There are moments in a professional lifetime when a training truly matters.

This is one of them.

Maggie Kline returned to Australia for what was her final visit.

An internationally respected trauma therapist, Maggie is one of the founding faculty of Somatic Experiencing® and co-author with Peter Levine of seminal works in child and family trauma. Her contribution to the field has shaped how practitioners worldwide understand and respond to developmental trauma.

For those who work with children and young people, this was a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the field’s most experienced, grounded, and deeply embodied leaders.

This PlayShop was designed for practitioners such as psychologists, counsellors, teachers, youth workers, social workers, and allied health professionals who support children navigating stress, adversity, and trauma.

Why This PlayShop Was Different

This was not a theory lecture.

It was an experiential, professionally grounded training that invited participants to:

  • Deepen your understanding of how trauma lives in a child’s body and behaviour
  • Recognise early signs of overwhelm before escalation
  • Strengthen your attunement and relational precision
  • Expand your intervention toolkit with practical, developmentally aligned strategies
  • Increase your confidence when working with complex presentations

Participants were invited to refine not only what they do — but how they are with children in distress.

And that changes outcomes.

Why This Matters Now

Across clinical practice, education, and community services, practitioners are facing increasing complexity:

  • Heightened anxiety
  • Behavioural escalation
  • Shutdown and withdrawal
  • Attachment disruption
  • Surface strategies are no longer enough

This training offered depth, nuance, and embodied understanding — the kind that transforms practice rather than simply adding information.

What the PlayShop Offered

  • A clearer lens for understanding trauma through a developmental framework
  • Practical tools you can apply immediately
  • Strengthened relational capacity
  • Greater clarity in supporting parents and systems
  • Renewed professional confidence

Most importantly, the PlayShop supported a deeper capacity to truly see the child in front of you.

This was Maggie’s final Australian offering.

If you missed this event, you can now purchase the recordings here instead.