Developmental Underpinnings of the Expressive Therapies Continuum: Implications for Working with Children

October 03, 2025 / 6:45-7:45 PM Pacific Time

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Can children benefit from intellectually focused interventions in therapy?

Discover how the development of symbol relations impacts child clients

Learn how the structure of the Expressive Therapies Continuum supports intellectual information processing and how you can maximize this with clients who are too young to create a strong verbal self-narrative

Working with children sometimes makes you wonder about what you’re doing…

You work with children and wonder if this limits you to interventions that might be looked upon by other therapists as “unsophisticated”. Your use of words in sessions sometimes eclipses clients’ ability to comprehend what you mean, and this makes you wonder if being an adult serves as a barrier to their treatment.

You need a way to help child clients find meaning in their experiences

You know lots of therapists who don’t want to work with kids—they prefer loftier conversations with clients who engage in abstract thought, and they seldom inquire about your knowledge base and skill set. Between this lack of regard and the fact that the clients you serve don’t talk about the way they conceptualize their experiences, you’re often uncertain that what you’re doing is as effective as it could be. You’ve heard of the Expressive Therapies Continuum and wonder if the structure of this framework holds the key to supporting child clients as they make meaning of their lives.

I can help you understand how children engage in sophisticated mental activity and why nurturing this can be beneficial in therapy

I’m Megan, and I was trained by the co-creators of the Expressive Therapies Continuum—and I’ve worked with children in behavioral health, medical, and educational settings! I am happy to help you understand how the development of symbol relations, a large category of intellectual operations that are critical for comprehending and connecting ideas, fits into your work with child clients.

Far from the domain of “adults only”, intellectual activity can be fostered for therapeutic reasons in clients who are too young to develop a strong verbal self-narrative. Learning how to do this in conjunction with children’s physical and emotional strengths can help them make sense of their experiences.

You can support children in developing symbol relations and the ability to make sense of their lives!

Are you ready to re-examine prevailing assumptions about children and their intellectual limitations in therapy? Join me for a one-hour webinar that will leave you with confidence in your ability to help the young clients you serve and ideas for strengthening the good work you’re already doing.

Investment: $40.00 USD


Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to

  • name two cognitive theorists and two developmental theorists whose ideas informed the structure of the Expressive Therapies Continuum.

  • define symbol relations and their role in helping clients comprehend and connect concepts.

  • describe the role of the Cognitive/Symbolic level of the Expressive Therapies Continuum in developmentally integrative treatment for children.


CE Hours: 1.0 for this live event

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Megan VanMeter PLLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7793. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Megan VanMeter PLLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

 Do you find yourself wondering how to help child clients make meaning out of their experiences?

 Hope to see you there!

More information about the webinar

  • Megan VanMeter
    LPC (AZ), LMHC (IN), LPC-AT/S (TX), ATR-BC

    Megan is licensed by the counseling boards in the U.S. states of Arizona, Indiana, and Texas, and she also holds board-certification status through the Art Therapy Credentials Board.  She has developed an online private practice using the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), a nervous system-informed framework, as a basis for assessment, treatment planning, intervention, progress monitoring, and case conceptualization.  Megan earned her master’s degree in art therapy with a specialization in grief and medical counseling from the University of Louisville, where she studied under ETC co-creators Vija Lusebrink and Sandra (Kagin) Graves-Alcorn.

    She has served on professional boards and committees at local, regional, and national levels.  A scholar at heart, Megan enjoys doing research, giving presentations, and writing about the Expressive Therapies Continuum. She is hopeful that a new generation of therapists will have the opportunity to learn the ETC via methods similar to the ones her professors used.  Megan is cultivating a community of ETC enthusiasts and provides ETC supervision and webinars to help others develop appreciation for both the basics and the nuances of this important framework. 

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    • 0-4 days in advance = 0% refund

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or write us at Megan VanMeter PLLC, 186 E Sheldon St #1138, Prescott AZ 86301, USA

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