Dr. Emily Keller

06/16/2026

Young children have a hard time separating imagination and reality.

Validation of child’s inner world helps.

06/12/2026

One of the giants in our field.

I can’t fathom the lives he has touched and will continue to do so through all the students and therapists he has taught and inspired. The ripples of love and healing he cast on our little planet will continue beyond the time it takes the play therapy community to honor his remarkable life.

06/10/2026

Normalize children calling out their parents on their own behavior.

It isn't disrespect. It's evidence that children are observant, intuitive, and capable of using their voices in powerful ways.

When a child says "you're not listening to me" or "that wasn't fair," they're practicing something we say we want for them: honesty, self-advocacy, courage.

And here's the other half: normalize being influenced by a child's voice. Letting a child change your mind isn't losing authority — it's modeling humility and repair.

We'll all be better for it. 💛

06/05/2026

Play therapy isn't about fixing children. It's about honoring their sovereignty — trusting their autonomy, their ability to tolerate their own feelings, and their capacity for problem-solving. Healthy, reliable boundaries make that possible.

06/03/2026

🌿 Introducing Sand Conversations 🌿

Join us for Sand Conversations, a new online gathering for reflective, depth-oriented dialogue inspired by Jungian practice and the broader field of sand therapies.

This contemplative circle invites members to bring dreams, images, clinical moments, questions, or musings into a shared symbolic space—where meaning can emerge through resonance, presence, and reflection.

✨ What to expect:
🌙 Opening grounding
🌀 Shared dreams, images, or clinical fragments
🌿 Associative reflection and amplification
💬 Gentle facilitated dialogue
🕯️ Closing integration

The focus is on image, presence, and listening—not interpretation, debate, fixing, or advising.

📅 2026 Dates: June 5, July 3, August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6, December 4
⏰ Time: 12:00–1:30 PM EDT
💻 Format: Online
👥 For: WASTP members

Bring a dream, image, clinical moment—or simply come listen.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/WASTP

06/03/2026

The time is here! We are glad to present registration is finally opened for our annual CALAPT Conference in sunny San Diego with presenters Ann Beckley-Forest & Annie Monaco presenting on Play Therapy to Heal Wounded Attachment and Dissociation. For more information register at https://www.calplaytherapy.org/event/2026-calapt-conference-august-28-29-100/register .

05/25/2026

This hummingbird hovered around me today as I sat in the meditation garden. I thought to take a picture right as he flew away.

Wonder abounds every day.

05/25/2026

Healing doesn’t only happen in the therapy room.

This little garden space is a reminder of something I believe deeply — that wonder, stillness, and nature are therapeutic in themselves.

My practice is to sit here in the morning before I start my day.

When we create space to pause, we make room to connect to who we really are. We invite everyday wonder into our lives.

Wherever/however you find your wonderment — I hope you protect it.

05/24/2026

I’m looking forward to hosting this event. I will present on healing metaphors in sandtray.

WASTP: Promoting integrity in therapeutic sand practices, research, and community.