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Registered Play Therapist

Play Therapy is traditionally the systematic use of play to facilitate therapeutic growth in children. Individuals who choose a play therapy emphasis will meet all of the educational requirements to pursue their license as a professional counselor, while also meeting all of the educational requirements to pursue a credential as a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). The Play Therapy emphasis, or cognate, is designed to facilitate working with a variety of clients using play, play based activities, expressive arts, and parenting procedures. Students will also learn how to apply the theories of counseling, multicultural counseling, group, family, pre-adolescents, adolescents, and couples in the play therapy emphasis.
 

Play Therapists work with a variety of cases and situations evolving in families. For example:

  • Behavior problems
  • Divorce
  • Parenting concerns
  • Social Skills
  • Chronic hospitalization
  • Spectrum disorders
  • Attachment disorders
  • Adoption
  • Interracial families
  • Adjustment
  • School difficulties
  • Trauma
  • Phobias

Play Therapists work in a variety of settings as clinical mental health counselors. Many work in in community agencies, private practice, schools, hospitals, testing centers, special education, etc.

Students completing the Play Therapy emphasis will be required to complete 51 hours of general counseling course work culminating in three semesters of clinical training. In addition, students complete 9 hours of electives. Student pursuing the Play Therapy emphasis are required to complete Child Counseling: Play Therapy course and Play Therapy Theories as electives and have a choice between the following courses for their additional 3 hours of electives: Child/Parent Relationship Therapy and Activity Group Therapy.

Play Therapy Curriculum

The Play Therapy emphasis requires 60 hours of course work and culminates in 740 clinical hours of experiences with clients, with a minimum of 280 hours working directly with clients.

Upon completion of the Play Therapy emphasis, graduates are eligible to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Registered Play Therapist (RPT).
 

Loyola University New Orleans is an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education.