DIPLOMA IN PLAY THERAPY

DIPLOMA IN PLAY THERAPY

This Play Therapy program is clinically accredited by PTI. Successful completion of this program, after the required hours of clinical work, leads to certification as Play Therapist.

It is addressed to:

This Post Graduate program is designed for those who have completed the PTI accredited Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills program. Those who have completed the 5 blocks of the certificate level, have completed and submitted their academic work for that level, and have completed at least 50 of the 100 hours of their practice, may also participate.

Participants may come from any field such as:

Counselors, Clinical Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, Child Psychiatrists, Pediatricians, Sociologists, Kindergarten Teachers, Teachers of all levels, Special Educators, Psychotherapists, Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists.

It is designed for:

The program is designed to:

• Enrich your career and professional skills
• Increase your satisfaction in working with children
• Provide you with the skills to help children with emotional difficulties
• Give you the skills to relieve children with mental health problems and behavioral problems
• To offer you personal development
• Equip you with the appropriate skills, as defined by the PTI in the Profession Structure Model, for working individually with children with moderate to severe problems (see here)

The Certificate program is the first part of the program leading to the title Play Therapist.

The Diploma program is the second part of this program leading to the title Play Therapist.

Summary

The program is innately experiential and based specifically on the non-directive Play Therapy.

It is a holistic approach to Play Therapy – Children and their Environment.

As with the Certificate level, the Diploma material builds on the theory and practice of humanistic psychology, particularly that of Virginia Axline (“Dibs In Search of Self”) and Carl Rogers, and on the Gestalt approach in play therapy as developed by Violet Oaklander. Acknowledges the contribution of other 20th century theorists such as John Bowlby, Margaret Lowenfeld, Donald Winnicott, Rachel Pinney, etc. Goes into a deeper understanding of the unconscious processes related to child development based on Freud, Jung and others. The content of the program is enriched by opportunities for creativity, through various materials.

You will explore ways to integrate the child, as the center of the social system that includes school, family and support structures.

The program is divided into 5 independent sections. In the program we use again the basic elements of the “Play Therapy Toolkit”, entering a deeper level of understanding and ability to use them, applying them to more difficult problems, as well as assessment methods.

Educational goals

The main objective is to enable participants to have a confident practice and become effective as Play Therapists.

Upon successful completion of the program, each participant will have achieved the following:

• Acquire skills in working with all children (individually and in groups) who have any type of moderate or severe problem.
• Make assessments incorporating the PTDM model.
• Have a strong understanding of the principles of play therapy and apply its techniques appropriately
• Acquire the skills necessary to conduct play therapy sessions with groups of children, as well as individual sessions
• To acquire the ability to assess children’s needs and provide appropriate play therapy services
• To have the ability to make decisions taking into account ethical and ethical issues that affect all parties involved
• To be more confident in the use of play therapy with children and young people and to be able to communicate with parents, teachers and all other stakeholders
• To have the counseling, therapeutic and practical skills to deliver effective intervention through play therapy
• To be aware of their own processes and personal development
• Have an understanding of theoretical knowledge about child development and psychology
• Have the ability to use learned skills in play therapy as an assessment tool
• Have the ability to use the entire “play therapy toolbox”
• Have a basic understanding of research topics and methods for research in play therapy

The structure of the program

Modules 1-5 are covered in the Certificate in Therapeutic Skills program.

Description of the modules of the training program
(Sequence and content may vary depending on the group)

Module 6: Introduction to Group Work – Developing Metaphors in Group Work – Introduction to Research Methods – Developing Expressive Arts Skills 1 – Dancing and Group Movement – Assessment – Special Cases: Autism, Mind
Module 7: Developing Expressive Arts Skills 2 – Music – Working with parents / teachers, observations through case study videos – Special cases: Adopted Children
Module 8: Developing Theatrical Skills – Therapeutic Stories – EPR – Assessment Methods – Special Cases: Loss/Mourning, Relocation
Module 9: Developing Symbolic Game Skills – Sand Play (advanced skills) – Working with Transport – Closures, Special Cases: Physical and Sexually Abused Children – Children who have been traumatized
Module 10: Developing Expressive Arts Skills 3 – The Art of Child Development – Special Cases: Working with Children with Terminal Illness and / or Abused Children – Reporting Abuse, Working with Courts -. Student Presentations

Educational methods

Participants will learn about the roles and responsibilities in the therapeutic relationship through collaboration with other members of the program. There will be theoretical instruction, but as little as absolutely necessary.

Learning will be experiential and collaborative in pairs, groups, role-play and case presentations. Home reading and other homework will provide new information and help consolidate the experiential work done over the course of three days. The work can be discussed in the group over the next three days.

It is important that participants work with children during the program. To earn the Diploma, it is necessary to have completed 100 supervised hours with clients before the certificate is awarded. Group clinical supervision of this work is also one of the basic training methods. The situations and problems you encounter outside the training and their resolution are an integral part of the educational process.

Title

Upon successful completion of the program, the title is awarded:
PTI Diploma in Play Therapy

Duration

• 15 days of physical presence – completed in either an intensive 15-day course or 5 three-day modules.
• 9 months from the beginning of the program – for the submission of academic works
• 18 months from the start of the program – for the completion of clinical work and 100 hours of supervised practice.

The dates of the program are:

1st three-day block: 09, 10 and 11/10/2020
2nd three-day block: 11, 12 and 13/12/2020
3rd three-day block: 05, 06 and 07/02/2021
4th three-day block: 26, 27 and 28/03/2021 and
5th three day block: 07, 08 and 09 May 2021

INFORMATION – PRE-SUBSCRIPTION – REGISTRATION

Nellie Boukouvala,
Certified Play Therapist
Accredited Course Director for APAC Ltd and member of the academic team of Leeds Beckett University
Certified Supervisor with Play and Creative Arts

Contact numbers: +30 210 7796100, +30 6985577627,
Email: playtherapygreece@gmail.com

UPCOMING
EVENTS

6 OCTOBER 2023
ATHENS

CERTIFICATE IN THERAPEUTIC PLAY SKILLS

See more

TO BE ANNOUNCED

CIRCLE OF SECURITY - PARENTING

See more

TO BE ANNOUNCED

INSIGHTFUL PLAY

Circle of Security - Parenting