Why a Credential in Play Therapy Matters
I have noted many counselors’ websites stating that they use play therapy. As a parent, I would think that then this counselor would be good then with working with my child. It is important to note that play therapy is “in” right now. Many counseling practices are using “play therapy” to bring in new clients. It is very popular for counselors to claim they offer play therapy when in fact they are not trained. So parents should be aware of the differences between someone that is learning play therapy skills, is trained in play therapy, and those that took a class in play therapy. When a counselor goes to a 2-day training where play therapy techniques are taught this does not make a counselor a specialist in the field of play therapy. By the time I graduated with my master’s degree in counseling, I had already completed 164 continuing education hours in play therapy. It is very unusual for a counselor to obtain that many hours without attending a college program that specializes in play therapy. I was aggressive in learning play therapy because I knew that was the lens for how I saw people healing. Becoming a Registered Play Therapist was a major professional goal for me. There are some important questions you can ask a counselor that states he/she is trained in play therapy. 1. What is your training in play therapy and expressive art? Counselors may take college classes in play therapy. There is annual state training