Graduate Certificate of Therapeutic Child Play

With a Graduate Certificate of Therapeutic Child Play, you can get an introduction to the therapeutic powers of play while building specialised skills that allow you to work more effectively with children.

Love working with children and want a deeper understanding of the way they think, behave and feel?

The Graduate Certificate of Therapeutic Child Play is designed for those working with children on a regular basis, from health professionals to educators. It introduces you to the therapeutic powers of play and how these powers may be applied to your current work with children. Whether you work with children in an educational, medical or allied health profession, you will benefit greatly from exploring the important role of play in the lives of children.

Within this program you will examine child development from many different angles, with a particular focus on psychosocial, emotional and behavioural development. You will also explore childhood neuroscience and psychopathology, including developmental trauma, and neurodevelopmental differences including autism. Learn about evidence-based methods of implementing play into your work with children and enrich your study experience with case studies and class discussions around the latest research in this growing field.

The course can be used as a pathway into the Graduate Diploma of Therapeutic Child Play and Master of Child Play Therapy and includes two core units from these courses:

• Foundations of Play Therapy
• Child Attachment Environment and Trauma

And a choice of 4 electives

• Assessment and Measurement in Play Abilities
• Childhood Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology
• Therapeutic Use of Self
• Therapeutic Medical play

A highlight of the course is being able to learn from academic staff who are not just involved in the field but leading the way through the work and research they contribute. We have staff involved with key Australian and International Play Therapy organisations such as the International Play Therapy Study Group (IPTSG) and the International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations and their insights, case studies and experiences are filtered into the course.

The Graduate Certificate of Therapeutic Child Play is particularly valuable for those already working closely with children, including teachers, counsellors, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, speech pathologists and mental health professionals. The course also provides significant benefits for parents and caregivers who want to be better equipped for the complex and everyday challenges of children's development.

The skills you learn will allow you to perform your current role more effectively, and will also open the door to more advanced roles within your profession.

If you are aspiring to become a Registered Play Therapist, you can continue your studies into the Master of Child Play Therapy upon successful completion of the graduate certificate. With registration, you can start working independently as a play therapist in:

• private practice
• schools
• hospitals
• charitable organisations
• government departments.

To complete the Graduate Certificate of Therapeutic Child Play students must attain 4 credit points. Two units are core and students can choose from a list of four elective units.

All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete DAI001 Academic Integrity Module (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first trimester of study.