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Foundations in Play Therapy: The Child-Centered Approach - Certification Training

Previously Recorded
Jodi Mullen PhD, LMHC, RPT-S
  
$199.99 USD Cost For Member: $99.99

CERTIFICATE TRACK TRAINING

Foundations in Play Therapy

The Child-Centered Approach

Self-Paced • Previously Recorded • 12 Continuing Education Credits

Build essential skills. Connect with children. Create healing through play.

Learn the foundational skills of child-centered play therapy from Jodi Mullen, PhD, LMHC, RPT-S, an internationally recognized speaker, author, counselor educator, and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor with nearly 30 years of experience.

Course at a Glance
Format Self-paced and previously recorded
Continuing Education 12 continuing education credits
Certificate Certificate eligible; digital certificate available after successful completion
Regular Price $199.99
NEFESH Member Price $99.99

Required Course Manual

Participants must obtain the course training manual. You may purchase either the physical or digital edition.

Physical Copy: $29.99 plus shipping and handling
Purchase the Physical Manual

International participants who would like a physical copy should email alexislittlesics@gmail.com for ordering assistance.

Digital Copy: $16.99
Purchase the Digital Manual

Certification Prerequisite: Completion of this workshop is a prerequisite for application to NIRE’s Certification Program in Child-Centered Play Therapy. View certification information.

Course Overview

Mental health and educational professionals who work with children can benefit from formal training in play therapy. Foundational skills such as child-centered communication, reflective listening, tracking, and therapeutic limit setting can strengthen rapport and improve professional relationships with children.

This course introduces practical play therapy skills for working with children from infancy through the elementary grades. Participants will explore child-centered play therapy from phenomenological and humanistic perspectives, consider developmental and cultural factors, and observe practical clinical interventions and demonstrations.

What You Will Learn
  • Explain the foundations and philosophy of child-centered play therapy.
  • Identify and apply Axline’s eight basic principles.
  • Use reflective listening and tracking responses effectively.
  • Understand the purpose and process of therapeutic limit setting.
  • Adapt play therapy skills to developmental and cultural considerations.
  • Apply clinical skills through recorded demonstrations and learning activities.
  • Respond thoughtfully to common challenges in child-centered play therapy.

Who Should Attend
  • Social workers
  • Professional counselors
  • Therapists and psychologists
  • Licensed mental health practitioners
  • Physicians and other behavioral health professionals
  • Educators and professionals who work with children

Course Days

The program includes a foundational introduction and four comprehensive recorded modules.

Day 1: Understanding Play Therapy and the Child’s Perspective

  • What play therapy is and how it developed
  • Major theories and approaches in play therapy
  • Conceptualizing the child’s perspective
  • Understanding childhood through a cultural lens
  • Recognizing play as a form of communication

Day 2: Foundations of Child-Centered Play Therapy

  • The child-centered philosophy
  • Axline’s eight basic principles
  • Recognizing child-centered play therapy in practice
  • Applying foundational skills
  • The purpose and structure of therapeutic limit setting

Day 3: Applying Core Play Therapy Skills

  • Reflective listening with children
  • Tracking responses
  • Reviewing and evaluating sample sessions
  • Assessing fidelity to the child-centered model
  • Addressing common challenges and difficult play behaviors
  • Examining how clinical knowledge can support or hinder practice

Day 4: Limit Setting, Integration, and Skills Review

  • Applying therapeutic limit-setting skills
  • Considering developmental and contextual factors
  • Reviewing essential play therapy skills
  • Identifying strengths and gaps in foundational knowledge
  • Integrating course concepts into clinical practice

About the Presenter

Jodi Mullen, PhD, LMHC, RPT-S

International Speaker • Author • Registered Play Therapist Supervisor

Dr. Mullen is a professor in the Counseling and Psychological Services Department at SUNY Oswego, where she has served as a counselor educator for nearly 30 years. She is the Director of Integrative Counseling Services, an international speaker, author, credentialed play therapist, and play therapy supervisor. Dr. Mullen provides training, consultation, and supervision to professional helpers around the world.

Selected Books by Dr. Mullen

Need help registering?

Please contact us here.
Number of CEs in this bundle: 12

These workshops offer 12 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

These workshops offer 12 Continuing Education Credits
Credits provided are Non-Live interactive credits.

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
Not all sessions share the same accreditation. Please see accreditation for each individual class below.
  • NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0046
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0048.
  • CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
    CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.