Play Therapy Certificate

All Continuing Education Certificate courses may be taken as either certificate courses or as stand-alone Continuing Education courses.

Play therapy is the central clinical approach used when working with children in psychotherapy. It is also a modality employed increasingly in school-based programs where financial resources for individual psychotherapy are dwindling. In the form of "filial," play therapy is employed in curriculum-based diversion and mandatory treatment programs where there has been a child protective service intervention and reunification of children and parents is the goal.

Play therapy is more than merely playing. This treatment approach has a rich history and provides tangible and efficacious results. Child treatment in general is often neglected in curriculum, and the specifics of techniques, especially play, are left out of most curriculums entirely.

This certificate is designed to allow the advanced child therapy clinician to focus on specific play therapy techniques by offering a distillation of the most pertinent and current findings in play therapy research and literature. This certificate does not meet play therapy registry practicum requirements.

Certificate Requirements: A total of 60 hours is required. This includes two core courses (20 hours) and 40 hours of electives.

Core Courses

1. Introduction to Play Therapy with Individuals and Families*
2. Clinical Issues in Play Therapy

*Please Note: It is recommended that this course be taken first within the Play Therapy Certificate.

Courses Currently Offered:

  • Clinical Issues in Play Therapy (Core)
  • Introduction to Play Therapy with Individuals & Families (Core)

  • Cognitive Play Therapy (Elective)
  • Essential Stages of the Sandplay Proceess (Elective)
  • Expressive Arts With Families (Elective)
  • Fundamentals of Sandplay Therapy (Elective)
  • Healing Psychological Trauma Through Sandplay (Elective)
  • Introduction to Expressive Arts Therapy (Elective)
  • Parents as Partners in Play Therapy (Elective)


    Please complete and submit a Certificate Application before starting coursework.

  • Continuing & Extended Education
    John F. Kennedy University
    100 Ellinwood Way, S205
    Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
    800.557.1384
    fax:925.969.3155
    email:conted@jfku.edu