DEFINITION AND AIM
Play therapy originated in the work of pioneer psychoanalysts Anna Freud, Margaret Lowenfeld and Melanie Klein. In their work with troubled children, they recognised the limitations posed by 'talking therapy' and began using play-based methods of therapy.
The British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) is the regulator. It accredits training courses and maintains a professional register.
During play therapy, a child can explore at their own pace and with their own agenda, those matters, past and current, conscious and unconscious, that are affecting the child's life in the present.
The play therapist works with children aged three to 14+ who may be suffering from depression, anxiety, aggression and learning difficulties, or experiences such as abuse, grief, family breakdown, domestic violence and trauma.
At the referral stage, the therapist consults with others concerned with the welfare of the child and establishes a contract for the work. Weekly 45-minute sessions take place, at the same time, in the child's school or a clinic. In this confidential space, the child is helped to make sense of their life experiences and to express difficult feelings through the metaphors of play. An intervention may be short-term or extend over a longer period.
The therapist works with the child's parents/carers throughout the play therapy and occasionally undertakes parent-child relationship interventions. Therapists collaborate with other professionals in schools, hospitals, clinics, social service teams and courts.
Most play therapists work within social services teams, child mental health teams, children's centres and schools. There are also employment opportunities in independent and voluntary organisations such as the NSPCC. Many therapists have more than one employer and maintain a private practice alongside their statutory employment. A minority work as lecturers and clinical tutors.
Opportunities vary from region to region. Some areas have no qualified play therapists, while most work in towns and cities.
QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
Play therapy training is a post-graduate course. An honours degree in psychology, nursing, social work, teaching or occupational therapy is required and trainees have normally completed a minimum of two years work with children and their families in a voluntary or professional capacity. They should be in good physical and mental health and undergo a check through the CRB. The minimum age for entry is 25.
BAPT accredits two universities. Roehampton University offers a two-year MA in play therapy; this may be followed by study at PhD level. The University of Glamorgan offers a two-year full time/three-year part-time MSc. Both prepare students for clinical practice in public/private sectors.
Modules encompass the theoretical, practical and experiential learning required to become professional play therapists. They include: child development, research methods, skills and advanced play therapy, working with children and families, preparing for professional practice, personal therapy portfolio and child observation.
In addition, students are required to undergo personal therapy and to complete placements in supervised clinical practice. They can study therapeutic interventions with children with disabilities and with older adults.
Qualified practitioners are required to maintain continuous professional development. They should regularly attend conferences, courses and meetings in order to remain up-to-date with theoretical, clinical and research findings. BAPT organises a yearly conference and advertises short courses in Play Therapy magazine.
CASE STUDY - CHANDRIKA MEETEN 
'I qualified as a play therapist in 2006 and worked full-time for Knowsley Play Therapy service. When the funding was cut in 2008, I became self-employed. My hours vary, but I generally carry a full caseload of clients, limiting my working hours to three days a week.
'I am working with three different agency projects and see four to five clients (aged five to 16) per day. Some are long-term cases and others short-term assessments. When I visit clients in school venues to make assessments, I arrive at around 9.30am and unload my two toy bags, sand tray, art box and fabric dolls' house. I set up in the school quiet room and collect my first client at 9.45am for a session lasting 45 minutes. I take the child back to their classroom at 10.30 am and tidy up the equipment. I then make brief notes about particular activities, events or emotions expressed in the session.
'I may then go on to a further venue to see a client from a different referral source before going home around 6pm. Other days may include home visits with parents, school reviews, professional meetings, writing invoices and reports, booking appointments, buying toys and topping up equipment.
'The emphasis of my work is on small changes; these often have the greatest impact. I have worked with very withdrawn children who over time have been able to find their own "voice". I have seen their confidence soar! I also see progress in their academic work, relationships, self-esteem and general coping strategies. With some, a significant change occurs in their relationships with their families and peers.
'I love my work! When I know the depth of the negative experiences that some of my clients have had to endure, I find it phenomenal to see how play therapy can have such a life-altering effect.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
- - University of Glamorgan. www.glam.ac.uk/coursedetails/685/924
- - University of Roehampton http://tinyurl.com/62lthl4
- - British Association of Play Therapists. 1 Beacon Mews, South Road, Weybridge, KT13 9 DZ.