About this Program

APT (Association for Play Therapy) credits available as listed in the course description are provided by Let’s Play Therapy Institute, LLC an APT Approved Provider 20-609. Play therapy credit may not be awarded to non-mental health professionals. Courses that do not qualify for play therapy credit are clearly listed. 

This program is a 3-hour recorded training focusing on the therapeutic power of LEGO® in play therapy and counseling for working with children, adolescents, and adults. 

Handouts are provided to follow along with the recorded training. 

It is expected that you will complete the entire training and not skip over any parts of this training. There is an evaluation and post-test at the end of the training. 

If you have any questions while completing the training, you may contact us at hello@letsplaytherapy.org.

Course Description

LEGO® play is universal, and LEGO® models and structures have become well-recognized not only as toy models but also as art forms. LEGO® unlocks the inner architect who craves creativity, flexibility, and transformation. LEGO® can be used as a therapeutic tool in play therapy and counseling to help strengthen relationships, provide sensory stimulation, improve social skills, and build resilience. 

This workshop will explore the therapeutic power of LEGO® in play therapy and counseling for working with children, adolescents, and adults. Participants will gain an understanding of how to incorporate LEGO® into directive and non-directive play therapy interventions to engage clients, improve communication, problem-solving skills, conflict resolution skills, and increase self-esteem and well-being. 

This experiential training will provide participants an opportunity to build. It is recommended that participants have available to them the following items: a LEGO® baseplate, 40-50 LEGO® bricks,* and most importantly, your imagination!

*Other building block systems may be used.

Course Content Disclosure: 

LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group. Sophia Ansari, LPCC, RPT and Josué Cardona, MS, received no compensation from The LEGO Group for this seminar.

Objectives

  1. Describe the history and empirical rationale of LEGO® based play therapy and counseling.
  2. Identify 5-6 play therapy interventions to use with individuals, groups, and families.
  3. Utilize LEGO® in non-directive and directive play therapy.

Instructor(s)

Sophia Ansari

Sophia Ansari, LPCC,RPT, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Registered Play Therapist, author, educator, and co-founder of the Let’s Play Therapy Institute. She has worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. She provides workshops on play therapy to mental health professionals and educates parents and teachers on the importance of play as it relates to development and learning in the school setting. She is a passionate research trainer who has bridged her knowledge of neuroscience and creative therapies to provide in-depth and highly experiential trainings. Sophia co-hosts Hero Nation, a podcast on the Geek Therapy Network, which celebrates diversity in the media and explores how to use geek culture in therapy. Sophia earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Wright State University and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Cincinnati.

Josué Cardona

Josué Cardona, MS, earned a master’s in mental health counseling and trained in Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT) at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. He has worked with clients ages 4 to 84 through in-home, community, and outpatient counseling. As an educator, Josué has designed curriculum for social-emotional skills, technology, and language learning for K-12. At the university level, he co-created the course Geek Culture in Psychotherapy, taught at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and co-authored Gamification: A Pilot Study in a Community College. Josué also acts as a diversity and inclusion Design Researcher for the Office of the Provost at the University of Chicago. Josué is the founder of Geek Therapy, a therapeutic approach that believes the best way to understand people is through the things they care about. He created the Geek Therapy Network and community to educate parents, teachers, and helping professionals on how to use their favorite hobbies, pastimes, and interests to connect with others. Since 2011, Josué has presented on Geek Therapy through podcasts, blogs, book chapters, and presentations around the world.

Course curriculum