Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy

Temple University is a national center of excellence in teaching and research and a leader in professional education. As part of its mission it seeks to create new knowledge that improves the human condition and uplifts the human spirit. In an effort to fulfill this mission, Temple strives to continue to provide access to superior education for committed and capable students of all backgrounds and to enhance existing centers of academic excellence.

The mission of the School of Social Administration is dedicated to societal transformations to eliminate social, political, economic injustices for poor and oppressed populations and to advance the quality of life for all through education, research and scholarship, public service and responding to the needs of constituents.

Temple University Harrisburg is part of Temple´s University College with a primary focus on coordinating effective instruction and services to students across regional campuses, centers and other locations, building capacity and supporting the special strengths of each location in response to regional needs, and creating the necessary flexibility to develop new initiatives that will expand the outreach of Temple University beyond its core Main and Health Sciences campuses. The mission of Temple University Harrisburg is to serve as the leading graduate study and professional development center in the areas of social work, public education, public policy and public service in central Pennsylvania.

The School of Social Administration is offering graduate students and clinicians in Pennsylvania the opportunity to earn a 15 credit graduate certificate in Play Therapy. SSA recognizes the relevance and validity of play therapy and the need for a comprehensive, high quality academic program in this community. Research has concluded that Play Therapy is an effective intervention for a broad range of children´s and family´s difficulties (Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005). It is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O´Conner & Schaefer, 1983).

The courses within this program will prepare students and behavioral health professionals in the community to meet the 150 hours of play therapy-specific educational requirements to become a Registered Play Therapist which is a credential issued by the Association of Play Therapy (APT). APT is the primary professional organization dedicated to the field of Play Therapy whose mission is to promote the value of play, play therapy and credentialed play therapists.


	Play Therapy Play therapy is generally employed with children ages 3 to 11, play provides a way for children to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. As children´s experiences and knowledges are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others. Play Therapy is the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial challenges and achieve optimal growth and development. A working definition might be a form of counseling or psychotherapy that therapeutically engages the power of play to communicate with and help people, especially children, to engender optimal integration and individuation. Play Therapy is often used as tool of diagnosis. A play therapist observes a client playing with toys (play-houses, pets, dolls, etc.) to determine the cause of the disturbed behaviour. The objects and patterns of play, as well as the willingness to interact with the therapist can be used to understand the underlying rationale for behavior both inside and outside the session. According to the psychodynamic view, people (especially children) will engage in play behaviour in order to work through their interior obfuscations and anxieties. In this way play therapy can be used as a self-help mechanism, as long as children are allowed time for "free play" or "unstructured play." From a developmental point of view, play has been determined to be an essential component of healthy child development. Play has been directly linked to cognitive development.[citation needed] One approach to treatment, is for play therapists to use a type of systematic desensitization or relearning therapy to change the disturbing behaviour, either systematically or in less formal social settings. These processes are normally used with children, but are also applied with other pre-verbal, non-verbal, or verbally-impaired persons, such as slow-learners, brain-injured or drug-affected persons. Mature adults usually need much "group permission" before indulging in the relaxed spontaneity of play therapy, so a very skilled group worker is needed to deal with such guarded individuals.	Temple University Harrisburg is an APT (Association of Play Therapy) approved provider #07-206 Graduate Certificate Program in Play Therapy Advisory Committee Jean Camberg, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S Private Practice Brisbin, PA Debra A. Doubrava, Ph.D, LPC New Passages Harrisburg, PA Jacqueline George, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S Family Service Partners Harrisburg, PA Eleanor Gordon, MSW, LSW, RPT-S Harrisburg City Schools Harrisburg, PA Dottie Higgins-Klein, LMFT, RPT-S Family and Play Therapy Center Philadelphia, PA Diane Bates-Sier, MSW, LCSW Family Service Partners Harrisburg, PA Holly M. Stapleton, MSW Beech Street Program Carlisle, PA

Temple University Harrisburg

Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Graduate Certificate Program in Play Therapy Advisory Committee