11/07/2026
📰 Chiavenna Hosts the Best of International Play Therapy 👇👇👇
"Chiavenna has once again confirmed its role as an international hub for Play Therapy. Following the international conference Play is the Future, held from 2 to 4 July, Ostello Al Deserto hosted the first level of the international Crisis Play Therapy certification program from 6 to 12 July, transforming the town into a meeting point and training center for professionals from around the world.
The conference brought together ten international speakers and dozens of participants from 11 countries, offering a rich program of keynote presentations, workshops, and discussion sessions focused on the role of play as a tool for healing, inclusion, and community development.
Topics covered included the design of play-based community interventions in crisis settings, the use of expressive arts to overcome cultural barriers, the interpretation of children's drawings in war contexts, transcultural approaches to engaging families in therapeutic processes, and work with Indigenous communities and the world's most vulnerable populations.
At the conclusion of the conference, the international Crisis Play Therapy Certification Program officially began. This training pathway is designed for professionals working in mental health, education, rehabilitation, healthcare, and social services.
The program provides specialized competencies for designing and implementing clinical and psychosocial interventions in emergency and high-vulnerability settings, addressing trauma, grief, natural disasters, armed conflict, migration, and poverty through the integration of Play Therapy, expressive arts, and the latest advances in neuroscience.
Both events were organized by the INA – International Academy for Play Therapy, a Swiss association founded by Claudio Mochi, Scientific Director of the Certification Program, and Isabella Cassina, Director of International Project Management. For many years, they have led training initiatives and psychosocial projects in crisis settings across numerous countries worldwide".