Trainings for Mental Health Professionals
Intensive Child-Centered Play Therapy Training
Length: 3 Days
Instructor: Christopher Conley
Sponsor: Grove Centre
Location: Grove Centre, In-Person, Burnaby, BC
Training hours: 19.5
Maximum participants: 8
Child-Centered Play Therapy is the most prominent model of play therapy. It was developed by Virginia Axline based on the principles Client-Centered Therapy by Carl Rogers. Its premise is that if a therapist creates a safe therapeutic environment a child will initiate the therapeutic work they need to do to resolve presenting issues. It is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention for children ages 3-12 and older.
Play represents the child’s attempt to organize and integrate their experiences and internal world. It is by expressing, through play – the process of externalizing the images and symbols from the inner world, through a creative medium that is witnessed in sensory form and honoured by a skilled and trained therapist who is fully present – that a deeper level of growth and healing occur.
This 3-day training is limited to 8 participants per instructor to facilitate extensive experiential skill practice with individualized observation, coaching and feedback from instructor. It is designed to provide participants with all the skills they need to confidently and competently conduct child-centered play therapy with their clients following the training.
This is an advanced training. Training hours count toward both continuing education (CEU) requirements and certification requirements with CAPT, APT, BCPTA.
Review flyer for detailed information about the training, instructor, learning objectives, prerequisites, training methods, cancellation policy, and other information.
Prerequisites: Read book Child-Centered Play Therapy, Risë Vanfleet, et al.
Early registration fee: $675 CAD including GST ($642.86 + 32.14)
Regular registration fee: $780 CAD including GST ($742.86 + 37.14)
Fees in Canadian dollars (CAD), GST Number 844180232 RT0001
Please contact us if you have any questions. Go to contact page.
Dates: Fri November 6 – Sun November 8, 2026
Maximum participants: 8
SPACES REMAINING: 0 (Full)
Please contact us if you would like to be put on cancellation wait list. If there is demand, will post additional training.
Testimonial:
“I feel very well prepared after completing the child centered play therapy intensive training. I found the balance of discussion, review of skills, and role-plays enhanced my learning experience profoundly. Receiving direct feedback was incredibly helpful for my learning and has helped prepare me to use these skills in my professional practice. Chris was an excellent instructor and walked through all questions and possible scenarios based on his extensive experience as well as provide clinical experiences which helped tie material together.”
Courtney
Intensive Filial Therapy Training
Length: 4 Days
Instructor: Christopher Conley
Sponsor: Grove Centre
Location: Grove Centre, In-Person, Burnaby, BC
Training hours: 28
Maximum participants: 6
Prerequisite: A prior training in Child-Centered Play Therapy
Filial Therapy is a highly effective empirically-supported intervention integrating family therapy and play therapy to address child and family problems. Therapists learn how to train and supervise parents as they conduct special child-centered play sessions with their own children (ages 3-12+), an approach designed to resolve presenting problems while strengthening family relationships.
This 4-day training is limited to 6 participants per instructor to facilitate extensive experiential skill practice with individualized observation and feedback from instructor. The Intensive Filial Therapy Training Program developed by Dr. Risë VanFleet features the work of Filial Therapy originators, Drs. Bernard and Louise Guerney and governed by the International Institute of Filial Therapy Professional Education (IIFTPE). Go to IIFTPE website for extensive information about Filial Therapy.
This is an advanced training. Training hours count toward both continuing education (CEU) requirements and certification requirements with CAPT, APT, BCPTA.
Review flyer for detailed information about the training, instructor, learning objectives, prerequisites, training methods, cancellation policy, and other information.
Prerequisites: A prior training in Child-Centered Play Therapy. Read book Child-Centered Play Therapy, Risë Vanfleet, et al. Read book Filial Therapy: Strengthening Parent-Child Relationships through play, 3rd Ed, Risë Vanfleet.
Early registration fee: $1,350 CAD including GST ($1285.71 + 64.29)
Regular registration fee: $1,600 CAD including GST ($1523.81 + 76.19)
Fees in Canadian dollars (CAD), GST Number 844180232 RT0001
Fees set by Dr. Risë VanFleet for all International Intensive Filial Therapy Training Program Instructors
Please contact us if you have any questions. Go to contact page.
Dates: Thu November 12 – Sun November 15, 2026
Maximum participants: 6
SPACES REMAINING: 1
Please contact us if you would like to be put on cancellation wait list. If there is demand, will post additional training.
