A journey into the human mind.

Play Therapy

Learn to Apply Play Therapy for emotional or physical healing
The Play Therapy course is relevant to all ages - even adults can benefit from play.
When an injury damages muscles, or inhibits the use of muscles for a period; play may be a pathway to reeducate those muscles to again move as they once did.
When a person suffers stress, and anxiety or depression takes over, play can sometimes be a pathway to regain motivation and emotional stability. Like other types of therapy, play therapy helps to reduce or eliminate negative or maladaptive behaviours whilst encouraging the use of positive or adaptive ones.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

  1. The Foundation for Using Play Therapy
    • Introduction
    • Brief History of Play Therapy
    • What is play -Functional Approach, Structural Approach, Play-Criterion Approach
    • Play and Cognitive Development
    • Play and Social Development
    • Play and Physical Activity
    • Language Play
    • Value of play
    • Play therapy defined
    • Approaches to Play Therapy - Non directive, directive, integrative
    • Axline’s Principles
    • Landreth’s Perspective
    • The Role of the Play Therapist
    • Play Therapy and Adults
    • Scope of play therapy
  2. Applications for Play and Play therapy
    • Therapeutic Play continuum - play, pla-work, therapeutic pla-work, therapeutic play, filial play, play therapy, child psychotherapy
    • Application of play therapy
    • Who is play therapy for
    • Background Information
    • Choice of toys and materials
    • Other Techniques
    • Age Appropriate Choices
    • Aggressive Toys
    • Toys to Avoid
    • Cultural considerations
    • Creating the right environment
    • Session Times
    • Playroom
    • Advantages
    • Research in Support of Play Therapy
    • Issues with play therapy
    • Problems Arising During Therapy
  3. Play Therapy for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Separation Anxiety Disorder
    • Selective Mutism
    • Specific Phobias
    • Other Anxiety Problems
    • Social Anxiety
    • School Anxiety
    • Symptoms
    • Treatment
    • Cognitive behaviour Therapy
    • Limitations of CBT
    • Medication
    • Limitations of Medication
    • Use of Play Therapy
    • Using play therapy to reduce anxiety in children
    • Tracking
    • CBT and play therapy for anxiety
    • Major depressive disorder
    • SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
    • Bipolar I & II Disorders
    • Cyclothymic Disorder
    • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
    • Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
    • Persistent Depressive Disorder
    • Symptoms
    • Counselling & Medication treatments
    • Use of Play Therapy
    • Play therapy with children and adults with depression
  4. Play Therapy for Behavioural Disorders
    • Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder
    • Oppositional Defiant Disorder
    • Conduct Disorder - child onset. adolescent onset
    • Use of Play Therapy
    • ADHD - what it is, play therapy application
  5. Play Therapy for Developmental Disorders
    • Cascading Effect
    • Working with Children with Developmental Disorders
    • Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Difficulties in Social Development and Interactions
    • Abnormal Communication
    • Repetitive Behaviour
    • Intellectual Disability
    • Physical Disability
    • Cerebral Palsy
    • Use of Play Therapy with Cerebral Palsy
    • Learning Disorders & Use of Play Therapy
    • Concrete Play Metaphors
    • Clay Therapy
    • Colour and Drawing Therapy
  6. Play Therapy for Social and Family Problems
    • Types of Family & Social Problems
    • Trauma
    • Abuse and Neglect
    • Effects of Abuse
    • Attachment Disorder
    • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Grief and Loss
    • Divorce
    • Death of a parent
    • Other Factors - Schooling, Location
    • Use of Play Therapy for Trauma or Abuse
    • Ball Play, Sculpting and drawing
  7. Play Therapy and Adult Populations
    • Introduction
    • Play Therapy For Adults
    • Research Supporting Use of Play Therapy with Adults
  8. Related Specialised Creative Therapies
    • Introduction
    • Music Therapy
    • Art Therapy
    • Drama Therapy
    • Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT)
  9. Play and Rehabilitation
    • Introduction
    • Injury and Illness
    • Disability
    • Science and Technology

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.


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