Rocky Mountain College OTD Students Explore Play, Trauma, and Healing in Play Therapy Lab
BILLINGS, Mont. — February 2026 — Students in Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program recently spent a lab day in OTD 607: Health and Well Being in Occupational Science, exploring how play, trauma, and nervous system regulation intersect in occupational therapy practice.
The class, taught by Dr. Randi Hanson, featured a guest-led lab with Connie Dilts, LCPC, who guided students through a series of hands-on, clinical learning activities rooted in trauma-informed care, emotional regulation, and play-based intervention. Together, they helped students see how intentional, therapeutic play can support health and well-being for children and families in Montana, including those living in rural and underserved communities.
“In play-based work, a child needs to feel connected to the therapist, in control, and capable,” said Dr. Hanson. “Our role as occupational therapists is to create a predictable, safe space where all feelings are welcomed and reflected—not judged. That’s where healing can begin.”
-Dr. Randi Hanson, OTD Faculty
A Hands-On Class Day Focused on Safety, Connection, and Regulation
As part of this OTD 607 lab, students examined what it means to create an emotional climate that supports healing in occupational therapy:
Keeping the environment consistent from session to session to build predictability and trust
- Helping children feel seen, valued, and important
- Validating all feelings—even anger, fear, or sadness
- Observing and reflecting, rather than rushing to correct behavior
- Recognizing that repetition is often part of processing and integration
These principles anchored the hands-on learning that followed, giving students the chance to experience, rather than just read about, trauma-informed and child-centered approaches.
Drawing Worries and Fears: Experiencing Emotional Processing
In one activity, students stepped into the role of the client. Using crayons or colored pencils, they were asked to draw a picture of a worry or fear. Working in pairs, they then took turns as “therapist” and “client,” following a guided reflection process:
- Naming the worry or fear in the drawing
- Identifying what emotions arise when looking at the picture
- Showing that feeling with facial expression
- Hearing that “it’s okay to have those feelings”
- Giving themselves permission to feel—recognizing that emotions are part of who they are
- Practicing slow, shared breathing to regulate intensity
- Identifying what might help with the worry or fear and who can offer support
- Adding elements to the drawing that make the scene feel safer
This simple, hands-on activity demonstrated how occupational therapists can use art to support emotional expression, self-awareness, and co-regulation—skills that are critical in school-based OT, pediatric mental health, hospital settings, and especially in rural Montana communities where behavioral health resources may be limited.
Understanding the Brain and the “Window of Tolerance” in Occupational Therapy
To tie these interventions to neuroscience, students reviewed brain diagrams and the “window of tolerance” model—key content in health and well-being in occupational science and trauma-informed occupational therapy:
- The brain stem and limbic system respond to threat and answer the question, “Am I safe?”
- The prefrontal cortex supports attention, planning, judgment, and emotional control—but is harder to access when the nervous system is in survival mode
- Hyperarousal (anxiety, anger, agitation) and hypoarousal (numbness, shut-down) can pull people outside their window of tolerance
- The therapeutic goal is often to help clients return to a state where they feel safe enough to participate, connect, and learn
Connie and Dr. Hanson linked these ideas directly to clinical occupational therapy practice:
“When someone is outside their window of tolerance, expecting complex tasks or perfect behavior isn’t realistic,” Dr. Hanson noted. “First, we help them feel safer—through play, rhythm, movement, and validation. Then participation and learning become possible.”
Sand Tray Self-Exploration: Letting Stories Take Shape
Students also participated in a Sand Tray Self Exploration activity, a common tool in play and trauma-focused work. With a tray of sand and a collection of small figures, students were invited to:
- Engage with the sensory experience of the sand
- Choose miniatures that “stood out” or felt meaningful
- Create a world in the sand—without rules or a “right way” to do it
When trays were complete, students described what they had created, while classmates practicing the therapist role listened, reflected themes and emotions, and honored the story that emerged.
Sand tray work gave students another hands-on clinical method for helping clients express experiences that may be hard to verbalize. For future occupational therapists in Montana, this approach can be especially powerful in rural communities, where stigma, limited access to counseling, or cultural norms may make traditional talk therapy less accessible or comfortable.
Integrating Health, Well-Being, and Trauma-Informed Practice in Montana OT Education
This lab day in OTD 607—Health and Well Being in Occupational Science—illustrates how Rocky Mountain College’s OTD program embeds trauma-informed, play-based, and neuroscience-informed practice into occupational therapy education in Montana. In one class session, students:
Practiced hands-on, clinical skills grounded in trauma-informed care
Considered how these tools can support children, families, and adults in both urban Billings and rural Montana settings
Used art and sand tray activities to explore emotional processing and self-regulation
Applied concepts like the window of tolerance to occupational roles and everyday life
For a program committed to serving rural and underserved populations, these competencies are essential. Many children and families in small towns, frontier areas, and tribal communities may have limited access to specialty mental health services. Occupational therapists who understand how to combine play, neuroscience, and occupation can play a central role in promoting health, well-being, and participation.
“When we understand the brain, honor the person’s story, and use play with intention, we support both health and well-being,” Dr. Hanson said. “That’s what we want our students to carry forward into their occupational therapy practice across Montana and beyond.”
Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in Billings, Montana continues to integrate coursework like OTD 607 with hands-on labs and clinical learning experiences, preparing graduates to support the emotional, cognitive, and occupational needs of individuals and communities in both urban centers and rural regions.
