Learn about play therapy and how to enhance the well-being and educational opportunities for people – young and old. If you want to take on a leadership role to facilitate engaging play therapy activities, whether you’re an educator, counsellor, parent, youth worker, health worker or caregiver, this course is ideal for you.
The Advanced Certificate of Play Therapy and Leadership is a professional development program that shows you how to incorporate play therapy into engaging programs to support the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of people of all ages.
In this play therapy leadership course, you will learn how to apply play therapy for mental health conditions and developmental disorders and discover the importance of leadership communication, program planning and learning theories.
You will also learn about specialised creative play therapies, including craft, music, art, drama and dance, as therapeutic tools to help adults and children. You will also discover the tools and techniques to facilitate play-based therapy to help those living with dementia or experiencing family problems and grief and loss.
On completion of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the role of play therapy and how to apply and lead play-based programs to support people of all ages.
Course Structure
Unit - Play Therapy
Unit 1 – Foundations for Using Play Therapy
- What is play?
- Play and cognitive development
- Play and social development
- The value of play
- What is play therapy?
- Play therapy approaches
- Non-directive play therapy
- Axline’s principles
- Landreth’s perspective
- Play therapist role
- Play therapy and adults
- Scope of play therapy
Unit 2 – Applications of Play and Play Therapy
- Therapeutic play continuum
- Application of play therapy
- Who is play therapy for?
- Choice of toys and materials
- Age appropriate toys
- Aggressive toys
- Creating the right environment for play therapy
- Advantages of play therapy
- Issues in play therapy
Unit 3 – Play Therapy for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Symptoms and treatment
- Use of play therapy
- Reducing anxiety in children
- Tracking
- CBT and play therapy for anxiety
- Depressive disorders / problems
- Treatments
- Uses of play therapy
Unit 4 – Play Therapy for Behavioural Disorders
- Conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder
- Uses of play therapy
- ADHD
Unit 5 – Play Therapy for Development Disorders
- Autism
- Intellectual disability
- Learning disorders
Unit 6 – Play Therapy for Social and Family Problems
- Types of social and family problems
- Trauma
- Grief and loss
- Uses of play therapy
Unit 7 – Play Therapy and Adult Populations
- Play therapy for adults
- How play therapy can help
- Benefits to relationships
- Group play
- Application of play therapy with adults
- Research supporting the use if play therapy
Unit 8 – Related Specialised Creative Therapies
- Music therapy
- Role of music therapist
- Art therapy
- Drama therapy
- Dance / movement
Unit 9 – Play and Rehabilitation
- Injury and illness
- Disability
- Science and technology
- Play therapy equipment
Unit - Play Leadership
Unit 1 – Understanding Play
- Play leadership
- Levels of childhood development
- Nature or nurture
- Isolating hereditary characteristics
- Cause versus correlation
- Continuity versus discontinuity
- Cross sectional and longitudinal studies
- Reliability of verbal reports
- Ethics and experiments
- Play deprivation and juvenile violence
- Pure play is free!
Unit 2 – Leadership Skills
- Skills to carry out play leadership role
- The philosophy of play work
- Understanding leadership
- Qualities of a good leader
- Leadership responsibilities
- Leadership communication
- Different types of activities
- What is a good back up plan?
- Hints for leading activities
- Achievability of activities
- Challenging the child
- Community participation
Unit 3 – Planning Play Programs
- Develop a plan for a supervised children’s play program
- Planning play programs
- Issues for effective programming
- Program planning process
- Type of program
- Dimensions of a play program
- Participants’ goals
- Personal characteristics
- Socio-physical context
- The participant’s approach to achieving goals\
- Accommodating different kinds of participation
- Participant behaviour
- Perceptions of consequences
- Using and supporting participants’ perceptions
Unit 4 – Child Development Through Play
- Levels of child development
- Theories of learning in infancy and early childhood
- Habituation
- Vicarious learning
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Cognitive development
- Jean Piaget’s theory
- Sensorimotor stage
- Pre-operational stage
- concrete operational stage
- Formal operational stage
- The importance of play
- Assimilation and accommodation
- Socialisation
Unit 5 – Play Safety
- Play versus safety
- Legal considerations
- Age and safety
- Safety in exercise
- Safety in aerobic activities
- First aid facilities
- Oxygen equipment
- Identifying hazards
- Sample checklist for safety maintenance
- Basic safety audit
- Pre-screening of participants
- Example of a screening questionnaire (not comprehensive)
- Legal liability
- When is liability a problem?
- Contributory negligence
- Insurance
- Inspecting play equipment
Unit 6 – Physical Play
- Manipulating and changing the environment
- Plant associations for revegetating developed areas
- Playing with the environment
- Trailing
- Sensory trails
- Cryptic puzzle trail
- Gardening
- Animals
- Collecting
- Crafts
- Sports
- Environmental activities
- Collecting
- Making an aquarium
- The national parks game
- Ant safari
- Leaf or bark collage
- Alphabetical nature hunt
- Organised exercise classes for children
- Suitable program for childs age
Unit 7 – Social Play
- Influences on social behaviour
- Other influences on social behaviour
- Social play
- Social facilitation
- Benefits of social play
- Strategies for facilitating social interaction in play
- Social play activities
Unit 8 – Adventure Play
- What is an adventure playground?
- Establishing an adventure playground
- The play leader
- Site design
- Playground facilities for children with disability
- Disability terminology
- Catering in general design
- Inclusive playgrounds
- Dedicated playgrounds
- Liability
Unit 9 – Play Apparatus
- Toys
- Playground equipment
- Big toy playgrounds
- Environmental features
- Equipment (consumables)
- Tools
- Naturally occurring items
- The characteristics of a good toy:
- Painting materials
- Oil painting
- Watercolour painting
- Acrylic painting
- Fabric painting
Unit 10 – Activities
- Scope of activities
- Craft activities
- Puff paint recipe
- Sawdust clay
- Brooch/fridge magnet
- Weaving
- Candle making
- Bark pictures
- Mosaics using leaves
- Growing crystals
- Sugar crystals
- Salt crystals
- Camping
- Successful camp programming
Unit 11 – Special Project: Problem Based Learning
Study Hours
Estimated duration 100 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
About Us
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and EFT/Direct Deposit. Please allow 1-2 Business days for processing for EFT and BPAY.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
Professional Development for:
- Health Professionals
- Playleaders
- Therapists
- Counsellors
- Teachers
- Parents
- Childcare workers
- Youth leaders
- Educators – kindergarten, prep, early primary
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