Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy and counselling that allows children experiencing loss, trauma, emotional, or behavioural issues to open up their emotions in a safe space. This safe, play space is where they are allowed to face their thoughts and emotions nonverbally through play. It can help ameliorate effects of the child’s deeper emotional issues and helps them to deal with stress and anxiety.
As a certified Play Therapist, you will be helping children to deal with their early childhood trauma by creating the right environment of safety and trust. From there, you’ll gain insight into the mind of the child in order to eventually interpret what the child is trying to communicate but may be unable to due to age, lack of vocabulary, or trauma.
You will be using Nondirective Play as a method to gain deeper insight into the child’s world in order to understand them better and help them through any difficulties or events they may have gone through. Because it is stress-free and non-directed play, it is also a great way for children to learn more about themselves in the process.
In Play Therapy, the play process reveals and reflects the child’s behaviour back in such a way that the child can confront their own behaviour. This gives you, the therapist, a powerful diagnostic tool to determine the causes for the child’s issues and can be effective in helping the child work through their problems.
Some of the benefits of Play Therapy include:
- Helping children learn to develop a better sense of their abilities and increasing their confidence.
- Helping children develop creative problem-solving abilities.
- Helping children learn about empathy and respect for feelings of others by giving them space to get in touch with their own thoughts and feelings.
Play Therapy is cited as one of the most effective treatments for children suffering from trauma or PTSD.
Play Therapy is a structured method developed and guided by counsellors that build upon the natural way children learn about the world and their relationship to it
(Axline, 1947; Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002).
PTUK’s Research has found Play Therapy to be an effective therapeutic approach for children.
Parents also reported pronounced improvements to their children’s emotional outlook, better overall conduct, and improved relationships with their peers.
College of Allied Educators offers the Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills. Awarded by the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy, UK, (APAC), these programmes will allow students to further explore ways of integrating the child as the centre of a social system, which includes schools, families and a team of support. They will also introduce you to developmental practices, types of play therapy, legal frameworks, assessment, protection procedures and therapeutic interventions.
- POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN THERAPEUTIC PLAY SKILLS The Certificate conferred is internationally recognised and will certify you as a Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills.
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