As divorce rates continue to rise, therapists are increasingly encountering families where ongoing conflict between parents severely impacts children’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

This course provides the essential tools and knowledge that therapists need to effectively support these families through one of the most turbulent experiences of their lives using play therapy techniques.

Participants will learn strategies to manage the intense emotional dynamics these families face during high-conflict divorces, where parents are often embroiled in bitterness, control struggles, and ongoing legal battles. Through a blend of theory, practical applications, and experiential learning, they will learn how to shift their approach by integrating play therapy principles to create a therapeutic environment that fosters healing, understanding, and emotional regulation. They will also develop practical play therapy skills to help children process their emotions and cope with the psychological toll of divorce, all while maintaining clear professional boundaries with parents.

The course also addresses common challenges therapists face in these cases, such as dealing with manipulative behaviors from parents, managing divided loyalties within the family, and navigating the complexities of working alongside legal professionals and court systems. Participants will learn to remain neutral, avoid taking sides, and focus on the child's well-being without becoming entangled in the parental conflict. They will explore ways to address their own emotional responses, ensuring they stay grounded and effective while working in high-stress environments. Additionally, they will gain insights into systemic approaches to therapy, including how to coordinate with legal professionals, refer to specialists, and create treatment plans centered around the child's needs, utilizing play therapy interventions.

With engaging activities and real-world examples, participants will leave the course empowered and confident in handling even the most challenging high-conflict divorce cases. They’ll be prepared to provide compassionate, effective care through play therapy to children and families in crisis.

High Conflict Divorce Webinar

Select each tab above to view specific details of this course.

As divorce rates continue to rise, therapists are increasingly encountering families where ongoing conflict between parents severely impacts children’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

This course provides the essential tools and knowledge that therapists need to effectively support these families through one of the most turbulent experiences of their lives using play therapy techniques.

Participants will learn strategies to manage the intense emotional dynamics these families face during high-conflict divorces, where parents are often embroiled in bitterness, control struggles, and ongoing legal battles. Through a blend of theory, practical applications, and experiential learning, they will learn how to shift their approach by integrating play therapy principles to create a therapeutic environment that fosters healing, understanding, and emotional regulation. They will also develop practical play therapy skills to help children process their emotions and cope with the psychological toll of divorce, all while maintaining clear professional boundaries with parents.

The course also addresses common challenges therapists face in these cases, such as dealing with manipulative behaviors from parents, managing divided loyalties within the family, and navigating the complexities of working alongside legal professionals and court systems. Participants will learn to remain neutral, avoid taking sides, and focus on the child's well-being without becoming entangled in the parental conflict. They will explore ways to address their own emotional responses, ensuring they stay grounded and effective while working in high-stress environments. Additionally, they will gain insights into systemic approaches to therapy, including how to coordinate with legal professionals, refer to specialists, and create treatment plans centered around the child's needs, utilizing play therapy interventions.

With engaging activities and real-world examples, participants will leave the course empowered and confident in handling even the most challenging high-conflict divorce cases. They’ll be prepared to provide compassionate, effective care through play therapy to children and families in crisis.

Register today and take the next step toward becoming better at supporting families through high-conflict divorce.

This course includes 3+ hours of video training, a post-test and an evaluation.

This course was recorded on September 24, 2021

  • Re-conceptualize the frame, based on play therapy principles, for working with families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • Identify 3 clinician attitudes that are beneficial when working with families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • Name 4 theoretical principles on which to base play therapy interventions when working with families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • Describe 3 practices to adopt providing play therapy services to families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • Experience 2 play therapy techniques that may improve outcomes when working with families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • Document and commit to 3 action steps, based on the information provided during the training, that will prepare participants to provide play therapy services to families engaged in high conflict divorce
  • List resources for improving clinical competency when utilizing play therapy with families engaged in high conflict divorce

Kris Marowski, M.Ed., LPC, RPT-S, ACS, CCMHC, NCC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She has worked with children, adolescents and families for over 16 years, providing play therapy, individual counseling, and family counseling. She specializes in working with children that have survived trauma. Kris has extensive experience working with children whose parents are separated or are divorcing, who serve in the military and/or who are first responders. Kris offers parents specific, tangible skills that they can utilize at home to create desired changes and connect with their children in a more meaningful way. She practices primarily from a child-centered perspective, incorporating Jungian, Existential, and Cognitive Behavioral approaches to increase the effectiveness of counseling. She provides a safe, supportive environment where parents, children, and adolescents can process through difficult life experiences and develop a sense of mastery over them.

Kris completed her Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Psychology from Elmira College in 1999 and earned a Masters of Education Degree (M.Ed) in Counseling and Human Development with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling from Lindsey Wilson College in 2005. She went on to become credentialed as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) while completing her Play Therapy certification. Kris is currently working toward becoming a Sandplay Practitioner through Sandplay Therapists of America.

Credit Hours: CEs provided with this course include 3 continuing education hours of credit.

Play therapy credit available to mental health professionals & graduate students in a mental health program.

Counselors: 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 this course would be accepted by your licensing board.

Social Workers: 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 3 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: 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 3 non-contact continuing education Play Therapy credits.

Addiction Professionals: 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 programing.

Psychologists: 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 activity qualifies for 180 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.

To receive your certificate of completion you must complete the course in its entirety.

Online courses are completed by registering, logging in, navigating to your course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), completing all of the modules, completing and passing the post-test, and completing the course evaluation.

Live Webinar courses are completed by registering, logging in to this website, navigating to your course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), attending the full course via webinar, submitting your attendance, and completing the course evaluation online.

Psychologists and other professionals seeking CE credit through our approval with the American Psychological Association are asked, but not required, to complete the course evaluation before obtaining their certificate of completion, however passing a post-test for online self-study courses, and submitting one's attendance for live on-site and live webinars is required.

You can receive your certificate of completion by logging onto this website, navigating to the course using the menu (My Courses – the Course Title), scroll to the bottom of your course, and click on your certificate to either download it or print it.

Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.

Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities

Click here to view our Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds are offered within the first 30 days for courses which have not been completed.  There is a 10% service fee for refunds.

Grievance Policy

Click here to view our Grievance Policy.

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Practice level: Intermediate

Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.  The courses may include required reading.

This program was recorded September 24, 2021

You have six months to access online courses from the time of purchase.

Kris Marowski Headshot

Kris Marowski
M.Ed., LPC, RPT-S,
ACS, CCMHC, NCC

Kris Marowski, M.Ed., LPC, RPT-S, ACS, CCMHC, NCC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She has worked with children, adolescents and families for over 16 years, providing play therapy, individual counseling, and family counseling. She specializes in working with children that have survived trauma. Kris has extensive experience working with children whose parents are separated or are divorcing, who serve in the military and/or who are first responders. Kris offers parents specific, tangible skills that they can utilize at home to create desired changes and connect with their children in a more meaningful way. She practices primarily from a child-centered perspective, incorporating Jungian, Existential, and Cognitive Behavioral approaches to increase the effectiveness of counseling. She provides a safe, supportive environment where parents, children, and adolescents can process through difficult life experiences and develop a sense of mastery over them.

Kris completed her Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Psychology from Elmira College in 1999 and earned a Masters of Education Degree (M.Ed) in Counseling and Human Development with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling from Lindsey Wilson College in 2005. She went on to become credentialed as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) while completing her Play Therapy certification. Kris is currently working toward becoming a Sandplay Practitioner through Sandplay Therapists of America.

Testimonials