As virtual therapy continues to shape contemporary clinical practice, marriage and family therapists are increasingly supporting children in digital environments where play, communication, and emotional expression naturally occur. This training, presented by Rachel Altvater, PsyD, RPT-S, explores how play-based digital tools and virtual interactive spaces can be intentionally integrated into virtual therapy with children and families to enhance engagement, expression, and therapeutic connection. Rather than introducing new techniques, the workshop emphasizes how familiar therapeutic principles can be extended into digital spaces where children already feel comfortable and understood.
Participants will examine how children use digital play to communicate emotions, explore roles, and make meaning within their relational worlds. The training will highlight how digital tools can support assessment, intervention, and therapeutic presence while remaining attuned to the child’s developmental needs and broader relational context. Attendees will learn practical strategies for creating and navigating digital play spaces, setting therapeutic parameters, and selecting tools that align with clinical goals. Through discussion and demonstration of established platforms and clinician-created tools, marriage and family therapists will gain confidence using digital play to support children and their families in virtual therapy.
2 CEs are available with this training.
Dr. Rachel Altvater (Psy.D., RPT-S™️) is a multi-award winning, pioneering expert, leader, researcher, international trainer, author, and supervisor in the field of play therapy. She is a licensed psychologist and holds national certifications as a Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™️ and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She is the owner of Creative Psychological Health Services, past president of the Maryland/DC Association for Play Therapy, editorial advisory board member for the International Journal of Play Therapy®️, Board of Directors member for the Foundation for Play Therapy, clinical advisory board member for PlaySpace, and clinical consultant for Hopscotch. Dr. Altvater authored the book Perspective: Contemplating the Complexities of Our Realities, published her research in the International Journal of Play Therapy®️ on technology use in play therapy, and is a contributing author in numerous scholarly texts on implementing digital technologies in play therapy practice.