Certificate in Play and Art Therapy

Graduate Certificate in Play and Art Therapy

Get the skills to help your clients express, explore and resolve challenges in ways that go deeper than words.

APTA endorsed, flexible 12-month online program (6 months training + 6 months supervision) for mental health professionals who want to unlock their creative therapy dream.

Applications for March 2026 closing soon

Hear how others have found this course - Elizabeth Evans, Psychologist

Grow your skill and confidence with creative, child-centered therapies

Experience a variety of Play Therapy modalities
Gain APTA accredited training towards Play Therapy Registration
Enjoy a small, supportive group of like-minded therapists
Learn from experts in Play and Art Therapy
Expand your career horizons with a certified professional pathway
Connect with a professional network of Play Therapists
Fill your creative therapy tool-kit
Access flexible learning and payment options

Designed For:

Counsellors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Occupational Therapists
Mental Health Nurses
Masters Graduates in an Expressive Therapy

"Enter into a children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts and souls meet." – Virginia Axline

Applications closing soon for March 2026

Student Success Stories

Unlocking Creativity:

Lorelai's journey with Art and Play Therapy in child counselling.

"I really learned a lot more about how to communicate effectively with younger people. It's given me better language to use with them and a clearer understanding of what I'm delivering."

Lorelai Burns, Child and Adolescent Counsellor and Owner of Embracing Obstacles

Pathway to Play Therapist:

How Sydney Centre for Creative Change is helping Gulcin achieve her child-centred career aspirations.

"The frameworks, the foundational skills, the understanding of the Play Therapist and their role in therapy has had a big impact on how I work."

Gulcin Buyukyazici, Educational Psychologist and Play Therapist

From Hectic to Happiness:

How social worker Chantelle found her true path through Play Therapy.

Play Therapist training was the creative catalyst that revitalised Chantelle’s career.

"It's completely reconnected me back to the direction I always wanted to move in."

Chantelle Towers, Founder REACH Wellbeing

Start your play therapy career here at Sydney Centre for Creative Change

Operating for over 20 years, we are a small and friendly, Australian provider of continuing education in creative therapies. Thousands of our course graduates confidently deliver art and play therapy services.

What this course offers

Understanding about Play and Art Therapies - counselling methods that use toys, games, art materials and activities in purposeful ways to manage psychological and social difficulties.
Learning how Play Therapy is the most developmentally appropriate and evidenced form of therapeutic intervention for children.
Delivery by highly trained and experienced clinicians and teachers who also work in the field.
Skills using play and other creative therapies as methods of treatment for multiple child mental health conditions in counselling and group work settings.
Understanding of Play and Art Therapy theories and principles and how to apply therapeutic skills within a cultural and social, ethical framework.
Appreciations of developmental stages of children and family systems and sensitivity to broader issues in assessment and design and delivery of therapeutic services.
Building on your existing mental health qualifications to equip yourself for child and adolescent counselling roles with foundational skills in child-centered play therapy and the integrative approaches of art, music, drama and sandtray therapies.

Professional Recognition

Graduates will be eligible for professional registration with a number of Australian Play Therapy Associations, meeting the competent requirements for Associate / Provisional / Student Play Therapist Membership. This course meets the full training component for Play Therapy Membership with the Australian Play Therapists Association (APTA). This means after you complete this course (AND complete your clinical practice and supervision hours and secure insurance and your prof association membership) you can be a Registered Play Therapist.

Course Structure

The course is offered part-time and online. This enables students who are balancing work, life and family commitments the flexibility to complete their studies. The Graduate Certificate of Play and Art Therapy Online is comprised of core and elective units of study, unit assessments, an art therapy process group and group supervision. Upon completion of this qualification, students may be eligible to apply for enrolment in higher degrees in Play Therapy and begin application process to be a Registered Play Therapist.

Core Course Units

UNIT 1 Foundations of counselling children and young people

UNIT 2 Introduction to Play Therapy

UNIT 3 Introduction to Art Therapy

UNIT 4 Symbols, Sandtrays and Stories in Therapy

UNIT 5 Introduction to Music, Movement and Drama Therapy

Application Criteria

Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised Bachelor degree or equivalent in the fields of psychology, social work, counselling, occupational therapy or mental health nursing or a Masters degree in art therapy, music therapy or dance/movement therapy. Have, or be eligible for, registration, licensing or student / trainee membership with the relevant counselling, social work or other mental health registering body, board, association or federation in Australia, or other country. A clear Police Check and/or Working with Children Clearance Notice is required by students before they can enrol in this course.

