Trauma doesn’t pause for a pandemic—and neither should access to quality care. Clinicians working with children, youth, and families must now navigate the delicate terrain of trauma through the lens of a screen. This course empowers you to do just that—ethically, effectively, and with cultural sensitivity.
In this innovative self-paced course, you’ll explore how to bring trauma-informed and trauma-focused care to life via telehealth, with actionable techniques that ensure your virtual sessions remain connected, safe, and grounded—even when addressing the most complex trauma cases.
Dr. Ritchie Rubio, a clinical child psychologist and internationally recognized trauma specialist, brings over two decades of experience in multicultural and trauma-informed care across three countries. His expertise in expressive arts, telehealth delivery, and research-backed clinical practices ensures you’re learning from a leader committed to equity and evidence-based strategies.
Dr. Rubio’s approach blends research, real-world experience, and creative therapeutic modalities. You’ll explore best practices through the lens of play and expressive arts therapy, multicultural sensitivity, implementation science, and telehealth adaptations—all aligned with the latest evidence in trauma treatment.
Topics covered include trauma theory and its relevance in telehealth delivery, racial and intergenerational trauma, culturally adapted trauma-focused therapies, tele-play therapy, use of trauma narratives and somatic techniques, grounding exercises, therapeutic apps and worksheets, and digital adaptation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) such as TF-CBT, CPP, EMDR, and PE.
Key Takeaways:
Telehealth trauma therapy essentials: Gain strategies to stabilize, engage, and support children and youth with trauma using telehealth and tele-play therapy techniques.
Cultural responsiveness in trauma care: Learn to adapt interventions to honor BIPOC clients’ lived experiences and address telehealth inequities.
Practical application of EBPs: Understand how to apply trauma-focused interventions like TF-CBT, EMDR, and CPP using virtual platforms.
Why this course?
A leading expert instructor: Dr. Rubio’s unique blend of international clinical expertise, academic leadership, and telehealth innovation ensures you receive deeply informed and practical guidance.
Evidence-based and equity-centered: The course emphasizes culturally responsive, trauma-informed care grounded in implementation science and real-world practice.
Built for behavioral health clinicians: Designed with your clients in mind, this course offers realistic, tested solutions you can apply immediately.
Learning Objectives:
Identify and describe at least two clinical considerations when using telehealth and tele-play therapy for working with clients exposed to trauma and/or experiencing ongoing trauma.
Appraise the applicability of at least two core elements of trauma-focused interventions, including play therapy, in engaging behavioral health clients in telehealth.
Illustrate at least two ways of addressing telehealth inequities and culturally-adapting trauma-focused interventions when working with BIPOC clients.
This course is a timely opportunity to elevate your telehealth practice and confidently support traumatized children and families in a digital space. You’ll come away with tools that are both compassionate and clinically sound—ready to meet today’s challenges head-on.
Add this course to your cart to develop your skills, boost your confidence, and enhance your impact as a behavioral health professional.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to Attend: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
Ritchie Rubio Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Rubio works as a clinical child psychologist, play and expressive arts therapist, researcher-storyteller, program evaluator, statistical consultant, data analyst, telehealth trainer/consultant, and associate professor/lecturer in a variety of clinical and academic settings including public health systems, universities, pediatric hospitals, community mental health settings, schools, and research institutes in three countries: the Philippines, U.S.A., and New Zealand. He moved from the Philippines at the age of 25, completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Child and Family emphasis from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) through a Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program (IFP) grant. He is currently the Director of Practice Improvement and Analytics of the Children, Youth, and Families System of Care (CYF-SOC) Behavioral Health Services (BHS) at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in California, USA. In that role, he plans and coordinates a clinical practice improvement and evaluation program focused on identifying best trauma-informed and diversity-responsive practices; and utilizing implementation science to design and strengthen clinical assessment and interventions. He is also an adjunct Associate Professor at the Counseling Psychology programs of the University of San Francisco and the Berkeley Wright Institute. He teaches courses such as Research and Statistics; Crisis and Trauma Counseling; Neuroscience; Child and Adolescent Counseling; Family Violence and Protection; Individual, and Family Development; and Clinical Assessment and Measures. His clinical work was/is primarily with immigrant and multicultural children/youth and their families. He mostly integrates psychodynamic, attachment, family systems, multicultural, expressive arts, play therapy, and CBT orientations.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 1.5 continuing education hours of credit.
Play therapy credit available to mental health professionals & graduate students in a mental health program.
Counselors:
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Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.
Social Workers:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Play Therapists:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC has been approved as a continuing education provider by the Association for Play Therapy: APT Approved Provider 21-633. Per the Association for Play Therapy (APT), play therapy training may not be awarded to non-mental health professionals. APT alone holds the right to accept or deny any continuing education training at its discretion. This course qualifies as 1.5 non-contact continuing education Play Therapy credit.
Addiction Professionals:
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This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 2/9/2022. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Psychologists:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
