Our Members are working with vulnerable
children. Very often they are evoking memories from the
unconscious which are painful for the child. The feelings of
grief, sadness, guilt and anger must be safely held if the child
is not to be more emotionally damaged. It is absolutely essential
that the practitioner has had adequate experiential as well as
theoretical training to cope with situations that may arise. It is
also very important that the therapist has experience of using a wide
range of play and creative arts 'tools' to follow the child's lead.
Certification by PTA requires applicants to
have completed an accredited training programme that is based on the
required
competencies
and has been validated by clinical outcomes research. (
List
of Competencies Required). PTUK is the only organisation in
the UK to accredit play therapy and therapeutic play courses to these
standards. To become a Certified Play Therapist a member has to
have completed 200 clinically supervised hours of practice. To
become an Accredited Play Therapist a member has to have completed 450
clinically supervised hours of practice.
Certification by PTA assures employers and
clients of the highest standard of play therapy training. (Proven
by practice based evidence).
To retain certification a Member has to
submit evidence of
clinical
governance (quality control) and
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) when renewing their
membership each year.
