JFS Play Institute is proud to be an approved continuing education provider by the Association for Play Therapy (APT). We offer high-quality play therapy training throughout the year. Our mission is to expand the reach of play therapy by equipping professionals with practical skills and foundational concepts to support the emotional well-being of children through developmentally appropriate, play therapy approaches. Our experienced Registered Play Therapist–Supervisors (RPT-S ™) can provide supervision toward play therapy credentialing hours.
APT Approved Provider #25-778
JFS Play Institute – Fall Training Series
Build a strong foundation in Play Therapy through our comprehensive Fall Training Series.
This series is designed to equip participants with essential skills and knowledge to effectively provide play therapy interventions for children. Those who complete the full series will meet the Phase 1 Play Therapy Instruction Requirements outlined by the Association for Play Therapy (APT) to begin the process of becoming a Registered Play Therapist™.
Earn a total of 38 CE Hours across key instructional areas:
3 Hours – History of Play Therapy
12 Hours – Play Therapy Skills & Methods
21 Hours – Seminal or Historically Significant Play Therapy Theories
2 Hours – Special Topics in Play Therapy
Join us this fall and take your first step toward becoming a Registered Play Therapist™.
July 18, 2025: First steps into Play Therapy (2 Live Webinar Non-Contact hours) - $50
July 25, 2025: First steps into Play Therapy (2 Contact hours) - $50
August 22, 2025: Child Development and the Play Therapist’s Role (3 Contact hours) - $75
September 18 & 19, 2025: Child-Centered Play Therapy Parts 1 (6 Contact hours) and 2 (6 Contact hours) - $300
October 24, 2025: Integrating Sand Tray with PlayTherapy (3 Contact hours) - $75
November 20 & 21, 2025: Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy Parts 1 (6 Contact hours) and Part 2 (6 Contact hours) - $300
December 12, 2025: Grief and Play Therapy (6 contact hours) - $150
Description: Take your first steps into the world of play therapy! Learn the historical foundations as well as the major components of play therapy. Participants will gain an understanding of how play can be utilized as the therapeutic agent of change when working with children.
Objectives:
Understand the Historical Foundations of Play Therapy
Define Play Therapy
Identify the Seminal and Historically Significant Play Therapy Theories
Identify the Therapeutic Powers of Play
First Steps into Play Therapy (2 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Friday, July 25, 2025
Time: 9:00 -11:00 AM
Format: In-person
Facility name and address: Alexander JFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
Description: Take your first steps into the world of play therapy! Learn the historical foundations as well as the major components of play therapy. Participants will gain an understanding of how play can be utilized as the therapeutic agent of change when working with children.
Objectives:
Understand the Historical Foundations of Play Therapy
Define Play Therapy
Identify the Seminal and Historically Significant Play Therapy Theories
Identify the Therapeutic Powers of Play
Child Development and the Play Therapist’s Role (3 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Friday, August 22, 2025
Time: 9:00 -11:00 AM
Format: In-person
Facility name and address: AlexanderJFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
Description: This training is designed to help participants understand the growth and development of children. Participants will dive into the nuances of determining when play therapy is appropriate for a child by learning strategies to assess typical and atypical behaviors. Participants will also learn appropriate play therapy interventions based on a child’s age and stage of development.
Objectives:
Increase knowledge of typical and atypical child development.
Identify when play therapy is an appropriate intervention.
Examine the ethical and cultural considerations play therapists must integrate when working with children at different developmental stages.
Identify which models of play therapy are appropriate based on a child’s age and cognitive development.
Child-Centered Play Therapy: Part 1 and 2 (12 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Thursday and Friday, September 18-19, 2025 (Participants must attend two days training to receive APT CE hours)
Time: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Format: In-person
Facility name and address: Alexander JFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
APT CE Hours: 12 Contact Hours
Part 1: 6 contact hours: 1 Hour of History, 5 hours of Historically Significant
Part 2: 6 contact hours: 4 Hours Historically Significant, 2 Hours of Skills and Methods
Description: This two-day interactive training will teach participants the foundational Child-Centered Play therapy skills! Participants will take a deep dive into utilizing non-directive play therapy strategies to promote growth and change in children. Through lecture and practice participants will have the opportunity to learn the essential skills of Child-Centered Play Therapy.
Objectives Day 1:
Describe the history and foundational principles of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT).
Differentiate between directive and non-directive play therapy approaches.
