top of page
Wall Clock

15 Days

Course Duration

Flexible Payment Planning

R54,500.00
Early Bird*: R49,500.00

Course Fee

Calendar

9 Months

Time allowed for Academic Work

Pile of Coins

PTI Membership & Supervision

Additional Costs

Calendar

20 Months

Time Allowed for Practical Work

Throwing Caps

PG Diploma

Award

* Full Payment Due by Early Bird Deadline

Overview

Successful completion of the course and the required clinical hours leads to PTI certification as a Play Therapist.

​

This course has been clinically accredited by PTUK and PTI.

​

It is also validated at venues in the UK for academic standards by the Leeds Beckett (formerly Leeds Metropolitan) University as part of the MA in Practice based Play Therapy programme run in a collaborative partnership 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 post graduate course is designed for those that have completed a PTUK/PTI accredited Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills course. Participants may come from any background such as:  

  •   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

​

  The course has been designed to: 

  •   Enhance your career/professional skills

  •   Become registered as a Certified Play Therapist on the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the 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 moderate to severe problems

​

  The diploma course is the second part of a programme leading to a MA in Practice Based Play Therapy. It is stage 3 of the PTUK four stage training model.

Is it for me (PCG)
Objectives (PGC)

Objectives

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

  •  The competencies to work with all children (individual and group) with all problems where Play Therapy is suitable and with children and young people with mild to severe problems

  •  The skills to make assessments incorporating the Play Therapy Dimension Model (PTDM)

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

  •  The competencies required for running play therapy sessions with groups of children as well as individuals

  •   An ability to assess children's needs and set up a play therapy services unit

  •  An ability to make decisions taking into account the ethical issues concerning all parties involved

  •  Increased confidence in using play therapy with children and adolescents and communications with referrers, parents and guardians and other professionals

  •   The counselling, therapeutic and practical skills to carry out effective play therapy

  •  Awareness of your own process and development

  •  A comprehensive theoretical knowledge of child development and child psychology

  •  An ability to use the taught play therapy skills as assessment tools

  •  The ability to use a full play therapy tool-kit

  •  A basic understanding of play therapy research issues and methods

Content (PGC)

Content

This course builds on the knowledge and skills acquired through the PG Certificate course. It aims to enable students to improve therapeutic decision taking based on deepening skills and use of advanced play therapy interventions with children who have more severe problems, introduce working therapeutically with groups of children and integrate the therapeutic toolkit with practice and research.  

 

The following topics are covered in the course: 

  •  Introduction to Working with Groups

  •  Developing Metaphors for Group Working

  •  Play Therapy Dimension Model

  •  Clay

  •   Masks

  •  Mandalas

  •  Art

  •   Introduction to Research Methods

  •  Developing Expressive Arts Skills

  •  Music

  •  EPR

  •  Developing Symbolic Play Skills

  •  Sand Play - Advanced Skills

  •  Working with Metaphors

  •  Endings

  •  Court Work

​

 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 weekends. 

 

It is essential that participants are working with children whilst the course is in progress.  100 supervised hours need to be completed before the Diploma can be awarded.  The situations and problems that you encounter in real life outside the classroom together with their solutions are an essential part of the learning process.

Requiements (PGC)

Requirements

Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills.

Venue

Bell Rosen Guest House

​

Welgemoed

Cape Town

Western Cape

South Africa

Venue
bottom of page