Contact

For further information about the course intake, enrolment procedures, closing dates and other administrative issues please contact Jacki

Download more info and application form here

More Course Feedback

Highly recommend this course

The course has encouraged me to think outside the box to be more creative in my work with children and young people. I feel inspired and refreshed with new ideas. I have learnt so many useful and meaningful ways to work therapeutically with children and young people. I find myself growing as a person and professionally. I highly recommend this course to new and experienced clinicians who are passionate to work with children and teens. -Trang Nguyen, Mental Health Social Worker

Made me a more playful and adventurous counsellor

The course is structured extremely well, beginning with a focus on non-directive child led play therapy which really seemed to ground the qualities needed to support kids therapeutically. The end result is that I have learnt the theory and skills needed to support the kids I work with as well as personal experience that has made me a more playful and adventurous counsellor (and human). - Donna Spillman, Counsellor

This is really worth the investment, a valuable experience and you will not regret it!

This course has truly unlocked my passions and abilities and inspired me to bring creativity and experiential activities to my therapeutic work. If you are thinking of doing this course, go for it! This course is amazing and will enrich your therapeutic work so much. This is really worth the investment, a valuable experience and you will not regret it!

-Renee O’Connor, Counsellor

I highly recommend this course!

This course has increased my skills and confidence when working with younger children who lack the language skills to be able to explain how they are feeling. I now have a broader range of skills to draw upon and this means that I am able to select from different approaches and activities in order to find what works best for each child. I am able to explain to parents the rationale for using expressive therapies. I am more committed to involving reluctant/busy parents in the therapy process. This is a fantastic course that provides many practical and useful skills that are grounded in evidence-based theory. The course load is challenging and demanding, but extremely rewarding. Learning content is well sequenced and Jacki is an extremely skilled and knowledgeable facilitator. I highly recommend this course!

Debbie Whitehead, School Counsellor

Amazing opportunity

This course has filled me with inspiration, courage, determination and a fire to change some of the play activities we set up out of habit. I can speak up now when I feel the child is not being heard or given a voice, rather than sit and inside be emotional and feel helpless. I now have more play ideas to help children let out emotions and thoughts through play and have choices in toys, art, music and games. The course has made me feel confident in my role, that the new skills I have learnt will lead to children feeling heard, understood and valued. Once again thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity to be a part of a wonderful group of women who share the same passion to give children a voice.

Kristina Riley, Counsellor

Gained more confidence

I have gained more confidence in working with younger children and in providing feedback to their parents. I have begun to work more appropriately with younger children, becoming less directive, allowing them to play and self-direct. I have begun to use more creative methods in working with young people. This course is a commitment of time that is worth the effort.

Anne-Marie Wetmore, Counsellor

You will absolutely benefit

No matter where you are in your career you will absolutely benefit from doing this course. It will give you confidence in your practice with children and families.

Gulcin Buyukyazici, Psychologist and School Counsellor

Skills ... and why and how to use them

I have gained skills which are fabulous, but more importantly, the understanding of why and how to use them.

Lorelai Burns, Youth Counsellor

Value in everything

I found value in everything I learned and would recommend the course to other practitioners who want to work with children.

Angela Lebar, Registered Psychologist

Loved the Practicality

Loved the practicality of the workshop, all the resources information you gave us. Again the experiential aspect was amazing and the only way to learn!. I have never enjoyed a course as much as I’ve enjoyed yours. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you ! Thanks for your generosity of information, your gentle way of containing the emotional moments, the caring, calming and trusting environment you created and your infectious passion for play therapy.

Counsellor, Anglicare

VERY Special Moments

Of all the training I have done, the knowledge and skills you gave me have been sustained the best. I feel I have not only learnt so much but felt, lived and taken on board this whole new philosophy of working with children and adolescents. I've been motivated and inspired to follow what makes my heart sing, not just work. Thank you, for allowing me to realise I'm in the right field of practice and that I can give this work my own flair, flavour and colour. I'm finding myself really thinking about the work I'm doing with children now and enjoy being on this journey with them. You create VERY special moments in time for people and I think every one of us walked out of the course with so much more than we ever thought we'd receive. Thank you.

Social Worker, Case Manager