Graduate Counseling
Play Therapy Options
If you are interested in pursuing specialized training in Play Therapy, John Brown University offers the options to earn an emphasis in play therapy as a part of your master's degree program or to receive the training after you have completed a master's degree.
Play Therapy Emphasis
The nine-hour Play Therapy emphasis can be completed by students pursuing a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Community Counseling or School Counseling as part of their degree program. This emphasis is designed to meet only the academic requirements that lead to becoming a Registered Play Therapist and does not provide a means for students to meet the clinical and supervision requirements for the RPT. Course requirements follow:
- Introduction to Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Advanced Techniques in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Selected Topics in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
To incorporate the Play Therapy emphasis as part of your counseling degree, you will select the degree option that includes Play Therapy when applying to a degree program in Marriage and Family Therapy, Community Counseling or School Counseling from JBU.
Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy (RPT)
The 15-hour certificate program in Play Therapy is designed to meet and exceed the National Standards for the Association of Play Therapy (APT) and for the Registered Play Therapist (RPT), so that all course work and supervision requirements to obtain the RPT certification will be met once a candidate completes the certificate program. Course requirements follow:
- Introduction to Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Advanced Techniques in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Selected Topics in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Family Play Therapy Techniques (3 credit hours)
- Practicum in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
Post-Master's Track in Play Therapy
The post-master's track in Play Therapy is a nine-hour program that allows you to obtain graduate level specialized training in Play Therapy. This emphasis is designed to meet only the academic requirements that lead to becoming a Registered Play Therapist and does not provide a means for students to meet the clinical and supervision requirements for the RPT. Course requirements follow:
- Introduction to Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Advanced Techniques in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
- Selected Topics in Play Therapy (3 credit hours)
Click here for course descriptions: Play Therapy Course Descriptions
Admission Requirements
To be eligible to enroll in the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy or the Post-Master's Track in Play Therapy, you must meet the following requirements.
- Admission to The Graduate School (GRE requirement waived). To apply online, click here: Apply Online
- A minimum of a master's degree in a mental health field from a regionally accredited university. (3.0 minimum GPA required.)
- A minimum of three references with two being from current professionals in the mental health field.
- Approval from the Graduate Counseling Program Director and the Dean of the Graduate School.
