About this certificate program
Dates: October 7, 8, November 19 and 20, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
Facilitators: Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S., and Greg Lubimiv, MSW, CPT-S.
CE hours: 24
This training is suitable for:
- Mental health professionals, mental health clinicians, psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.
Client age category: For professionals who work with families and children under the age of 18.
Please note: This is a four-module/webinar certificate program. You must complete all four modules to obtain the certificate. However, each of the modules may be taken on their own as a stand-alone webinar training.
Overview: This four-day certificate program is for seasoned and beginning practitioners who regularly work with children, adolescents, and their families and are interested in augmenting their clinical skills and therapeutic toolkit. The course will cover various topics including rapport-building, engaging resistant children and parents, implementing an innovative assessment model, strengthening core family therapy skills, and utilizing play and expressive arts techniques. Through didactic presentation, experiential exercises, and videos of actual client sessions, this training will combine theoretical material with hands-on therapeutic techniques. Participants will come away with many new and innovative engagement, assessment, and treatment interventions for use with children and families who present with a wide range of issues.
This comprehensive program consists of four expertly designed modules, each focused on enhancing support for children and families. Each module explores a critical aspect of child and family therapy, combining theoretical knowledge with practical skills.
Modules:
- October 7, 2026: What's going' on? An innovative model for assessing children and teens.
- October 8, 2026: Wanna come out and play? Creative use of games, stories, puppets and art with children and teens.
- November 19, 2026: Essential theory and practical skills for child-focused family therapy.
- November 20, 2026: Creative family therapy techniques.
This program is offered as an open module series, allowing the flexibility to register for any of the four individual modules or the entire series, depending on your learning objectives. Whether you choose to join one module or all four, this series aims to provide valuable insights and practical tools for those looking to support the mental health of children, teens and families.
Engage, assess, intervene, and heal with creative, practical interventions for effective child and family therapy.
Individual module overview
Module 1: What's going' on? An innovative model for assessing children and teens
Date: October 7, 2026 | Facilitator: Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S
Overview:
The initial phase of therapy is perhaps the most important as it forms the foundation for successful ongoing work. An atmosphere of safety must be created in which the child is made to feel accepted, understood, and respected. A comprehensive assessment needs to be conducted so that an appropriate treatment plan can be developed. This course will focus on the beginning phase of therapy, namely, how to build a positive therapeutic rapport, engage resistant children and teens, conduct a comprehensive assessment, and develop tailored treatment plans. Participants will learn creative rapport-building techniques and an innovative model for assessing children and teens.
Learning objectives:
- Articulate the importance of developing a positive therapeutic rapport.
- Utilize a variety of creative interventions to engage children and teens in therapy.
- Implement an innovative model to assess children and teens.
- Develop tailored treatment plans that address specific goals.
This webinar is module 1 of our Innovations in child and family therapy certificate program; however, you can also register for it as a stand alone training to enhance your therapeutic skills.
Module 2: Wanna come out and play? Creative use of games, stories, puppets and art with children and teens
Date: October 8, 2026 | Facilitator: Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S
Overview:
The creative use of games, puppets, stories, and art engages children and teens in therapy and helps them to resolve their psychological difficulties. Participants will learn many new and innovative therapeutic techniques to make sessions meaningful and effective. The activities presented can be used with a wide range of presenting problems and difficulties. Videos and live demonstrations will illustrate techniques.
Learning objectives:
- Identify the therapeutic value of game play, and the criteria for game selection.
- Utilize basic skills in bringing a puppet to life.
- Describe the steps to writing therapeutic stories and how to integrate metaphors.
- Articulate guidelines to processing client artwork.
- Implement a variety of play and expressive arts techniques.
- Describe key processing skills to deepen therapeutic work.
This webinar is module 2 of our Innovations in child and family therapy certificate program; however, you can also register for it as a stand alone training to enhance your therapeutic skills.
Module 3: Essential theory and practical skills for child-focused family therapy
Date: November 19, 2026 | Facilitators: Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S, and Greg Lubimiv, MSW, CPT-S
Overview:
This training will emphasize the benefits of involving all family members in the therapeutic process. Practical skills for conducting family sessions will be covered, along with strategies for overcoming common challenges in family therapy. Participants will learn how to creatively mobilize change within the family system, promoting positive interactions and fostering growth.
Learning objectives:
- List the benefits of conducting sessions with all family members.
- Apply core therapeutic skills in family therapy.
- Implement strategies to overcome common challenges in family therapy.
- Utilize a creative approach to mobilize change in the family system.
This webinar is module 3 of our Innovations in child and family therapy certificate program; however, you can also register for it as a stand alone training to enhance your therapeutic skills.
Module 4: Creative family therapy techniques
Date: November 20, 2026 | Facilitator: Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S
Overview:
The use of creative techniques in child-focused family therapy provides a medium for all members to participate and promotes positive family interaction. The presenter will outline innovative techniques to engage, assess, and treat families facing diverse challenges. This training is geared to beginning and seasoned family therapists who are seeking innovative techniques to add to their therapeutic repertoire.
Learning objectives:
- Implement creative techniques to engage and assess families.
- Utilize innovative techniques in family therapy sessions including games, puppets, psychodrama, phototherapy, and storytelling.
- Integrate creative interventions into ending sessions with families.
This webinar is module 4 of our Innovations in child and family therapy certificate program; however, you can also register for it as a stand alone training to enhance your therapeutic skills.
Continuing Education (CE) Information: SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) to offer continuing education (CE) hours. Full-day programs equal six CE hours; half-day programs equal three CE hours; for less than half-day programs, one hour of programming equals one CE hour. SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute maintains responsibility for the programs.
Other licensing boards and professional organizations will grant continuing education credits for attendance at their own discretion; participants will need to submit the course outline and Certificate of Participation for their consideration.
Accessibility
We strive to ensure our online learning programs are easy for everyone, everywhere. If you have any accessibility requirements (closed-captioning, ASL interpreters, advanced access to program materials), please email Mary Anne Van Rooyen at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca to let us know how we can best support your learning experience.
Please note: Once the online registration is complete, any modifications to a registration must be done by contacting Mary Anne Van Rooyen via email at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca
Photography is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the content is a model, except where indicated.