Themes that Talk: A Trauma-Informed Tapestry of Play Therapy Themes
Presented by Claudia Ocampo, LPC-S, RPT-S™, RST-C/T
February 20, 2026
Step into a world where toys talk, themes whisper, and children’s inner stories come alive. Themes that Talk: A Trauma-Informed Tapestry of Play Therapy Themes is a playful, high-energy, and deeply meaningful 6-hour training designed to help therapists finally understand what’s really happening beneath the surface of children’s play. Whether you’re watching a dinosaur destroy a city, a child line up toys with laser precision, or a teddy bear rescue mission unfold, this training will teach you how to confidently decode the emotional, developmental, and relational themes driving the play. Through real vignettes, vivid imagery, and humor-filled examples from the playroom, you’ll learn how to track themes across sessions, communicate your insights to parents, and use thematic patterns to enrich treatment planning with accuracy and heart. Get ready to expand your clinical intuition, sharpen your observation skills, and discover the treasure trove of meaning hidden in everyday play. You’ll never see the playroom the same way again and your clients will benefit from your deeper understanding from the very next session.
Training Objectives
Credits
In-Person: 6 Contact Hours / CE Credits
Live Virtual: 6 Non-Contact Hours / CE Credits
Hybrid Location
Live via Google Meet or In-Person
Ensemble Therapy
Northwest Austin Location
4210 Spicewood Springs, Suite 203
Austin, Texas 78759
Details
Continuing Education for Professionals
Hybrid Training
Date
February 20, 2026
Time
9:00am - 4:30pm CT
Pricing
$240, with sliding scale community option
In this hybrid in-person / live virtual training for play therapists, participants will:
Use play therapy themes to strengthen the therapist–child relationship by enhancing therapeutic attunement, empathy, responsiveness, and safety.
Analyze how symbolic play therapy elements, metaphor and character roles contribute to the emergence and evolution of play themes.
Evaluate the clinical significance of recurring play therapy themes to inform therapeutic interventions needed that foster healing.
Formulate culturally responsive and trauma-informed interpretations of play therapy themes that honor client identity and lived experiences.
Recognize how trauma activation, dissociation, and nervous-system cues show up within thematic play sequences.
Explore advanced interventions that therapeutically address dominant and recurring play therapy themes in the playroom.
Explain the clinical meaning of play therapy themes through a developmental, attachment, and neurobiological lens.
Presented by
Claudia Ocampo, LPC-S, RPT-S™, RST-C/T
Claudia Ocampo, MS, LPC-S, RPT-S™, Approved EMDR Consultant has over 25 years of experience in the educational and clinical settings. She is an Approved CE Provider for both the Association of Play Therapy and EMDR International Association. Claudia’s diverse training and intuitive therapeutic approach allow her to provide specialized care for adults, teens, and children. She integrates a range of creative and trauma therapies, including EMDR, Sand Therapy, Play Therapy, Expressive Arts, and Internal Family System to help clients achieve personal growth. Passionate about diversity, Claudia volunteers and serves on various committees and boards, advocating for inclusive practices and community engagement.
Good to Know
This is a live hybrid training taking place in-person and live online via Google Meet.
Participants will only be able to attend for the location they are registered for (eg. will not be able to switch between in-person or online after registration).
This training will not be recorded.
For in-person attendees, please dress comfortably, bring a water bottle, snacks, and anything else you need to feel comfortable in a classroom setting for the duration of our training.
To receive CE credits, participants must attend the full presentation and must complete the post-presentation evaluation. Live virtual attendees must also complete a post-test on the materials covered (not required for in-person attendees).
Ensemble Therapy is an Approved Provider for the Association for Play Therapy (APT), Approved Provider 23-706. Ensemble Therapy is an approved provider endorsed by an international organization and therefore trainings quality for the 50% CEs mandated by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC) for LPC and LMFT. Play Therapy credit is available to mental health professionals and graduate students in a mental health program.
It is the responsibility of the attendee to verify whether CE credit offered by the Ensemble Learning Center meets the regulations of the participant’s licensing/certification board.
Before registering, please see our Frequently Asked Questions, including cancellations and refund policy, at the bottom of this page.
Sign Up To Secure Your Spot
Enrollment closes on February 19th at 9:00am CT.
We are committed to making continuing education more readily available so therapists and professionals from all backgrounds have the tools and support to provide relevant and nuanced care with awareness and sensitivity. Please choose the enrollment option that applies to you and your circumstances.
ENROLLMENT RATE
$240
This is the actual cost of enrollment, and this rate is meant for attendees who are able to comfortably meet their basic needs with room for expendable purchases, and those who benefit from financial support or systemic privilege.
USE CODE EARLYRATE-FEB20 FOR $30 OFF UNTIL THREE WEEKS BEFORE
COMMUNITY RATE
$210
This reduced rate is for attendees who are students, those who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those living with disabilities, experiencing financial hardship, or who have been impacted by systemic inequity.
USE CODE COMMUNITY-15 TO APPLY COMMUNITY DISCOUNT
February 20th, 2026
Themes that Talk: A Trauma-Informed Tapestry of Play Therapy Themes is a playful, high-energy, and deeply meaningful 6-hour training designed to help therapists finally understand what’s really happening beneath the surface of children’s play.
Training FAQ
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These learning sessions are designed for professional counselors, social workers, school counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, play therapists, teachers, occupational therapists, child life specialists, school administration, graduate students, and professionals working with children or pursuing training to do so. The content of our learning sessions is presented at the graduate level using inclusive and friendly approaches, but if you are not intending on working with children, we suggest you take a look at our workshops for caregivers and families, which are facilitated for everyone who is interested in deepening their knowledge and connection with children in their lives.
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All of Ensemble's professional trainings offer continuing education credits for licensed professionals, and some of those trainings provide play therapy credit for mental health professionals or students enrolled in a graduate mental health program. It is up to you to read the listed details for each presentation and verify whether CE credit offered by the Ensemble Learning Center meets the regulations of your licensing/certification board prior to signing up.
Offerings listed For Caregivers do not include the option for CE credits, though we always welcome anyone who wants to attend!
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Not all learning sessions count toward play therapy credit. For select trainings, play therapy credit may be awarded to graduate students enrolled in a graduate mental health program or individuals who hold a graduate mental health degree. To receive credit, participants must meet all listed requirements for the training. Play therapy continuing education credit will not be awarded to non-mental health professionals.
Ensemble Therapy is an APT Approved Provider #23-706. The CE hours you earn for qualifying trainings can be applied toward your credentialing as a Registered Play Therapist™, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ or School Based-Registered Play Therapist™.
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No partial CE credit is available. Attendees must be present for the entire duration of the learning session and complete all requirements.
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Cancellation requests can be made by email hello@ensemblelearningcenter.com.
Cancellations received at least 14 days prior to a scheduled learning session are refundable at 50% of the registration fee. Cancellations received less than 14 days prior to a scheduled learning session will receive no refund or credit. No shows or missed learning sessions will receive no refund or credit.
Should Ensemble Learning Center need to cancel a learning session, we will make every attempt to notify paid registrants in a timely manner. All paid registrants will receive a full refund.
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All in-person learning sessions occur in our conference room at Ensemble Therapy’s Spicewood office location. To protect the confidentiality of our clients and respect our healing environment so important therapeutic work can occur, only adult registrants are allowed to attend our learning sessions.
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A replacement CE certificate can be obtained for a $25 administrative fee. Please reach out to hello@ensemblelearningcenter.com to request an additional copy.