Fair Play

Presenter: Ashley Brichter, Certified Fair Play Facilitator

Recorded: August 28, 2025

Format: Asynchronous, recorded on-demand course | 2 hours

Instructional Level: Introductory

Target Audience: Clinical Mental Health Providers

CE Credits: 2 continuing education credits

Certificates Available: ASWB/ACE, AASECT, THGI

Course Description

Domestic inequity, burnout, and the invisible weight of the mental load are among the most common, and most clinically underaddressed, sources of relational strain for couples and families. This two-hour recorded training introduces mental health practitioners to the Fair Play system, a practical, evidence-informed framework for helping clients overcome self-limiting beliefs, improve communication in their relationships, move out of burnout, and radically show up for themselves at home and at work, while dismantling the systemic patterns that keep them stuck.

Participants will explore the problem of domestic inequity and its impact on mental health and relationship dynamics, learn the foundational components of the Fair Play method, including the Minimum Standard of Care (MSC), the Conception, Planning, and Execution (CPE) framework, and the Happiness Trio, and develop practical clinical tools for introducing Fair Play to clients as part of a broader therapeutic approach. The course equips clinicians to assess a client’s readiness to engage with Fair Play, determine the most appropriate starting point for individual clients, and integrate this framework alongside other therapeutic interventions.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this training, attendees will be able to:

Explain the role of the MSC, the CPE, and the Happiness Trio in the Fair Play method.
Assess a client’s readiness to engage with Fair Play in connection with other therapeutic interventions.
Determine the most appropriate method of starting with Fair Play for individual clients.

Limitations, Risks, & Benefits

This training presents a focused, introductory overview of the subject matter and is not intended to be comprehensive; clinicians seeking more advanced knowledge of the Fair Play system are encouraged to pursue additional training. Because the training is delivered as a recorded course via an online platform without live interaction with the presenter, it may not fully replicate the interactivity of live or in-person learning experiences. No significant risks are anticipated, though participants may have existing assumptions or worldviews challenged in the process of engaging with the material. Benefits include increased compassion and empathy for the impact of domestic responsibilities and mental load on mental health and relationship dynamics, practical clinical tools for clients struggling to make behavioral change or engage their partners in conversations about burnout, and decreased discomfort when working with clients navigating these concerns.

Cultural Sensitivity

This training recognizes that the division of domestic labor and the mental load are shaped by gender norms, cultural and family values, socioeconomic status, and the systemic patterns that influence how households operate. Participants are encouraged to approach clients’ domestic arrangements with cultural humility, without imposing a single standard of fairness, and to consider how identity, culture, and life stage, including the perinatal period and other major transitions, inform each client’s experience of equity and burnout at home.

Course Content

This training presents introductory-level content through recorded lecture and didactic instruction, with guided reflection and self-assessment exercises throughout the recording. The course covers domestic inequity and its impact on mental health and relationships, the foundational components of the Fair Play method, assessment of client readiness, and practical strategies for introducing Fair Play alongside other therapeutic interventions.

Relevance

This training is grounded in core professional values of the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, and a commitment to social justice, as outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics. Addressing domestic inequity and relational burnout is both a clinical imperative and a matter of equity, particularly for perinatal clients and families navigating major life transitions. This training is relevant to licensed social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and sex therapists who support individuals, couples, and families experiencing relational strain, burnout, and imbalances in domestic responsibilities.

About the Presenter

Ashley Brichter is the founder and CEO of Birthsmarter and a Certified Fair Play Facilitator, Certified Birthsmarter Educator, Certified Cooperative Childbirth Educator, Birth and Postpartum Doula, and Lactation Counselor. With over a decade of experience supporting parents and families, Ashley brings humor, practical insight, and a deeply grounded understanding of family dynamics to her teaching, helping clinicians and clients alike navigate the systems that shape how we live, work, and relate to one another.

Course Details

Delivery method: Recorded, self-paced course via the Institute on-demand learning platform

Course interactivity: Recorded lecture and didactic instruction with guided reflection and self-assessment exercises, followed by a posttest

Posttest: Participants must complete a posttest and achieve a passing score of 80% or higher to receive credit.

Certificate issuance: Certificates of credit will be issued upon completion of the full recorded course and a passing posttest score of 80% or higher. Participants are asked to complete the course evaluation.

Contact for questions: [email protected]

Accessibility accommodations: To request accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected]. We are committed to making our trainings accessible to all participants.

Commercial Support & Conflict of Interest Disclosure

No commercial entity has provided funding or support for this course. Ashley Brichter has no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose.

AASECT

AASECT CKA:

C. Socio-cultural, familial factors (e.g., ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, socioeconomic status, family values) in relation to sexual values and behaviors.

This program meets the requirements of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and is approved for CE credits. These CE credits may be applied toward AASECT certification and renewal of certification. Completion of this program does not ensure or guarantee AASECT certification. For further information please contact [email protected].

ASWB ACE Statement

The Healing Group Institute, provider number 2716, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 3/31/26 – 3/31/27. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credits.

References

Davis, K. C. (2022). How to keep house while drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organizing. Simon Element.

The Gottman Institute. (n.d.). The Gottman Institute. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://www.gottman.com

Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle. Ballantine Books.

Rodsky, E. (2019). Fair play: A game-changing solution for when you have too much to do (and more life to live). G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Rodsky, E. (2021). Find your unicorn space: Reclaim your creative life in a too-busy world. G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Rosenberg, M. B. (2015). Nonviolent communication: A language of life (3rd ed.). PuddleDancer Press.