Play therapist

Play therapists use play as a communication tool to help children understand their world and deal with emotional distress and trauma

You'll help children and young adolescents work through difficult life issues and experiences, including:

• abuse and neglect
• bereavement
• depression and anxiety
• divorce and family separations
• learning difficulties
• psychological problems
• traumatic experiences and violence.

Through play therapy interventions, you'll help children become more emotionally resilient and able to understand and better cope with their experiences in a safe and non-threatening environment. You may also work with parents/carers and siblings.

Complex issues can't be treated in the same way as with adults. You'll need to understand the nature of how children express themselves and their understanding of the world using play.

Responsibilities

As a play therapist, you'll need to:

• accept children through self-referral and referrals from other support professionals in organisations such as schools, hospitals, clinics and social services
• assess each child and their individual needs in consultation with other professionals, such as social services, health workers and teachers, and with parents and carers
• determine an appropriate course of therapeutic treatment
• provide regular therapeutic interventions in individual and group therapy sessions, normally on a weekly basis, to help children better cope with the issues they're facing
• build up a relationship of trust with children and their parents/carers
• create a safe and stable environment in which children can express themselves through play and form strategies to cope with their issues and experiences
• ensure children's safety when using the playroom and play equipment
• regularly evaluate and review play therapy sessions and progress
• seek support and advice from a clinical supervisor about any issues that arise and implement any actions
• keep accurate records about therapy interventions, issues and progress
• attend meetings with other professionals involved in the child's care, and with parents and careers, and produce reports on activities and progress
• provide training, consultation and advice when required to other professionals
• provide clinical supervision to other less experienced play therapists
• keep up to date with the latest developments in play therapy and with your own professional development.

Salary

• Play therapists work in a range of settings, such as social services, education and healthcare, so salaries vary. If you're working for a local council, school or the NHS, for example, you may follow a graded salary structure.
• NHS pay scales apply to most play therapist roles in the NHS. Salaries for qualified play therapists usually range from £46,148 to £52,809 (Band 7 of the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates). With further training and specialist areas of expertise, you could earn more.
• Many play therapists also work independently or take on private clients in addition to paid employment. Sessional rates typically range from £45 to £100 per session. Sessions typically last around 45 minutes to an hour. You will also charge for additional services such as consultations, pre-therapy assessments, summary/review reports, full clinical reports, court reports (where applicable) and room hire (if needed).

Salaries also vary depending on your experience, level of responsibility and location. Salaries for jobs in London, for example, are usually higher (as are living costs).

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Play therapy sessions usually take place once a week and normally last 40 to 50 minutes per session.

You'll usually work Mondays to Fridays during normal office hours (9am to 5pm). If working privately with clients, your appointments may be held outside of these hours to fit in with their needs.

Part-time work is common, and you could work for several organisations at once. You may also take on freelance work or private clients in addition to your normal employment.

What to expect

• You'll work as part of a multidisciplinary team with other healthcare professionals, such as social workers, psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and medical practitioners.
• Providing therapy to children can be challenging, especially with cases involving abuse and violence. You need to allow for dealing with the pressures of this type of work by looking after your own emotional wellbeing. For example, many play therapists have therapy themselves to maintain a balance between their working and personal lives.
• The profession is small, but growing in the UK and job vacancies are not always widely advertised. Networking is still one of the best ways to find out about opportunities, so make sure you maintain good relationships with your contacts and previous employers.
• You may have to travel between appointments or to various workplaces during the week.

Qualifications

You'll need an accredited postgraduate qualification from either the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) or Play Therapy UK (PTUK) to qualify as a play therapist. Both these organisations hold a voluntary register of qualified play therapists accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

To get a place on a postgraduate course, you'll usually need a relevant degree and/or professional qualification in a subject such as psychology, social work, education, teaching, nursing, childhood studies or health and social care.

You will also need at least two years full-time (or part-time equivalent) professional post-degree experience of working with children and families in a developmental role. This can be gained in settings such as schools, nurseries, hospitals or social care. Relevant roles include teaching, educational psychology, clinical psychology or paediatric nursing.

If your degree isn't in a relevant area, you may be able to get a place on a course if you have at least five years' full-time experience of working professionally with children, young people and their families/carers. This could include working with children who have learning difficulties, mental health issues or behavioural or developmental challenges.

Some training programmes may accept candidates with extensive professional experience in working with children.

Entry requirements vary between courses, so check directly with course providers.

The BAPT accredit Masters courses in play therapy run by:

• University of Roehampton
• University of South Wales
• Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

Courses typically last two years full time or three years part time. For more information, see BAPT Play Therapy Training.

