Play Therapy training
BUILDING BLOCKS FOR PLAY THERAPY: FOUNDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE
30 BCPTA CEs + 6 hours of group consultation
This six-month, 30 credit hour course is one of the essential play therapy courses designed to give you the foundational skills you need to start using play therapy with children. The course will include instruction, practice, discussion, experiential activities, and supervision.
You will learn:
- basic skills to use with children
- the influence of the nervous system in counselling children
- about your nervous system
- how to use neuro-informed™ practices with play
- about directive and non-directive approaches
- how to use sand, art, and other media as expression
- working with parents
- and much more.
This training will count toward credentialing as a BC registered play therapist (BCRPT) with the British Columbia Play Therapy Association.
One module will be presented per month along with one group supervision session per month.
When: The 3rd Saturday of each month: Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21, Dec. 19, Jan. 16, 2027, Feb. 20, 2027
Time: 9am - 3:30 PM Pacific Time
Where: Online
Price: $1500.00 inclusive of GST
Consultation dates: The first Saturday of each month starting October 3, 2026. Time TBD.
Who should take this course: This course is tailored for both new and seasoned clinicians looking to enhance their skills in play therapy trainings, specifically for working with children.
Course Outline and Objectives
Module 1 - History and an Overview of Play Therapy
1. Learn the history of play therapy in the context of play therapy courses.
2. Gain an understanding of children’s neuro-development as well as cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development.
3. Be able to assess emotional age based on:
a. Themes in play therapy
b. Types of play
4. Identify emotional age vs chronological age.
5. Explore directive and non-directive play therapy, understanding the difference and when each can be effectively used in play therapy trainings.
6. Explore different theoretical orientations in play therapy, i.e. Adlerian, Rogerian, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Gestalt, Attachment-based, CBT, Jungian.
Module 2 - The Basics
1. Explore and identify themes in play and developmentally appropriate play within play therapy courses.
2. Learn how to set realistic and specific goals in play therapy.
3. Gain competency in using micro-skills with children.
4. Understand the importance of metaphor in play therapy.
5. Understand the need for limit setting and how it is viewed in different theoretical orientations of play therapy.
6. Learn and practice different types of reflections during play therapy trainings.
Module 3 - The Nervous System
1. Understand the triune brain and its development using the brain in the palm of your hand approach.
2. Gain a basic understanding of the Polyvagal ladder and the nervous system states.
3. Understand the role of the nervous system in play therapy.
4. Understand the role of the mirror neuron system in play therapy.
5. Be able to begin recognizing transference and countertransference in play therapy.
6. Begin to learn about their own nervous systems.
7. Learn about regulation and co-regulation and its application to play therapy.
Module 4 - Expressive Therapies
1. Explore different expressive therapies and become familiar with them in the context of play therapy courses.
2. Explore and discover the use of Sand play:
a. Sand
b. Figurines
c. Choosing
d. Witnessing
e. Building
3. Explore and discover the use of Art:
a. Plasticity Continuum
b. Supplies
c. Assessing Development
d. Art As Exploration
e. Closing Art
4. Explore other expressive modalities relevant to play therapy trainings.
5. Understand how to use board games in play sessions.
Module 5 - Culture, Diversity and Inclusion
1. Understand the importance of cultural humility and diversity in play therapy.
2. Learn how culture and identity shape a child’s experience in therapy, exploring practical ways to make play therapy, including sand tray, inclusive and culturally responsive.
3. Explore cultural considerations in play therapy such as toy selection.
4. Explore neurodiversity and ableism in play therapy, emphasizing the need for a multi-sensory space.
5. Learn about challenges in play therapy:
a. When play is not progressing
b. At risk play
c. Aggression
d. Disengagement
e. Selective mutism
f. Flooding
6. Gain insight into childhood trauma and how it manifests in the playroom, including assessing for trauma.
Module 6 - The Practical Stuff
1. Explore having parents in the playroom during play therapy trainings.
2. Learn about the role of parents in the therapeutic process.
3. Learn how to set realistic goals in play therapy.
4. Learn about the intake process.
5. Gain an understanding of the administrative side of play therapy:
a. Note taking
b. Intake form
c. Consent forms
d. Confidentiality
e. Talking to parents about play therapy,
f. Helping parents talk to their children about play therapy.
6. Learn when children’s work is done and therapy can end.
7. Begin to understand burnout, how to prevent it, and the importance of self-care.
Transform Your Life with Becoming Neuro Informed
Customized workshops on Play Therapy available
Do you have a play therapy topic you'd like to explore? Reach out to Johanna, and she will design a workshop or training that caters to the specific needs of you and/or your organization, including play therapy courses and play therapy trainings.