Identify commonly used toys and their therapeutic functions in CCPT.
Recognize the core conditions necessary to facilitate therapeutic change in play therapy.
Develop essential skills to establish a safe and supportive non-directive environment for children.
Demonstrate key CCPT skills through guided practice and receive constructive feedback.
Objectives Day 2:
Identify appropriate moments for limit-setting within play therapy sessions.
Explore strategies for assessing the effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) with clients.
Understand effective methods for integrating parents into the CCPT process.
Recognize common play themes that emerge during therapy.
Apply best practices for documenting CCPT sessions.
Examine common ethical dilemmas encountered in the practice of CCPT.
Integrating Sand Tray with Play Therapy (3 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Friday, October 24, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Format: In-person
Facility name and address: Alexander JFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
APT CE Hours: 3 contact hours 1 Hour of Historically Significant; 2 Hours of Skills and Methods
Description:This 3-hour continuing education event will give participants an introduction to utilizing sand tray with play therapy theories. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own sand tray and practice reflecting and tracking skills in sand tray work.
Objectives:
Identify ways to integrate Sand Tray work with seminal and historically significant play therapy theories.
Understand developmentally appropriate Sand Tray prompts for clients across the lifespan.
Demonstrate tracking and reflecting skills through experiential Sand Tray practice.
Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy Parts 1 and 2 (12 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Thursday and Friday, November 20-21, 2025 (Participants must attend two days training to receive APT CE hours)
Time: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Format: In-person
APT CE Hours: 12 Contact Hours
Part 1: 6 contact hours: 5 hours of Historically Significant, 1 hour of Skills and Methods
Part 2: 6 contact hours: 4 Hours of Historically Significant, 2 hours of Skills and Methods
Cost: $300
Facility name and address: Alexander JFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
Description: In this two-day training, participants will learn the basic skills and interventions of Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy! Through lecture and practice, participants will understand how to incorporate play into therapeutic work to meet the developmental needs of children. This training will give participants practical play therapy activities to incorporate into each phase of Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy.
Part 1 Objectives:
Understand the importance of adapting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when working with children.
Identify four phases of Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy.
Learn how to utilize assessment tools to inform therapeutic interventions.
Understand how to collaborate with children and parents to develop a treatment plan.
Learn basic Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy methods and skills.
Apply assessment and treatment planning strategies to practice through case example discussion.
Part 2 Objectives:
Learn basic Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy methods and skills.
Increase understanding of four phases of Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy and process of moving between phases.
Utilize cognitive and behavioral Play Therapy interventions to target treatment goals.
Use assessment skills to evaluate effectiveness of treatment.
Understand impacts of a child’s development on selecting appropriate Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy interventions.
Practice and receive feedback on Cognitive Behavioral Play therapy skills.
Grief and Play Therapy (6 Contact Hours) - REGISTER NOW
Date: Friday, December 12, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Format: In-person
APT CE Hours: 6 Contact Hours
Cost: $150
Facility name and address: Alexander JFS, 4131 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77025
Description: This continuing education training provides an in-depth review of how children understand and respond to grief across various developmental stages. Grounded in current bereavement theory, the course introduces evidence-based Play Therapy approaches designed to support children navigating loss. Through case examples and interactive practice, participants will build confidence in identifying grief responses, applying therapeutic techniques, and determining when Play Therapy is an appropriate clinical intervention for children experiencing grief.
Objectives:
Identify the core theories and foundational ideas that explain how children experience grief.
Recognize how grief presents differently across developmental stages in childhood.
Distinguish among various forms of grief and describe common features of each.
Explain how Play Therapy theories apply specifically to children coping with grief.
Evaluate situations where Play Therapy could be an appropriate method for supporting grieving children.
Discuss cultural, familial, and systemic factors that influence a child's grief experience and response to Play Therapy.
Terms & Conditions:
Alexander JFS reserves the right to cancel any of these training in the event of unforeseen circumstances. If such a cancellation occurs, JFS will attempt to notify registrants and offer an alternative training opportunity or refund all registration fees.
Registration refunds must be requested at least 48 hours prior to the class date and only 75% of the purchase price will be refunded.
Registration refunds will NOT be made to registrants who register but do not attend.
Registrants requiring accommodations must submit a medical professional’s note specifying the required accommodations to Jfsplayinstitute@alexanderjfs.org a minimum of 7 days prior to any training for which they have registered.
Play therapy credit is only awarded to mental health professionals
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