Core Faculty: Co-Directors

Lorri Yasenik and Ken Gardner are the co-directors of the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute and are internationally recognized in the field of play therapy as certified play therapists, supervisors, instructors and presenters. Lorri has been working with children and families in the areas of treatment of trauma, high conflict separation and divorce, and a range of situational and developmental issues during the course of her therapy career. Lorri is a Certified/Registered Play Therapy Supervisor, a Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Family Mediator with the Alberta Family Mediation Society, and is a founding member and past executive board member of the Alberta Play Therapy Association. Ken is a Certified/Registered Play Therapy Supervisor and a clinical psychologist who specializes in the areas of learning/adjustment issues, therapy for children with development challenges, achievement motivation, attachment, and play therapy. Ken has participated on numerous community boards, including the Alberta Play Therapy Association and the Canadian Association for Child and Play Therapy . In addition to having a sound background in treatment, Lorri and Ken have extensive experience as consultants and trainers and regularly teach for College and University programs in the areas of play therapy, mediation, assessment and counseling. They are the authors of Play Therapy Dimensions Model: A Decision Making Guide for Therapists, which is now in it’s second printing.

Additional Members of the Training Faculty:

Senior tutors, who themselves are widely recognized as expert instructors and clinicians, provide the following areas of instruction:
• Expressive arts
• Attachment theory
• Drama & movement
• Legal/ethical issues
• Music
• Family systems work & family play therapy
• Sandplay
• Puppetry

Guest Faculty

Guest Instructors for the Green Stream Foundations Program
(July 10-18, 2010)

Dr. Amjed Abojedi

Dr. Abojedi is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the Amman Al-Ahlyya University in Jordan.

Dr Abjojedi has recently begun a private practice, specializing in Child Therapy in Amman, Jordan. Dr. Abojedi has conducted psychological research in a range of areas, including: cyber-psychology, psychometrics, and psychotherapy (including 2 research studies in play therapy).

Two years ago Dr. Abjojedi attended the Green and Red Stream Programs in Calgary. Since this time Dr. Abojedi has expanded his research and practice in Play Therapy. Current areas of interests include play-based assessments, the effects of video games on children's behaviour, and play therapy with traumatized children.

During the Green Stream Program, Dr. Abojedi presented on play therapy for children who have been hosptialized and face signficant medical issues (e.g., cancer).

Jennifer Buchanan - Music Therapist

Carmen Richardson - Art Therapist