Projective Cards: Using The Oaklander Model

Learn how to effectively use projective cards in therapy to help clients of all ages enhance their sense of self, experience and express their emotions. This course, led by experts in Gestalt Play Therapy and expressive arts, offers a blend of theory and demonstrations showing how to use projective cards as a powerful media both in-person and online. This course includes:

Case study showcasing the impact of projective cards’
Step-by-step walkthrough for using projective cards in play therapy
In-depth exploration of the Oaklander approach and where and how to get or make your own projective cards.
Practical prompts and examples for therapists working with diverse clients
Demos on working with adolescents, children, and parents, both online and in-person

This course is ideal for play therapists and educators looking to integrate creative, visual tools into their practice.

Explore a case study demonstrating how projective cards help clients express core emotions like fear, happiness, and sadness. Learn techniques to promote emotional identification and self-reflection.

Kathy Miu and Karen Fried guide you through practical demonstrations, teaching you how to use projective cards for virtual and in-person sessions.

Learn creative therapeutic techniques from Peter Mortola and understand how projective cards foster emotional expression and self-awareness by using symbolism, narrative, and customized card creation in play therapy.

Karen Fried, Psy.D., LMFT

Karen Fried, Psy.D., M.F.T. is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Educational Therapist and consultant in Los Angeles, California. She has a private practice in Psychotherapy. Karen uses the Oaklander Model of Child Therapy in her practice and is the President of the Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation. She trains child and adolescent therapists and educators in the US and internationally. Training, online tools, and many resources can be found at karenfried.com.

In response to COVID-19, Karen presented an article series to an international audience of child and adolescent therapists: “Just for Now, Using the Oaklander Model in a Time of Crisis” on a zoom call. Therapists and counselors from over 30 countries participate on this monthly call. Since March of 2020, Karen has presented to global audiences, trainings, presentations, and consultation on the use of Gestalt Therapy with children. Her in-person training program for therapists and counselors is now virtual and has expanded to participants worldwide.

Peter Mortola, Ph.D.

This course features additional content from Peter Mortola, Ph.D.

Peter is an Associate Professor of School and Counseling Psychology at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he coordinates the School Psychology Program. He teaches classes on lifespan development, group counseling for children, and consultation in the schools. He also leads preventative groups for fifth-grade boys at a local elementary school and is in the process of publishing a book on the subject. Peter has worked closely with Dr. Violet Oaklander over the past ten years, attending nine intensive summer trainings, and is in the process of publishing a book on the Oaklander method of training adults to do therapy with children through the GestaltPress.

This course qualifies for one hour of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as well as continuing education credit towards Certification from the Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation. (CEU Provider #133907 - Karen Fried, LMFT)