Professional Experience / Biographies
Charlie Steffens and Spencer Gorin, co-authors of Learning to
Play, Playing to Learn started Creative Spirit in 1992. Their behavioral,
character education and team-building program uses fun, humor and creativity to cultivate
personal and professional growth. Their clients include many colleges and universities,
elementary, middle and secondary schools, convention bureaus, churches, mental-health
organizations, businesses and professional organizations.
Charlie and Spencer have given hundreds of
teacher-oriented seminars nationally in utilizing therapeutic play to manage aggressive
behavior in children, build their self esteem, foster cooperation, cultivate their social
skills and invigorate academic performance. They have worked directly with over
170,000
kids. Goals 2000, a program established by the Presidential Summit on Education evaluated
Creative Spirit's Healthy Play program in twenty-nine schools. Over a five year
period the study continually found that 85% of the teachers who used the program three to
five times per week reported a 50-100% reduction in behavioral problems, including acts of
aggression, bullying, threats, non-cooperation and teasing.
Charlie received his initial training in therapeutic play from the New
Games Foundation in San Francisco in 1976. Since then, he has organized and taught
programs using play to children of all ages in many settings, including classrooms,
after-school programs, chemical-dependency programs and hospitals.
Contact Charlie at Charlie@JoyInLearning.com.
Spencer has designed and directed programs for mental health organizations
that used art and music therapy; groups that dealt with relaxation, creative
visualization, sexuality, personal safety and values clarification; and therapy sessions
for individuals, groups and families. He also had 325 hours of group and individual
training in Gestalt/Bioenergetics. Spencer is also a semi-gifted and modest artist,
songwriter and musician.
Charlie and Spencer met when they were working in the children and
adolescent unit at Palo Verde Hospital, a Tucson psychiatric hospital.
Contact Spencer at Spencer@JoyInLearning.com.
