When working with children in play therapy, play therapists must often work to support parents along with the child during the therapeutic process. Oftentimes, play therapists are challenged in helping parents recognize areas where they could improve in order to facilitate the work their child is doing in therapy. In this presentation, we will provide strategies to identify and track the Freudian ego states of parents, along with providing tools and assessments to help parents support their child. We will also provide case examples to illustrate these techniques, along with an activity so that attendees may practice these skills and interventions.

• Participants will learn to cultivate a compassionate based strategy for working with challenging parents in play therapy
• Participants will be able to identify the perceived ego states of parents to supplement their child’s work in play therapy
• Participants will track stages of parenting, similar to developmental growth, alongside treatment with the child
• Participants will implement strategies for parents based on tracking ego states to aid support for children in play therapy
• Participants will gain interventions and techniques including parenting assessment tools