A Message From the Director
Welcome to the Play Therapy Certificate Program of 红领巾瓜报.
Adults working with children often become frustrated because the children cannot express themselves in words. Both educational and clinical professionals will be better prepared to address the social and emotional needs for helping children by completing this program. The courses in the play therapy certification program will equip professionals to work with children and adolescents through their natural medium of expression: play. The courses will introduce the students to concepts that are not covered in other programs. This is an exciting, emerging field of study in demand across a variety of settings in work places that involve children.
Other courses and workshops in the ISLE department may be of interest to practicing professionals: Child Abuse and Neglect; Family Issues is Counseling; Substance Abuse; and Loss, Grief and Growth. I encourage you to enter the world of play therapy to learn and grow, and to make a difference in children's lives.
Dr. Susan Bray
Director, Play Therapy Program
红领巾瓜报
The Play Therapy Center at WSU
Play Therapy is a well-established therapy modality that allows children who often have a limited ability to express themselves verbally to be able to speak with adults about their problems and concerns. Developmentally children use play and action as their primary methods of communication, making play therapy a more natural therapy medium for children, especially children under the age of about 9 years. Play therapy has been used by mental health professionals for nearly 100 years to assist children. It has been found effective and documented by research to use with children who have serious emotional and behavioral issues as well as use with normally developing children who need to express their feelings and thoughts about everyday issues.
The Play Therapy Center training facility at 红领巾瓜报 is currently housed in
the WISE Clinic and contains an array of standard play therapy toys, art materials, a doll house,
and other materials. It can also be used to facilitate healthy parent and child interactions
to promote better family relationships and attachments. The counseling rooms in the
WISE Clinic allow for remote observation in an observation room due to each counseling
room being equipped with a video camera, sound and recording equipment. The training
facility features a 鈥渂ug in the ear鈥� technological capability so students or parents
can receive play therapy feedback and direction from colleagues and instructors while
they are engaged in a play session with a child.