About this course

Learning Objectives

• 1. Identify the core theoretical framework Child Centered Play Therapists use to determine if and when to set limits.
• 2. Practice skills for setting effective limits with children in Child Centered Play therapy.
• 3. Describe how to build a therapeutic playroom and standard tools for the room.
• 4. Identify and praactice the theoretical process for playroom toy selection.
• 5. Demonstrate skill in applying Child Centered Play Therapy tracking and limit setting skills.
• 6. Assess when child centered play therapy is an effective intervention for a client.

Learning Levels

• All Levels

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Steven L. Parks, LCSW-S, MBA, RPT-S

  Executive Director, A Time for Play | Play Therapy Training Series

  Steven L. Parks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Approved Supervisor and serves in the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work as a full-time clinical Senior Lecturing Faculty professor. Steven is a Registered Play Therapist & Supervisor (RPT-S) and the Executive Director of the A Time for Play nonprofit organization based in Houston, TX. He also maintains a private practice in Sugar Land, Texas and specializes in working with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing trauma symptoms, depression, anxiety, and externalizing behaviors. Steven has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree of Psychology from Texas Tech University, a Master’s of Business Administration degree from University of Houston Bauer College of Business, and a Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Steven volunteers regularly with the National Association of Social Workers Texas (NASWTx), and serves as the Board Chair of Tony's Place, a local LGBTQ+ Community Organization.

Disclosure

References

• Landreth, G.L. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003255796
• Ray, D. & Landreth, G. (2025). Child-Centered Play Therapy. In: Crenshaw, D. A., Stewart, A. L., & Ray, D. C. (2025). Play therapy: Theory, research, and Practice (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
• Conroy, & Perryman, K. (2022). Treating trauma with child-centered play therapy through the SECURE lens of polyvagal theory. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(3), 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000172
• Chung, R. K., Ray, D. C., Aguilar, E. V., & Turner, K. K. (2023). The Multicultural Play Therapy Room: Intentional Decision Making in Selecting Play Therapy Toys and Materials. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(4), 197–207. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000203
• Frawley, C., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2024). The relational change mechanisms of child‐centered play therapy with children exposed to adverse childhood experiences. Journal of Counseling and Development, 102(2), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12500