Godly Play in Clinical Settings: Clinical Core Training
What happens when a child in a hospital bed needs more than medicine to heal? What does spiritual care look like at the bedside, in a behavioral health unit, or in hospice?
Clinical Core Training equips chaplains, social workers, and other care providers with the tools to bring the Montessorian Godly Play Method into hospitals, hospice settings, and other non-traditional environments.
This modified Godly Play Core Training expands on foundational content with additional curriculum and learning outcomes designed to address the practical concerns of those providing spiritual care in clinical contexts.
What You’ll Learn
Participants will explore the Godly Play Method as both a form of assessment and a therapeutic intervention in clinical chaplaincy, grounded in foundational concepts of child development and spirituality. The training includes reading and discussion of current research, hands-on skill practice for bedside storytelling, and exploration of clinical adaptations that support spiritual expression across diverse traditions, including Torah Play (Judaism), Spirit Play (Unitarian Universalist), Faith and Play (Quaker), and others.
Who Should Attend
This training is designed for those who provide care across clinical settings, including hospital chaplains working with patients of all ages, behavioral health and hospice chaplains, workforce chaplains, social workers, and interdisciplinary clinicians.
Continuing Education
Participants will receive 18 hours of Continuing Education credits, including 3 research hours.
Training Schedule
The training takes place in person in New Orleans, with a preparatory Zoom session:
- Zoom Session: Thursday, May 28, 6–8 pm CT
- In Person, Day 1: Wednesday, June 10, 8 am–5 pm CT
- In Person, Day 2: Thursday, June 11, 8 am–12 pm CT
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 22
Registration Fee
- Early Bird: $350 (register on or before April 3, 2026)
- Standard: $375 (after April 3, 2026)
Your registration fee includes a clinical practice starter kit provided at the training, lunch on Wednesday, and snacks and refreshments throughout.
Training Location and On-Site Contact
Trinity Episcopal Church
1329 Jackson Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
Ashley Bond: abond@trinitynola.com | (504) 236-2672
Your Trainers
This training is led by Licensed Godly Play Trainers Courtney Webb, MDiv, BCC; Hannah Sutton-Adams, PhD, BCC; and Ashley Bond.
For questions, contact Hannah at hannah@godlyplayfoundation.org
or Courtney at courtneymartinwebb@gmail.com
