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Play Therapy for School-Related Anxiety, School Phobia,
and School Refusal

Enroll in the Online Self-Study and complete the training on your own schedule.
3 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians

School refusal isn’t always about defiance—it can be a cry for help. For many children, the refusal to attend school signals a deeper emotional struggle, one rooted in anxiety, trauma, or a perceived lack of safety. Behavioral health professionals are on the front lines of decoding and addressing these challenges.

This course empowers clinicians with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to intervene effectively—restoring stability, connection, and hope for children and families navigating the hidden complexities of school-related anxiety and avoidance.

Enroll for the Online Self-Study with 3 CEs for $60

Register Now

Kris Marowski, M.Ed., LPC, RPT-S, ACS, CCMHC, NCC brings over 16 years of experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Her specialized work with children affected by trauma, divorce, military and first responder families uniquely equips her to guide clinicians through the nuanced process of identifying, assessing, and treating school refusal behavior through the lens of play therapy.

Drawing from a child-centered and trauma-informed approach, Kris integrates existential, Jungian, and cognitive behavioral techniques to teach clinicians how to engage children meaningfully while supporting their caregivers. Her clinical wisdom, personal case examples, and structured tools make this course both inspiring and immediately useful.

Topics covered include understanding the terminology used across educational and clinical settings, recognizing early warning signs and diagnostic criteria, utilizing screening questions and intake methods, applying the DSM-5 framework, and choosing play-based assessment tools. Participants will also learn about intervention strategies that promote regulation and safety, IEP/504 recommendations, and effective collaboration with parents and schools.

Kris Marowski headshot

Instructor

Shira Sameroff, LCSW, is a therapist, coach, and teacher with experience rooted in decades of practice with people of diverse identities, ages, and life stories in a wide array of settings. Professional roles have included therapy, supervision, professional development training, coaching, teaching, community organizing, transformative decluttering and a decade and a half on the leadership team of a community-based social work agency in Brooklyn, NY, US.

Shira weaves a range of therapeutic healing modalities, including IFS, Hakomi, and other holistic, somatic, nature-based, and anti-oppressive practices into her practice. Shira offers therapy, coaching, and professional development for individuals and organizations around themes including group facilitation, working with shame, oppression-ending practices, giving and receiving feedback, empowering practice with youth, and tending to self as a practitioner.

Shira’s approach is collaborative, intuitive, creative, and full of heart and is rooted in my own lived experience of healing, learning, and emerging.

Key Takeaways:

  • Develop diagnostic clarity: Learn how to identify the most common diagnoses related to school anxiety, phobia, and refusal—and understand the lived experiences behind them.
  • Use play therapy with purpose: Apply specific play-based assessments and techniques to address children’s emotional needs and guide treatment planning.
  • Support the whole system: Equip parents and schools with tools that foster regulation, connection, and stability, all while maintaining clinical boundaries and effectiveness.

Why this course?

  • Taught by an expert in the field: Kris Marowski is a seasoned clinician who not only treats these cases but has built her career around supporting children who struggle with school engagement.
  • Rooted in clinical relevance: This course is grounded in both research and lived clinical practice, offering tools you can use immediately.
  • Offered by a trusted provider: The Telehealth Certification Institute is committed to equipping behavioral health professionals with high-quality continuing education that makes a real difference in client outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe terms that may be utilized by other professionals and/or parents to describe what is “seen” at home or in school (and what you may observe in the play room while providing play therapy services) when school related anxiety/phobia/refusal is the presenting “problem.”
  • Distinguish risk factors and early warning signs, related to school anxiety/phobia/refusal, the MH Professional may become aware of during a play therapy assessment or in the course of providing play therapy services.
  • Name the DSM-5 Diagnoses most commonly associated with school-related anxiety/phobia/refusal.
  • Develop a lived, clinical perspective for what’s occurring for the child and family receiving play therapy services when school anxiety/phobia/refusal is the presenting “problem.”
  • Identify questions to ask during a play therapy screening call and intake.
  • Develop a conceptual frame for information gathered during an assessment for play therapy.
  • Recognize at least one play therapy assessment method that will assist clinicians in creating an effective treatment plan to address symptoms associated with school related anxiety/phobia/refusal.
  • Define an introduction to practices that facilitate stability, regulation, and connection in your play therapy practice.
  • Identify at least 3 play therapy techniques to facilitate security, regulation, and connection in play therapy to create stability for the child and family.

If you're ready to help kids feel safe again—and guide their families through some of their most difficult moments—this course offers the clinical guidance and real-world tools to make that possible. Your next client is counting on it.

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 program and consists of 3 hours of video instruction, post-test, and an evaluation.

 

Enroll in the 3 CE Online Self-Study for $60

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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.

This program was recorded on August 20, 2021.

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