Pre-Conference Institutes

Pre-Conference Institutes

Pre-Conference Institutes are full-day training sessions that take place on Tuesday, June 9 at the Renaissance Hotel. Attendees who are registered for a Pre-Conference Institute can arrive at the conference a day early (on June 9) for one of two full-day sessions that will go in-depth on a clinical skill or evidence-based approach. 4 CEUs will be available.

Motivational Interviewing Basics: Building Skills for Effective Change Conversations

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM with 1-hour lunch break at 11:00 AM 

Erin M. Espinosa, PhD, is a Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) member since 2010 with over 15 years of experience delivering Motivational Interviewing (MI) training, coaching, and implementation support across juvenile justice, behavioral health, child welfare, and community-based systems. Erin’s session provides a foundational overview of Motivational Interviewing (MI), an evidence-based approach widely used across youth services. Participants will be introduced to the core principles of MI, including partnership, evocation, and autonomy support, as well as essential communication skills such as open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries. This institute emphasizes practical application and skill development, helping participants recognize change talk, respond effectively to ambivalence, and avoid common conversational traps. This session is ideal for practitioners, supervisors, and leaders new to MI or seeking a refresher on the fundamentals.

Presented by Erin Espinosa, Evident Change

Experiential Strategies for Addressing Trauma and Grief

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM with 1-hour lunch break at 11:00 AM 

Nik Johnson is a licensed counselor, registered play therapist, EMDR consultant, and educator based in Fort Worth, Texas. Nik has worked with children (ages 4+), adolescents, and adults affected by developmental trauma, attachment disorders, complex trauma, dissociative disorders, and severe mental health challenges. With a background in providing play therapy to children in the foster care system, Nik’s highly experiential and skills-driven training blends foundational lessons from developmental trauma theory and grief work with the practice of play-informed interventions. Participants will explore how developmental trauma and loss shape internal experience, attachment, self-concept, behavior, and relational capacity across the lifespan, from early childhood through adolescence and young adulthood. Using a variety of interactive methods, including sandtray, expressive arts, metaphor work, movement, and structured experiential exercises, participants will develop a toolbox of intervention skills designed to help clients externalize, explore, and integrate difficult experiences.

Presented by Nikolaus Johnson, CCFAM Training, Play Therapy Training Resources 

How to Register for a Pre-Conference Institute

Online registration for Pre-Conference Institutes is now closed, though onsite registration will be available! Please note pricing below.