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15 Days

Flexible Payment Planning

Full Fee: R51,000.00
Early Bird*: R46,000.00

Calendar

9 Months

Pile of Coins

PTI Membership & Supervision

Calendar

20 Months

Throwing Caps

PG Certificate

* Full payment by Early Bird Deadline

Overview

In the United Kingdom (UK) Play Therapy became recognised as a distinct profession alongside Doctors, Dentists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Psychotherapists etc. in April 2013.

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This presents you with an opportunity to build upon your academic training in Play Therapy, enhance your career status and increase the effectiveness of your clinical work. The Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists is managed by Play Therapy UK ( http://playtherapy.org/ ) and is accredited by the UK Professional Standards Authority, who oversee the regulation of the health and social care professions in the UK and reports directly to Parliament.

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http://playtherapyregister.org.uk/ – The Register, the first one worldwide recognised at Government level for Play Therapy, has an International section that is open to South African professionals. This section is administered by Play Therapy International (PTI) http://playtherapy.org/ who ensures that registrants meet the required standards. These are being used as de facto standards pending the direct regulation of the profession by the South African Government. APAC, the course provider, is the only organisation world-wide that trains to the standard required by the register.

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Successful completion of the Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills course provides the title ‘Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills’ on the PTUK register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists.

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This course has been clinically accredited by PTI and PTUK.

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It is also validated in venues in the UK for academic standards by Leeds Beckett (formerly Leeds Metropolitan) University as part of the MA in Practice Based Play Therapy programme run in a collaborative partnerships with APAC.

Overview (PGC)

Synopsis

The lives of children in the present day are highly regulated and controlled. Non-directive play therapy offers a child the opportunity of making choices and taking responsibility for them; expressing him/herself freely; being accepted unconditionally; having his/her deepest feelings respected and accepted. For these reasons their play is not interpreted and no judgements are made.

 

Such freedoms may only be obtained by the provision of a strong framework. Therefore the adult takes responsibility for the safety of the child, themselves and the environment. Within these constraints, the child has complete freedom to choose. Time boundaries are also considered to be important thus adding a sense of security by adhering to beginnings and ends. In this way the time within a session becomes timeless and the child’s imagination is set free to explore and recreate his/her experiences and to create and make his/her own world.

 

There are, however, a number of cases where the non-directive needs to be complemented by other approaches. For example working with terminally ill, bereaved, autistic children in organisational settings and short term work.

 

The main items in the Play Therapy Tool-Kit are taught and put into practice. The course is unique in integrating both non directive and directive approaches to play therapy. The programme content is based upon the theory and practice of humanistic psychology, particularly that of Virginia Axline ("Dibs In Search of Self"), and Carl Rogers and the gestalt play therapy approach of Violet Oaklander. It recognises contributions made by others in the 20th century such as John Bowlby, Margaret Lowenfeld, Donald Winnicott, Rachel Pinney etc. It also places importance on the spiritual aspect of human development. Opportunities for meditation and all forms of creativity will enrich the contents of the course.

Synopsis (PGC)

Is it for me?

The course is designed for anyone with experience of children or adolescents, who either works or intends to work therapeutically with them including:

  • Counsellors

  • Psychotherapists

  • Clinical Psychologists

  • Primary School Teachers/Assistants

  • Nurses

  • Nursery School Teachers/Assistants

  • Social Workers

  • Play School Teachers/Assistants

  • Care home staff

  • Adoption/Foster Agency Workers

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The course has been designed to:

  • Enhance your career/professional skills

  • Become registered as a Certified Practitioner of Therapeutic Play Skills on the International Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the UK Professional Standards Authority.

  • Increase your satisfaction in working with children

  • Give you the skills to help children develop their emotional literacy

  • Give you the skills to alleviate behavioural and mental health problems

  • Assist your own personal development

  • Provide you with the Profession Structure Model competencies defined by PTUK to work with individual children who have slight to moderate problems

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The certificate course is the first part of a programme leading to a MA in Practice Based Play Therapy. It is stage 2 of the PTUK four stage training model. 

 

It may be undertaken as a standalone course.

Is it for me (PCG)
Objectives (PGC)

Objectives

The overall purpose is to enable participants to practice safely and effectively using therapeutic play skills in a variety of settings to provide emotional support to individual children for slight to moderate problems.  Upon successful completion of the course each participant will have gained: 

  •  A sound understanding of the principles underlying play therapy and the appropriate use of techniques the play therapy tool-kit

  •  Practical skills for running therapeutic play sessions with individual children

  •  An ability to assess children's needs and organise the provision of therapeutic play facilities

  •  An appreciation of the ethical issues

  •  Increased confidence in using therapeutic play with children and adolescents

  •  The counselling, therapeutic and practical skills to enable you to carry out therapeutic play

  •  An understanding of the ethical considerations

  •  Awareness of your own process and development

  •  Theoretical Knowledge of child development and child psychology

Content (PGC)

Content

Module 1

Course Introduction; Starting to Work Therapeutically With Children; The Therapeutic Play Continuum; Creative Visualisation; Setting Up to Practice; Pharmacology

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Module 2

Music Skills for Working With Individuals and Attachment theory

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Module 3

Storytelling & Puppetry Skills for Use With Individual Children; Comparison of Theoretical Models of Psychotherapy

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Module 4

Sand play skills for working with individuals and related theory; the Use of Natural Materials; Child Development Theory (1); Art Therapy for Individuals

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Module 5

Dance and Movement skills for working with individuals; Student presentations; Endings

Methods (PGC)

Methods

The course is divided into 5 modules some of which will gain a CPD certificate in its own right for the skills learnt.  

 

Participants will learn through working with other members of the course about the roles and responsibilities of the therapeutic relationship. There will be tutorials on theory but formal teaching and lecturing will be kept to an essential minimum.  

 

Learning will be experiential and collaborative using pair, group work, role-play and case presentations. Homework reading and other assignments will provide new information and consolidation of material from the experiential work encountered within the course.

Requiements (PGC)

Requirements

As this is a Post Graduate Course, you will be required to have achieved a undergraduate degree or NVQ level 6 equivalent qualification. It is preferable that this be in some relevant area such as education or psychology, but there is a process for acceptance of people with other qualifications.

 

Please email us for more information about this if you are unsure. You will also be required to have a minimum of 2 years of experience with children. This can be in a voluntary or paid capacity and can include things like childcare, counselling or education.

Venue

Bell Rosen Guest House

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Welgemoed

Cape Town

Western Cape

South Africa

Venue
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