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The Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy is designed to train professionals who will advance the field of play therapy, filial therapy, and sandtray therapy to promote the safety and growth of children and families. The program serves mental health and medical professionals seeking demonstrated competency in providing play therapy services in local, regional, and international settings. Most courses are taught in a variety of formats, including face-to-face, online synchronous, and blended (face-to-face and online meetings). The 7-credit certificate can be earned within 1 calendar year or extended according to the student's own pace.

Educational Objectives

To gain knowledge and skills in Play Therapy by:

• Equipping graduate mental health students, independent mental health practitioners, and medical professionals to promote the safety and growth of children and families.
• Training participants in the use of best practice strategies relative to the field of play therapy.
• Preparing participants to serve children and families with an understanding of the developmental nature of play therapy for all age groups.

Professional Objectives

To gain knowledge and skills in Play Therapy by:

• Contributing to the understanding and application of professional and ethical standards in the play therapy field whether providing crisis or long-term interventions.
• Equipping play therapy professionals with an understanding of sociocultural factors increasing a client’s vulnerability to ineffective mental health treatment when a treatment approach does not consider culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate experiential methods.

Play Therapy Certificate courses and the Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy program are open to a variety of current graduate students in qualifying degree programs and post-graduate professionals in qualifying professions. Qualifying graduate degree programs and professions include mental health and medical professionals.

To Apply for the Certificate Program:

• Students must be currently enrolled in an MA or doctoral program in the mental health field at ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú or have already completed an MA or doctoral program that leads to licensure in the mental health field.
• Applicants must provide transcript(s)
• Applicants who are licensed mental health professionals must provide a copy of their state license
• Applicants must submit a 500-word admissions essay [double-spaced typewritten] to be evaluated by the director of the NW Center for Play Therapy Studies responding to the following question: 

What is your purpose for pursuing play therapy training and how do you foresee integrating play therapy into your future mental health practice?

Current ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Graduate Students in qualifying degree programs may take eligible Play Therapy Certificate classes without enrolling in the certificate if they are in good standing within their degree program. Admission requirements are as follows:

• Current ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Graduate Students
  • Shortened
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Good standing in current degree program
• Current Master’s Students Attending Other Colleges or Universities
  • Graduate School of Counseling application form 
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Graduate school transcripts verifying completion of a qualifying degree
• Current Post-Graduate Professionals
  • Graduate School of Counseling application form
  • GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Graduate school transcripts verifying completion of a qualifying degree program

To Enroll in Play Therapy Courses:

Students may enroll in select Play Therapy Certificate courses even though the post-graduate certificate is not being pursued. All current ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú graduate students in good standing and post-graduate professionals from a qualifying profession are eligible to enroll in Play Therapy Certificate courses. Students enrolled in other Graduate School of Counseling programs may complete an internal application available by emailing playtherapy@georgefox.edu.  Post-graduate or graduate students enrolled elsewhere in a qualifying profession are eligible to enroll in Play Therapy courses by completing a special student application.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy can be completed in 1 to 5 years with 7 semester hours of coursework required as a minimum for certificate completion. Of those hours, 3 are in foundational knowledge coursework and 4 are in specialized applications of play therapy.

Play Therapy Certificate courses are not available for audit. Contact the NW Center for Play Therapy office for information on available Continuing Education (CE) options through annual conferences.

In order to complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy program, students must:

• Satisfactorily complete all required courses, a minimum of 7 semester hours, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Achieve no grade lower than a B in all courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a required course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).

The NW Center for Play Therapy Studies is an Association for Play Therapy (APT) Approved Center. Coursework completed in the Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy counts toward the APT Registered Play Therapist credential education requirements.

In addition, all Postgraduate Certificate in Play Therapy course outcomes reflect core competencies expected in accordance with CACREP educational standards.