From encouraging emotional expression to helping children develop resilience, this course explores how play can be used as a powerful tool to support mental and emotional wellbeing.
In this inspiring course, you’ll explore the fundamentals of play therapy, uncovering its goals, rich history, and the theoretical foundations that guide this powerful approach. You’ll learn why play is often considered a child’s natural language—a unique and meaningful way for children to express emotions, navigate challenges, and solve problems.
As you progress, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how play-based techniques can support a child’s emotional regulation, resilience, communication, social interaction, confidence, and self-esteem. Through real-world applications and carefully designed lessons, you’ll see how therapeutic play nurtures core developmental skills in a safe and creative way.
This course introduces a variety of play therapy techniques such as sensory play, creative expression, role-play, storytelling, dramatic play, arts and crafts, sand tray, and symbolic play. You’ll also learn how to create a safe, supportive, and developmentally appropriate environment where children feel empowered to explore and express themselves freely.
You’ll delve into how play therapy can be especially helpful for children navigating trauma, stress, anxiety, grief, or developmental difficulties. The course offers insight into how children may respond to emotional or traumatic experiences and how to foster emotional safety and trust. You'll discover the importance of empathy, clear boundaries, and emotional attunement when working with children, ensuring your approach is compassionate and effective.
As part of your learning journey, you’ll also explore key elements of child psychology, including how self-esteem and emotional intelligence evolve through play. The course introduces essential psychological theories that form the basis of play therapy and explains how these insights can inform your practice.
You’ll gain vital knowledge on professional and ethical considerations when supporting children, including safeguarding and child protection awareness. Real-life case studies will help you apply theory to practice, while expert guidance will show you how to set up your own practice confidently and safely, always staying within your scope of knowledge.
Whether you're beginning your journey or deepening your existing skills, this course empowers you to support children in a nurturing, creative, and informed way through the transformative power of play therapy.
Your Path to Becoming a Play Therapist
This course does not qualify you to practise as a licensed play therapist. For professional registration, further study through a recognised academic and clinical training programme is required. Information on next steps, if you wish to pursue a formal qualification or career as a licensed play therapist, is included within the course.