Testimonials:
“He and I have co-led an Intensive Filial Therapy training a couple years ago. He fully understands the original Guerney full family therapy form of Filial Therapy, as well as the various adaptations of it. I am happy to fully endorse him as a trainer in Filial Therapy.” – Risë VanFleet
“This is by far the best training I’ve ever taken. It’s so relevant and meaningful. Chris is a gracious, generous, highly skilled and knowledgeable instructor. He models what he teaches throughout the training and it’s so natural to him that we didn’t even notice until day 3! Learning the Filial Therapy skills is hard. Using the techniques of role plays, feedback, discussion, video examples and traditional lecturing, made the Filial Therapy skills obtainable. We all left this training knowing we could offer this type of support to families in the agencies we work for. The training was fun, and I learned so much. I highly recommend this course!”
Diane
The Parent’s Handbook of Filial Therapy is available for purchase to those who have completed this training. Go to payments for details.
Family Theory, Family Systems & Family Therapy for Child and Adolescent Therapists Training
Instructor: Christopher Conley
Sponsor: Grove Centre
Location: Grove Centre, Online Live, Burnaby, BC
Dates: To be announced
This is an introductory training designed for professionals working with children, adolescents, and families. Training hours may count toward your licensing or credentialing association’s continuing education (CEU) requirements.
This 1-day training will present information on family theory, family systems and family therapy designed for child and adolescent therapists. Understanding family theory, such as family change, as it relates to the family and the systems the family operates in is necessary to engaging effective family therapy. It is designed specifically to assist professionals with a better understanding of the child within the context of the family toward developing more effective therapeutic interventions.
Christopher is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist with the Canadian Association for Couples and Family Therapy.
Understanding Themes in Play Therapy Training
Instructor: Christopher Conley
Sponsor: Grove Centre
Location: Grove Centre, Online Live, Burnaby, BC
Dates: To be announced
This one-day workshop presents the advanced topic in play therapy of understanding play behaviour and play themes. It is designed to enhance play therapist competency in this challenging area. Topic will be dealt with in-depth presenting both the underlying theoretical foundations and effective practical skills. It will cover themes in expressive therapies including play therapy, Sandplay Therapy, and Filial Therapy.
The topic of play themes will discuss the meaning of play behavior and play themes. This will focus on understanding typical child play and developmental tasks through developmental stages; thematic stages of play therapy; levels of interpretation; importance of context in understanding play themes; understanding the child in context through a systemic intake and assessment process; and the therapist’s emotional response to a child’s play or play material.
Non-Directive Play Therapy Training
Instructor: Christopher Conley
Sponsor: Canadian Association for Play Therapy
Location: Online Live
Dates: May 12-13, 2026
This is a 2-day Non-Directive Play Therapy and Introduction to Filial Therapy course for the Canadian Association for Play Therapy live online. It is part of CAPT’s Certificate Program.
Trainings for For School Professionals
Relational Strategic Classroom Management Workshop
This workshop is for teachers, administrators and teaching assistants. It teaches how to manage student behaviours in the classroom without impacting teaching or learning. The relationship-focussed approach allows for the prevention of behaviour issues.
Christopher was previously licensed in Indiana as a School Counsellor and has worked at elementary, middle and high school levels. He has taught classroom management in BC and Minnesota.
Prior & in-development Trainings
Christopher has conducted trainings in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Minnesota on topics of:
- Foundations of expressive and play therapy
- Non-directive play therapy
- Child-centered play therapy
- Introduction to Filial Therapy
- Intensive Filial Therapy
Advanced topics in play therapy: themes, resistance, and aggression
- Play therapy with young children
Family systems and family therapy
- Attachment-based strategic parent education
- Relational strategic classroom management
- Classroom management for students with Asperger’s or high-functioning Autism
- Teaching with Love and Logic classroom management
Christopher is developing new trainings on topics of:
Advanced topics in play therapy: Play themes, resistance, and playroom aggression
Family theory, family systems, and family therapy for child and adolescent therapists
Kalffian SandPlay Therapy
Understanding of Relational Classroom Management for Child and Adolescent Therapists
Sponsored trainings being planned. Grove Centre sponsors trainings of significance.
Theraplay Level 1, Presented by Theraplay Canada Instructor
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Level 1, Presented by Hannah Sun-Reid
Family Play Therapy & Puppetry, Presented by Greg Lubimiv
By Your Side, Presented by Vivien Norris