Kinesthetic Storytelling

As Director of Developmental Play & Attachment Therapies and adjunct Professor at Barry University, Janet Courtney's career is centered on bringing psychological healing to children. She is an internationally recognized Play Therapist specializing in expressive therapies and attachment treatement who has invented a new process of kinesthetic storytelling, merging imagery relaxation skills with joyful first-play touch activities. Her interactive storybook, The Magic Rainbow Hug makes this technique directly accessible to professionals, parents, and the children who can most benefit from its use. Dr. Courtney also provides a variety of training opportunities in Play Therapy including a Certification in CARE Developmental Play Therapy (CDPT).

For over 25 years Dr. Courtney, Ph.D., LCSW, RPT-S, has worked with children to heal emotional wounds and families in enhancing the parent-child relationship, utilizing a variety of creative experiential modalities including Developmental Play Therapy; Artistic Mediums, Family Play Therapy; Gestalt Therapy; Visualization/Imagery; and metaphorically through the incorporation of Earth Sciences.

The Magic Rainbow Hug book is now available on Amazon.com!

Please click on image above for The Magic Rainbow Hug website

Find also the Magic Rainbow Hug Activity Book

What is a Magic Rainbow Hug and Kinesthetic Storytelling?

Dr. Courtney Specializes in the Areas Of:


 

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
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  • Infant mental health
  • infant mental health
  • Developmental play therapy
  • Ericksonian Play Therapy
  • StoryPlay™
  • Infant Massage Education
  • Metaphoric Story Telling
  • Kinesthetic Story Telling
  • Gestalt Therapy
  • The Ethics of Touch
  • Ecopsychology Play Therapy
  • Attachment in Parent-Child relationship
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • Anxiety disorders including Separation Anxiety
  • Divorce related issues
  • Adoption related issues
  • Family therapy
  • Bereavement
  • Marital Counseling


The underlying philosophy of Play Therapy is that clinicians work with children at their developmental level of communication and comfort—the level of play. Children naturally turn to play when they are sad, worried, angry, or confused. They “play-out” their feelings similar to the way an adult will “talk” out their feelings. As children begin to reveal their problems through play, the Play Therapist is then able to address the problems by offering solutions and by teaching children new ways of coping thus increasing skill development.

 

Recent Activites and Media Acknowledgements

"Never Say Impossible" Radio Broadcast,
WQ4D Radio, February 2nd, 2012

Click here to view article

Click here to listen



 Dr. Robert Nolan, executive director of Miami-Dade’s Institute for Child and Family Health,  is surrounded by toys he uses in his work with children. Miami Herald Interview with Dr. Nolan,
January 3rd, 2012

Click here to view article

 

 

 



Developmental Play
Therapy Training,
Barnsley, England,
June 2011

Click here to view video

 

 

 

 

Upcoming FirstPlay™ Therapy Training

Click here to see upcoming FirstPlay™ Therapy Training

Interested in Bringing FirstPlay to your area?

Dr. Courtney is available to provide trainings in your area. Contact Dr. Courtney for more information.


“There seems to be a powerful force within each individual which strives continuously for complete self-realization. This force may be characterized as a drive toward maturity, independence, and self-direction. It goes on relentlessly to achieve consummation, but it needs good ‘growing ground’ to develop a well balanced structure.”

Virginia Axline, Play Therapy, p. 10