2026 Online Turkey Play Therapy Conference
Following the first play therapy conference held in Turkey in 2025, the Play Therapy Conference 2026 is opening its doors for the second time this year. The conference brings together mental health professionals, researchers, and students studying in this field. Join Lisa and 9 other speakers who will delve into the different theoretical frameworks and clinical applications of play therapy. Critical topics such as trauma, anxiety, neurodiversity, Gestalt, Child-Centered Therapy (CCT), and crisis intervention will be covered through presentations delivered in a webinar format.
For this conference, Lisa will be presenting on “How We Listen: Transforming Tracking and Reflection into Relational Connection“
Play therapists are often taught to listen, track, and reflect as foundational skills. Yet over time, these practices can become mechanical—reducing powerful moments of connection into rote responses that miss the deeper relational field. This webinar invites a shift from technique to presence.
Through a neurobiological and relational lens, participants will explore what it truly means to listen—not just to the child’s words and behaviors, but to the moment itself. We will examine the internal processes that can interfere with presence, including the therapist’s own activation, interpretations, and protective patterns, and how these shape what is perceived and how one responds.
Participants will learn how tracking and reflecting can move beyond “parroting” into authentic co-regulation, embodied attunement, and meaningful therapeutic connection. This training emphasizes the therapist’s use of self as the primary instrument for staying present, responsive, and relationally engaged in the playroom.
Objectives:
- Differentiate between mechanical reflection (e.g., parroting) and relationally attuned responses grounded in co-regulation and presence.
- Describe how the therapist’s nervous system state influences their ability to listen, track, and stay with a child in the playroom.
- Apply at least one strategy to support greater embodied presence and attuned responding during therapeutic interactions.
The program includes one 2-hour workshop, while all other sessions are scheduled to last 1 hour and 15 minutes. Questions will be answered at the end of each session. Simultaneous translation will be provided throughout the conference. To receive a certificate of participation, attend the conference live. All sessions will be recorded and accessible to participants for one month.
