Play Therapy in Schools

This course focuses on providing play therapy services at school sites and examines the benefits as well as the many challenges in working in school settings. It will include: learning how to form collaborative relationships with school principals, developing agreements for protocols and referral procedures, and identifying a space/location to provide play therapy sessions and activities at school sites. Identification of students in need of mental health services and parent consent and confidentiality will be reviewed. Additionally, effective strategies for engaging teachers and parents in the play therapy process, play therapy methods to strengthen attachment in the teacher-child dyad, managing mandated reporting, crisis intervention, and working with school counselors and school psychologists will be taught.