15 CE Hours
Each workshop provides you with 15 CE hours of instruction.
Heartland Play is owned and operated by 3 Registered Play Therapists who have worked together for many years as therapists at a victim service agency in the Kansas City area.
Heartland Play offers play therapy trainings to help mental health professionals feel more confident in their work, complete the training requirements to become a Registered Play Therapist or School Based-Registered Play Therapist and increase the number of skilled play therapists in our community. Heartland Play offers workshops in Kansas City, Wichita, Omaha, Columbia, St. Louis, Des Moines and NW Arkansas.
Each workshop provides you with 15 CE hours of instruction.
Workshops available in seven Midwest locations and by Live Webinar.
Pay in total confidence with Paypal or by Credit Card secured by Authorize.Net.
Connect with other like-minded therapists while obtaining continuing education credits.
Carmy is co-owner of the Heartland Play Therapy Institute, Inc. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish from Kansas State University, her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and her Play Therapy Certification from KC Play Therapy Institute.
Carmy began her career working in the public education system, first in the Olathe School District as an interpreter and then in the Independence School District as a Family School Liaison. After gaining experience in early childhood behavioral, emotional and psychological evaluations and intensive in-home case management, Carmy’s interest in clinical social work blossomed and she began looking for opportunities to transition to a clinically focused practice. In 2011, Carmy was hired on at SAFEHOME, Inc. and became the full-time Bilingual Clinical Therapist. In addition to her work at SAFEHOME, Carmy has expanded her experience by working part-time as the Bilingual Clinical Therapist at the Child Abuse Prevention Association in Independence, MO and facilitating several workshops for KC Play Therapy.
Carmy has transitioned and currently works at her co-owned private practice, Creative Connections. Carmy has a caseload of adults, children and families as well supervises individuals pursuing their clinical social work licensure and registered play therapy credential. Carmy enjoys working with children and families and is passionate about increasing the number of skilled therapists providing mental health services in the Latino community.
Carmy served on the Kansas Association for Play Therapy (KSAPT) board as President and graduated from The Leadership Academy at the Association for Play Therapy (APT). Carmy believes that Play Therapy is an essential tool for understanding and processing trauma through the eyes of the child.
Amber is co-owner of the Heartland Play Therapy Institute. Amber obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from John Brown University, her Master’s degree in Counseling from Mid America Nazarene University and her Play Therapy Certification from KC Play Therapy Institute.
Amber began working with children and teenagers in high school, dedicating summers to being a camp counselor with inner city children, Christian youth camps and adolescent girl camps. Amber continued her work with children as a tutor and substitute teacher. During her graduate program in Counseling, Amber completed her internship at SAFEHOME, providing therapy to victims of domestic violence. Shortly after completing her graduate degree, Amber was hired by SAFEHOME as a full time Clinical Therapist providing individual, family and group therapy for adults and children. Amber was the Clinical Director at SAFEHOME prior to transitioning to Creative Connections. She now sees adults, children and adolescents at Creative Connections. Amber has expanded her experience by teaching workshops for Heartland Play Institute, providing Play Therapy supervision and Clinical Supervision for individuals pursuing clinical licensure.
Lori is co-owner of Heartland Play Therapy Institute. Lori obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work with a secondary major in Women’s Studies from Kansas State University in 1999, her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 2002 and her Play Therapy Certification from KC Play Therapy Institute in 2006.
Lori began her career as a case manager for a residential children’s home in Wichita, Kansas, gaining valuable experience and insight into the field of foster care and child protective services. Upon moving to the Kansas City area in 2000, Lori was given the opportunity to work in her field of passion at SAFEHOME, serving victims of domestic violence. Over her sixteen years at SAFEHOME, Lori worked as an advocate, Shelter Director, Child and Family Therapist, Outreach Therapist and Clinical Director. In the position of Clinical Director, Lori was responsible for overseeing the agency’s counseling program, which served over 1,000 clients a year.
In 2015, Lori became the co-owner of Heartland Play Therapy Institute, Inc. and began teaching the Fundamentals of Play Therapy workshop. Lori also started a private practice in 2015, serving individuals in Overland Park, Kansas. Over the past fifteen years, Lori also expanded her experience through contract work, providing individual therapy for children in the Head Start Program, providing home study and post placement services for families adopting domestically or internationally, and facilitating trainings and providing play therapy supervision for the KC Play Therapy Institute PlayTalk program.
Throughout her career as a therapist, Lori has pursued training in a variety of therapeutic models including Play Therapy, Theraplay, Psychodrama, Emotional Transformation Therapy, Resonance Repatterning, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF CBT) and Art Therapy. Lori is passionate about working with children of all ages (including adults. She believes that the principles of play allow children to be seen and heard, which facilitates healing and growth. Lori is also passionate about teaching and supervising students to help them develop new skills. She believes that the therapeutic relationship has the power to be transformative and she enjoys working with clinicians to expand their skills.