Course Description

While Child-Centered Play Therapy is often discussed as a permissive therapy, which it is, this evidence-based approach consists of specific techniques and a structure that allows for children to gain agency in their own therapeutic services. The presenters in this course will teach you about the structure needed to provide quality play therapy to your child clients, and will focus on the basics for beginning a session, how to handle certain play and themes of play, and how to exit session. They will also briefly cover limit setting and termination of play therapy services, and offer examples from their years of practicing play therapy. If you are interested in play therapy and want to know about the basic elements of this evidence-based approach, this is for you!


In this course, participants will learn basic play therapy skills to engage children (from infancy through the elementary grades) in play therapy. By the end of the course participants will be able to:

1.) Identify three reasons to use play therapy with children

2.) Name three skills essential for play therapists

3.) Recognize how play therapy addresses the developmental and emotional needs of children.



Presented by: 
Tiffany Tesoriero MS, LMHC, LPC, CCPT

Jodi Mullen PhD, LMHC, NCC, RPT-S, CCPT-Master 

Duration: 1 Hrs

Continuing Education (1 CEs)
Integrative Mental Health Counseling Services, PLLC is recognized  by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental  Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for  licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0085

Integrative  Mental Health Counseling Services, PLLC is recognized by the New York  State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved  provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0308.

Integrative Counseling Services, PLLC is approved by The Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy. Our provider number is 06-168.



Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

    • How to Complete this Course!

    • Welcome!

    • Tell us more about YOU!
  • 2

    Course

    • Elements of Play Therapy Intervention

    • Main Course Video - Elements of Play Therapy Intervention
  • 3

    Resources

    • Dr. Mullen's Favorite Play Therapy Reads!

    • Glossary of Play Therapy Terms

    • Dr. Mullen's Parenting Podcast: Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids
  • 4

    Continuing Education

    • Continuing Education Quiz
  • 5

    Course Feedback

    • Course Feedback Survey

MS, LPC, CCPT-S (in training)

Tiffany Tesoriero

Tiffany Tesoriero is a  Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Child-Centered Play  Therapist. She earned her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling  from the State University of New York at Oswego and went on to receive  licensure in the states of New York and Colorado. She has earned  additional credentialing as a Child-Centered Play Therapist through the  National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE). She is also  currently in the process of becoming a play therapy supervisor through  NIRE. Tiffany worked at Integrative Counseling Services in New York, and  since relocating to Colorado has opened her own private practice,  Sunrise Springs Counseling Services.

About the instructors

PhD, LMHC, NCC, RPT-S, CCPT-Master

Jodi Mullen

Dr. Jodi Weinstein Mullen, PhD LMHC NCC RPT-S CCPT-Master is the Director of Integrative Counseling Services in Oswego, Fulton, Cicero, and Auburn, New York. She is on the faculty at SUNY Oswego in the Counseling & Psychological Services Department where she is the coordinator of the Graduate Certificate Program in Play Therapy. Dr. Mullen is a credentialed play therapist and play therapy supervisor. She is the author of several manuscripts on play therapy and supervision. Her books include “Counseling Children and Adolescents through Grief and Loss”(co-authored by Dr. Jody Fiorini)(2006), “Play Therapy Basic Training: A Guide to Learning & Living & the Child-Centered Play Therapy Philosophy”(2007), “Supervision can be Playful: Techniques for Child and Play Therapist Supervisors” (co-edited with Athena Drewes) (2008), and “How Play Therapists Can Engage Parents & Professionals” (co-authored by June Rickli)(2011). Dr. Mullen is on the editorial board for the international Journal of Play Therapy. She is also the clinical editor of Play Therapy magazine.