Program Overview
Palm Beach Atlantic University's Play Therapy concentration equips students with advanced skills in play therapy techniques for working with children and adolescents. The program consists of four courses covering theoretical foundations, therapeutic skills, and psychosocial issues. Graduates can list the concentration on their credentials and pursue careers as play therapists in various settings.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Play Therapy concentration is a graduate-level program designed for students in the Counselor Education program who want to specialize in working with children and adolescents. While the program itself doesn't directly certify individuals in Play Therapy, it allows graduates to list it as a concentration on their credentials. The program's primary objective is to provide students with the advanced training and skills necessary to effectively utilize play therapy techniques in their counseling practice. This includes understanding the theoretical foundations of play therapy, developing therapeutic skills, and gaining experience through supervised practice.
Outline:
The Play Therapy concentration consists of four 3-credit hour courses:
- Foundations of Play Therapy: This introductory course covers the history, theoretical concepts, and applications of play therapy. Students explore the therapeutic benefits of play and develop basic play therapy skills for working with children and adolescents. Students learn how to utilize these techniques with various populations, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. The course also emphasizes incorporating faith, spirituality, and multicultural considerations into therapeutic practice.
- Advanced Play Therapy Theories & Practices: This course provides an in-depth study of different play therapy theories. Students further develop their play therapy skills through didactic and experiential learning, focusing on working with children and adolescents in individual, family, and group settings. The course also covers topics such as trauma, grief, abuse, and supervision in play therapy.
- Psychosocial Issues of Childhood and Adolescence: This course examines the characteristics, risk factors, and warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents.
