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Description:
As a play therapist, you want to be prepared to support military children and their families, but you may not know where to start. Frequent moves, parental deployments, and loss are just a few of the unique stressors military children face. This workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to work with military children in a way that honors their experiences. Using attachment, trauma-informed, and strengths-based perspectives, you'll learn play-based strategies to address anxiety, trauma, and grief. You'll leave with practical ideas to create a safe and structured play therapy environment that helps children develop resilience and coping skills in the context of their military lifestyle.
This session focuses on practical applications for supporting military children, addressing anxiety related to transitions and loss, as well as trauma from family separations. You'll learn play-based strategies grounded in current theories, research, and best practices to support military children and their families.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify at least three physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety in military children
- Describe typical stress responses in military children
- Demonstrate proficiency in using at least two play therapy interventions (e.g., role-play, sand tray, art) with military children in a simulated play therapy session focused on coping with transition and separation stress
- Describe at least three play therapy approaches to address the grief and trauma related to parental PTSD and family instability in military children
- Demonstrate proficiency in using at least one play therapy approach with military children in a simulated play therapy session focused on grief and trauma
- Develop a play therapy protocol to support military children dealing with loss and grief; integrate narrative play and memory-building techniques and practice implementing it in a case study scenario.
Presenter: Monica Reintjes, PhD, LPC, RPT™
Monica Reintjes, PhD, LPC, RPT™, is a dedicated advocate for military families, bringing both personal and professional insight to her work. As a military spouse, mother of three, and adjunct college professor, Dr. Reintjes understands firsthand the challenges faced by those connected to military life.
She is the founder of Reintjes Counseling, a virtual and in-person boutique practice specializing in attachment-based therapy for teens and parents. With over 11 years of experience in the mental health field across Kansas and Virginia, Dr. Reintjes is passionate about providing direct, solution-focused support to military members and their families—past and present.
Dr. Reintjes is committed to equipping military families to thrive amid the chaos of frequent relocations and deployments. She is excited to launch a series of self-paced digital courses designed for military-connected families and the professionals who serve them, including therapists seeking specialized play therapy tools for this community.
As a Latina therapist, Dr. Reintjes brings a deep understanding of the generational and cultural shifts that impact military families. She knows the realities of managing a household during deployments, coping with career interruptions, and navigating the feelings of isolation and overwhelm that can accompany military life.
Driven by a lifelong fascination with people and their stories, Dr. Reintjes has devoted her career to helping others rebuild and strengthen their relationships, particularly within the context of military service, motherhood, and trauma. Her approach combines empathy, expertise, and a genuine passion for supporting families as they navigate the complexities of military life.
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