Course Description

The presenters in this video take the listener on a journey through the formation of play therapy and introduce various approaches and styles for using play therapy. With over 30 years of combined play therapy experience, the presenters provide a summary of the decades since the start of play therapy, and share personal experiences and knowledge from their work with children. The listener can follow along with the powerpoint the presenters created, and it contains clickable links to wonderful resources and videos that supplement their discussion. This is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in play therapy, new to the field of working with children, or for a current play therapist who is curious about the history and vast number of approaches.

In this workshop participants will learn the history of play therapy. By the end of this course, participants will:

1) be able to name a minimum of three figures that contributed to the field of play therapy
2) identify the key people associated with the development and/or creation of particular play therapy approaches
3) understand how play therapy has evolved from its historical roots to modern day approaches



Presented by: 
Ashley Lawton MS, LMHC, NCC, CCPT-S, RPT

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

Duration: 2 Hrs

Continuing Education (2 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

    • Main Course Video - History and Foundations of Play Therapy

    • The History and Foundations of Play Therapy
  • 3

    Resources

    • Gary Landreth demonstrates Child-Centered Play Therapy

    • Videos about using Bibliotherapy

    • Example Video of Child-Centered Play Therapy and Filial Therapy

    • Videos of Group Play Therapy

    • Dr. Stuart Brown - Play is more than just fun (TED Talk)

    • Reference List (Clickable Links)

    • Dr. Mullen's Favorite Play Therapy Reads!

    • Glossary of Play Therapy Terms
  • 4

    Continuing Education

    • Continuing Education Quiz
  • 5

    Course Feedback

    • Course Feedback Survey

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.

MS, LMHC, NCC, RPT-S, CCPT-S

Ashley Lawton

Ashley Lawton, MS LMHC NCC RPT CCPT-S is the Assistant Director at Integrative Counseling Services. She is also an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling at the State University of New York at Oswego. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) through the state of New York. Ashley is credentialed as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). She is also credentialed in Play Therapy as a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) through the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and as a Child-Centered Play Therapist Supervisor (CCPT-S) through the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE). Ashley has presented on various Play Therapy topics, often relating to grief and loss. She is a member of Friends of Oswego County Hospice’s Bereavement Committee. At Integrative Counseling Services Ashley provides counseling to adolescents and young adults, as well as Play Therapy to children. Her duties as Assistant Director include overseeing staff, supervising the coordination of intakes, supervision of graduate interns, handling day to day operations, and managing crisis situations as they arise.