PTUK accredits training provided by the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC). APAC offer three routes to becoming a registered play therapist:

• Tiered approach - you can start with a Certificate in Therapeutic Play (Level 5) to become a certified practitioner in therapeutic play skills. After completing this, you can progress to the Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy (Level 6) to become a certified play therapist and open your own practice. If you want to, you can then take the MA in Practice Based Play Therapy, which has a focus on research to enhance your career prospects.
• MA in Practice Based Play Therapy - all-in-one qualification that takes four years, part time to complete. If you take this route to qualification, you can't stop at the Certificate or Diploma level. On completion you will be an integrative holistic play therapist.
• Level 7 Play Therapy apprenticeship - the three-year apprenticeship route combines paid work with part-time study. You will need to be employed in a suitable setting and have the support of your employer to take the apprenticeship.

Courses in the UK are validated by the University of Chichester. For more information, see APAC Training.

Courses include a mix of academic learning and supervised clinical placements. Personal therapy is included as a requirement during training for BAPT-recognised courses, and it's recommended that you continue with this once you're qualified. The purpose of this therapy is to increase your self-awareness and emotional resilience, as working with children who are in emotional distress or have experienced trauma can be difficult to cope with.

As you'll be working with children, you'll need an enhanced criminal records check. You will also need an occupational health check and personal indemnity insurance (normally through membership of the relevant professional body).

If you're considering training to become a play therapist, introductory courses are offered by organisations such as the APAC and the University of Roehampton (who also offer an annual 20-week Foundation Course).

Play therapy is often a second career choice.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• experience and understanding of child development
• excellent verbal and written communication skills
• interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport quickly with both children and their families
• respect for children without judgement
• empathy and sincerity towards others
• emotional resilience and self-awareness
• the ability to remain calm and work effectively under pressure
• strong observation and listening skills
• creativity and imagination
• teamworking skills and the ability to work collaboratively with other professionals
• the ability to deal with confidential matters appropriately
• organisation and time management skills to manage a caseload of clients and resources
• a flexible and adaptable approach to work
• IT skills, including Microsoft Office and database case management systems
• attention to detail.

Work experience

Training providers will be looking at your suitability for the training and work. You'll need considerable previous experience, either paid or voluntary, working with children and young people, particularly those with emotional, behavioural, or developmental difficulties.

Relevant types of experience include:

• teaching
• social work
• youth work
• family support work
• paediatric nursing
• clinical or educational psychology
• counselling
• mental health support
• occupational therapy.

Check with course providers to find out what type of experience they are looking for and how much.

You can work with children in a range of settings, including:

• charities and voluntary organisations that focus on child development, welfare or special needs.
• children's hospitals or other healthcare settings
• mental health services
• schools, nurseries or childcare centres
• residential care for children who are looked after by the local authority
• social care settings
• youth clubs or community programmes for children.

It's particularly useful to have experience working with children:

• facing emotional or psychological challenges
• in foster care or adoption systems
• who have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect
• with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities.

This kind of work experience prepares you for the therapeutic demands of working with children in play therapy settings.

It may not be possible to find work experience with a play therapist or an organisation offering play therapy services due to the regulations around confidentiality. If possible, however, try to speak to a play therapist about the role and their experiences to get an insight into the work.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

As a qualified play therapist you can work for a range of employers, including:

• child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
• children and family charities
• children's centres
• fostering and adoption services
• the NHS - in hospitals or hospices
• private children's residential homes
• schools
• social work services.

Self-employment is an option and you can work independently with clients in private practice or through specialist agencies providing play therapy services.

There are also opportunities to move into research or to work as an academic on one of the training courses or in clinical supervision.

Look for job vacancies at:

• BAPT Jobs
• NHS Jobs and NHSScotland Jobs
• PTUK - Job Vacancies

Networking is an important part of finding work. Most employers require you to be registered with the BAPT or PTUK.

Professional development

Once qualified, continuing professional development (CPD) and quality management play an important part of your role. Both the BAPT and PTUK require their members to update their education and training regularly and offer a range of training courses and conferences throughout the year. You'll also need to continue to undergo regular clinical supervision to ensure the quality and standards of your practice.

Short courses and workshops on specific topics such as working with families, gender and sexuality identity, safeguarding, or the latest therapeutic techniques enable you to develop your skills and keep up to date. There are also courses on setting up in private practice. Take advantage of conferences and events to network with other play therapists.

It's possible to move into research by taking a PhD and getting your work published in academic journals.

Depending on your previous qualifications and experience, you may also be eligible to join other relevant professional bodies such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychology (BACP) or the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), which could lead to more job opportunities and further career development. Each organisation has its own entry requirements, so check your eligibility for membership.

Career prospects

Once qualified and working in the profession you could choose to specialise in an area of play therapy, such as supporting victims of sexual abuse, drug abuse or domestic violence. It's also possible to develop the family therapy dimension of your work by offering filial therapy, or to work with children with specific physiological challenges, such as deafness. Some may even go on to work with adults using play therapy.

There are some opportunities to move into managerial roles. This could mean less time spent working directly with children, as you will have increased responsibility for the supervision of staff or a team of staff, the management of budgets and writing or presenting reports.

You could also consider training or academic teaching. The BAPT and PTUK encourage experienced play therapists to become clinical supervisors, supporting both those training to enter the field and those with less experience.

With experience you could consider freelance work or setting up a private practice.