray in the world… and still feel completely lost when a child starts building during a play therapy session.

That moment where you’re thinking:
Okay… now what?

Do I reflect?

Do I ask questions?

Do I stay silent?

Is this trauma? Attachment rupture? Just a battle scene?

Here’s the truth no one says out loud:

Sand tray without a solid play therapy framework will leave you second-guessing yourself every single time.

Because technique isn’t the same as theory.

Miniatures aren’t the same as meaning.

When you’re grounded in a clear play therapy model, everything shifts:
• You know what you’re looking for.
• You recognize themes.
• You understand defensive patterns.
• You can track regulation and relational movement.

And suddenly you’re not just watching a child move sand.

You’re witnessing their nervous system tell a story.

That’s when the sand tray making process stops feeling like a guessing game and starts feeling like clinical work you can stand on.

Want to learn more about using play therapy with your clients?

Check out my website for information about play therapy training, membership programs, and free resources!

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/16/2026

Therapists, avoid premature interpretations. Focus on client understanding and their healing process. It's about them 'getting it,' not just you

Just because you see the meaning… doesn’t mean it’s time to say it.
One of the biggest cautions in play therapy is not jumping to interpretation too quickly. Early in the therapeutic process, sharing every insight we notice isn’t always helpful.
Because therapy isn’t about whether we understand it — it’s about whether the client discovers it for themselves.
Real healing happens when clients make their own connections through the process. Our role is to hold the space, trust the process, and let the meaning emerge when they’re ready.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/y4tffW27mIY?si=1y6qS1oJkeB7TklB

🎧 Listen to the full podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2021678/episodes/18812802

03/14/2026

If you’ve ever sat in front of a sand tray wondering – “Is it okay to interpret this?”

You’re not alone — and the answer isn’t a simple yes/no.

Here’s the real tea: ⤵️

Your play therapy theoretical model is the GPS.

It decides👇
🎯 How you show up in the play therapy session while your client is using the sand tray
(your stance, your presence, your level of direction)
🎯 What you say — and how you say it
(curiosity, reflection, interpretation… or staying silent)
🎯 WHEN you can offer any interpretation at all
(because timing in the change process is everything)

And then… there’s your client.

Their age, regulation, readiness, and meaning-making capacity are the difference between
✨ a powerful insight
vs.
😵‍💫 an “ummm… what?” moment.

Attunement > assumptions. Every. Single. Time.

Want to feel more grounded using sand tray therapy (and play therapy in general) without guessing?

Slide over to my website for play therapy trainings + free resources that keep you growing and your clients healing. ✨

03/13/2026

When a family steps up to the sand tray, it’s not just about building a scene — it’s about revealing the rhythm of their family interaction patterns.

You’ll see who takes charge, who hesitates, who rescues, and who hides. Every movement tells a story about safety, trust, and belonging.

As play therapists, we get to witness the choreography of attachment unfold in real time—and then help families find a new beat. 💫

Want to learn more about using play therapy with your clients?

Check out my website for information about play therapy training, membership programs, and free resources!

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/12/2026

So… what’s the “right” way to do sand tray therapy in play therapy?

Plot twist: there isn’t one.

There’s your way — rooted in your play therapy theoretical model and the heartbeat of your relationship with the client.

Because your play therapy model isn’t just a backdrop…

It shapes how you show up, what you say (or don’t say), and how you make meaning from every scoop of sand and every miniature placed with intention.

When your approach is grounded in a solid play therapy framework, the sand tray stops feeling mysterious and starts becoming a powerful change-maker.

Your values + your client’s nervous system = the real magic.

If you’re craving more confidence, clarity, and grounded guidance in using the sand tray…

✨ Come hang out on my website — I’ve got play therapy trainings, freebies, and resources waiting for you. ✨

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/12/2026

Can you really use sand tray therapy with adolescents?

Absolutely—and when you understand how to adapt it developmentally, sand tray becomes one of the most powerful expressive arts tools to use with teens.

In this podcast episode, I’m diving into how to use sand tray with teens in a way that respects their autonomy, supports emotional regulation, and deepens therapeutic insight.

If you’re a play therapist who has ever wondered whether sand tray feels “too young” for adolescents—or you’re unsure how to introduce it without resistance—this conversation is for you.

You’ll learn:
Practical tips for introducing sand tray therapy to adolescents

How to frame sand tray in a developmentally appropriate way

Sand tray prompts designed specifically for teens

Adolescents often struggle with traditional talk therapy when their nervous system is overwhelmed.

Sand tray therapy provides a non-threatening, expressive pathway that allows teens to communicate complex internal experiences without relying solely on words.

Join me for this free weekly podcast!

Whether you’re new to sand tray therapy or looking to strengthen your clinical confidence using sand tray with teens, this episode will give you practical strategies you can use immediately in your next play therapy session.

If you work with adolescents in play therapy and want fresh sand tray ideas that actually engage teens, join us for this training.

Can you really use sand tray therapy with adolescents?Absolutely—and when you understand how to adapt it developmentally, sand tray becomes one of the most powerful expressive arts tools to use with teens.In this podcast episode, I’m diving into h...

03/12/2026

What kind of miniatures do I need for my sand tray miniature collection?

This is a question I get asked ALL the time.

It’s a great question because your miniatures need to provide a therapeutic experience for your clients using the sand tray process in play therapy.

That’s why I this free pdf - Must Have Sand Tray Miniatures

This PDF will explain to you the different categories of miniatures you and need and why you need them so you can save time and money focusing on the right types of miniatures.

To access your free copy of Must Have Sand Tray Miniatures, hop over to my website and click on the Resources Page.

I’ll post a link in the Comments below so you can download this free pdf or feel free to message me

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com

03/12/2026

Unlock the power of silent communication in therapy. Discover how young adolescents use sand tray play to express themselves, revealing deep themes therapists can explore using attachment and neuroscience. We don't require kids to explain their play.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/y4tffW27mIY?si=1y6qS1oJkeB7TklB

🎧 Listen to the full podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2021678/episodes/18812802

03/11/2026

Imagine walking into each play therapy session with the confidence that you are truly making a difference.

No more imposter syndrome.

No more second-guessing. Just you, your skills, and the knowledge that you’re helping children and adolescents on their healing journey.

Play Therapy Academy is a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive online program designed to guide child and adolescent mental health professionals, like you, to become skilled experts in the world of play therapy.

Through online group consultations and a library of self-paced courses, you’ll learn how to navigate every stage of change with clarity and understand what’s unfolding in your sessions—allowing you to approach each case with knowledge and purpose.
If you're ready to deepen your skills and create meaningful change in the lives of your young clients, hop over to the Supervision page on my website to learn more!

I’m offering a free 30-minute video call to discuss how Play Therapy Academy can help you achieve your goal to use play therapy like an expert to help your clients heal.
Let’s chat about how to equip you with everything you need to help children heal. 💖

Write in the Comments and I’ll send you a link to schedule your free 30-minute video call to see how Play Therapy Academy can be the map you’ve been looking for.

Feel free to message me for the link for more information!

Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S
Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training
Rhplaytherapytraining.com