Therapeutic Use of Play
QQI Level 9 Certificate in the Therapeutic Use of Play, Creative Media & Expressive Arts
Introduction
This QQI Level 9 Certificate in the Therapeutic Use of Play, Creative Media and Expressive Arts is an advanced programme that develops practical skills in creative, experiential therapeutic approaches. It equips practitioners to support emotional expression, engagement and therapeutic change, particularly when working with children, adolescents and clients who benefit from non-verbal modalities.
Who Should Apply
This course will be of interest to those who are working in a supportive capacity with children and adolescents i.e. counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, social care workers, keyworkers, mental health nurses, guidance counsellors, SNAs, teachers etc.
- Applicants are required to evidence attainment of a minimum of Level 8 in counselling and/or psychotherapy or a minimum of a Level 8 Degree in cognate discipline, or equivalent.
- Applicants are required to be able to demonstrate relevant experience in working with people in a responsible and caring role.
- Applicants must be in a work setting or role which will provide them with opportunities to implement their learning from this module, such as paid or voluntary work with children within the helping professions, counselling support services, psychological settings, social care settings and /or project / youth /community work.
Course Structure
In this module, learners will engage in formal didactic lectures, skills practice, group discussion, reflective exercises and experiential exercises related to the following:
- (a) The theoretical underpinnings to play/creative media/expressive arts in therapy.
- (b) Creative counselling and therapeutic play skills
- (c) Therapeutic use of Sensory and Embodiment activities and tools
- (d) Projection; use of metaphor, bibliotherapy
- (e) Use of Role-Play
- (f) Sand in therapy
- (g) Art in Therapy
- (h) Development Considerations
- Creative mediums and Development
- Developmental art stages and play development.
- Stages in therapeutic play, and stages of creative process
- Developmental considerations in sand tray
- (i) Therapeutic Process
- Lusebrink’s Expressive Arts Continuum
- Norton’s Stages of Developmental Play
- Jennings EPR Developmental Play Paradigm
- Play and Creative Themes
Student Benefits & Support
We hold that it is not enough to simply teach the skills of Paly, Creative Media & Expressive Arts. Learners are given the space to learn, practice and be supported as they integrate Play, Creative Media & Expressive Arts into their professional practice, in their particular context.
Work Based Learning
Prior to commencing on the programme, learners must be working or volunteering in a setting where they are actively supporting children and/or adolescents. The programme requires that you evidence a minimum of 20 hours of practice where play, creative media and expressive arts are integrated into your professional practice, in your specific context. This must be supervised at a ratio of 1:5, so one supervision session should occur for every 5 hours of practice.
Assessment
Learners must produce a comprehensive case study that showcases integration of play/creative/expressive arts interventions with a clinical case. The case study should commence with a literature review of the evidence supporting this approach to work with children and adolescents and should include research demonstrating its efficacy (if available, learners may also want to include evidence of its efficacy specific to the presenting issue in the case). The case presentation should demonstrate how creative therapeutic methods were used to join with and assess the client. Learners must evidence how they selected and used interventions that were developmentally appropriate. Learners must bring the case to supervision and demonstrate how the learning and insights obtained in supervision were addressed in the clinical room. Word Count: 4,000.
Course Dates
- Saturday 10th October 2026 9:30am – 4:30pm Onsite
- Saturday 24th October 2026 9:30am – 4:30pm Online
- Saturday 7th November 2026 9:30am – 4:30pm Online
- Saturday 21st November 2026 9:30am – 4:30pm Onsite
- Sunday 22nd November 2026 9:30am – 4:30pm Onsite
Cost
- €975 (includes €50 QQI fee)
- Deposit of €292.50 upon application
Validation & Accreditation of Award
This Certificate is awarded as a Minor Award at Level 9 on the NFQ and is subject to validation by QQI.
Credits:
10 ECTS
For further information call 01 466 4205 or to get further details on the course and book online, visit https://iicp.ie/course/play-therapy-creative-arts-course-ireland/
