SW 6011 - 60 Introduction to Play Therapy

This course provides knowledge and skill competencies to facilitate play therapy as a therapeutic intervention for children and families. This course provides students with the philosophical basis for play therapy, including a review of the history of play therapy, how to develop a relationship with a child through an Adlerian theoretical framework, and an introduction to various theoretical applications and play therapy best practices. Students will become familiar with play therapy micro-skills, the purpose and application goals of play therapy, therapeutic stages and themes, ethical issues, cross cultural/diversity implications, basic developmental and neurological implications, treatment planning in play therapy including development of treatment goals and assessment of treatment progress and applications to a variety of populations and therapeutic contexts.