Jackie Flynn, EdS, LMHC-S, RPT-S, a leader in trauma therapy, is known for her expertise in integrating play therapy, EMDR, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. She's an advanced trainer for EMDRIA and an approved credit provider for the Association for Play Therapy. Jackie hosts global events like the Innovative Child Therapy Symposium and co-hosts the Playful EMDR Summit and Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summit. Her engaging presentations on nervous system-informed therapy, based on Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, teach therapists worldwide. She offers mentorship and supervision, empowering therapists to integrate EMDR and play therapy. Jackie fosters a global play therapy community dedicated to transformative healing.

Dr. Porges, the esteemed creator of the polyvagal theory, will be delivering a captivating portion of the summit. His session is specifically tailored for child mental health therapists interested in the therapeutic use of play. With his deep understanding of the autonomic nervous system and its connection to social engagement, Dr. Porges will provide invaluable insights into how play therapy can promote emotional regulation and resilience in children. This interactive Q&A session that follows Dr. Porges' presentation, allowing registrants to directly engage with him, seek clarification, and gain clinical guidance. This unique opportunity promises to deepen participants' understanding of the polyvagal theory and inspire innovative approaches to play therapy, ultimately benefiting the well-being of children under their care.

Dora Henderson is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Qualified Supervisor (LMHC-QS), specializing in integrating the power of play with EMDR and the integration of neuroscience with play therapy. She is also a TraumaPlay TM Supervisor and an EMDR Consultant-in-Training, and the co-host of the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summit at the Beach.
Dora is passionate about helping individuals of all ages heal from traumatic experiences and move towards a happier, healthier life. She has training and certifications in various areas, to include Sand Tray Therapy, TraumaPlayTM, Theraplay®, MAP, and the Safe & Sound Protocol.
Dora is also the creator of beautiful puppets and books, to include Neuro & the Ception Force FriendsTM series and The Adventures of Sandi & Clammy series. Her trainings, consultations and supervision, and professional work integrates play, puppetry, and neuroscience in easy-to-use and family-friendly ways.

Get ready for some beach fun with Dr. Jennifer Crosson! She's all about neuroscience and the reciprocal power of play. Join her on the sandy shores as she shows child therapists how to playfully use nature to regulate the autonomic nervous system and promote healthy development. Get ready to have a blast and learn in the most fun way possible. It's time to let loose, kick off your shoes, and embrace the joy of nature play, while nurturing the healthy development of the nervous system!

Dr. Amy Fortney Parks brings with her over 30 years of experience working with children, adolescents and families as both an educator and psychologist. She is a passionate “BRAIN -ENTHUSIAST” and strives to help everyone she works with understand the brain science of communication, activation and relationships.

Dr. Parks has a Doctorate in Educational Psychology with a specialty in developmental neuroscience. She is a Child & Adolescent Psychologist as well as the founder/CEO of WISE Mind Solutions LLC and The Wise Family Counseling, Assessment & Parent Coaching in Virginia. She is also the founder/CEO of the Clinical Supervision Directory www.clinicalsupervisondirectory.com – a connection super-highway for supervision-seekers working towards licensure in counseling, social work, play therapy and psychology across the US.

Dr. Parks serves as a Clinical Supervisor for Virginia LPC Residents, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is best known for her insights, energy and humor and is a frequently sought-after speaker for groups around the world.

Robyn Gobbel, MSW, has 20 years of practice as a family and child therapist, specializing in complex trauma, attachment, and adoption. Her diverse clinical training includes EMDR (including EMDR adapted for children with attachment trauma), Somatic Experiencing, Theraplay, Trust Based Relational Intervention®, Circle of Security Parent Educator, The Alert Program® and Yogapeutics Aerial Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training. Robyn has integrated these training modalities with a foundation of attachment theory and the relational neurosciences to create an attachment-rich, sensory-sensitive, and relational neurosciences supported healing paradigm for children and families. Robyn consults, teaches, and trains extensively throughout the US. She previously served as an instructor for the Foundations of Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate Program at Portland Community College as well as with the Adoptive & Foster Family Therapy Post-Graduate Certificate Program. Robyn has served on the working board of the Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies (GAINS). Robyn is the host of The Baffling Behavior Show podcast. Her first book, Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, will be published in September 2023.

Theresa is a Canadian Play Therapy Supervisor. She is the owner of Maritime Play Therapy Centre in Nova Scotia Canada and Changing Steps Child and Family Counselling in Prince Edward Island and Ontario, Canada. She teaches sandtray play therapy in Canada and Australia. Theresa uses EMDR, Brainspotting, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol and Neurofeedback in her practice integrating these with Play Therapy. She integrates neurodevelopmentally appropriate interventions into play therapy and calls this "neuroplay". She has been the recipient of local, national and International awards including: Trauma specialist of the year by the National Institute for Trauma and Loss of Detroit, Michigan.

Janet A. Courtney, PhD, LCSW is Founder of FirstPlay Therapy® [a developmental infant and child play therapy model] and Founder and Editor of FirstPlay® Café: An e-magazine for parents (womb to six Years). She helped found and oversees the Play Therapy curriculum at Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida. Dr. Courtney is author and co-editor of Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide. New York, NY: Routledge, and her research into practitioner experiences of training in touch and Developmental Play Therapy is published in the American Journal of Art Therapy and the International Journal of Play Therapy. She is a Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor, TEDx Speaker and immediate past Chair of the Association for Play Therapy Ethics and Practice Committee. She is also former President of the Florida Association for Play Therapy and Chair of the Viola Brody Award Committee. FirstPlay® Therapy was awarded Third Place overall in the Best Practices Showcase at the First 1000 Days Infant Mental Health Summit (Sept, 2018) along with the Children’s Healing Institute.

She has two books scheduled for publication Spring, 2020 including, “Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Models, Programs and Practice,” as well as “Healing Child and Family Trauma Through Expressive and Play Therapies: Art, Nature, Storytelling, Body and Mindfulness.” She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally including the Cayman Islands, England, Ireland, Morocco, Bali, Indonesia, Russia and the Ukraine. She is a provider through the Florida state boards of mental health and Massage Therapy, and an approved provider through the Association for Play Therapy. She specializes in infant mental health and infant play therapy, attachment interventions, therapeutic storytelling, nature-based play therapies, and Trauma related issues. Dr. Courtney’s new form of Kinesthetic Storytelling® can be found in her children’s book, The Magic Rainbow. Website: www.FirstPlayTherapy.com and www.FirstPlaycafe.com

This experiential part of the conference does not render continuing education credits. This part of the conference is optional.