About this course

Learning Objectives

• 1. List at least five key aspects of Play Therapy sessions that should be documented per ethical and best practices.
• 2. Develop a Play Therapy documentation protocol that upholds ethical principles and standards.
• 3. Describe two benefits of Play Therapy documentation that align with person-centered theory and case conceptualization.
• 4. Apply the Play Therapist’s SOAP note to clinically document a Play Therapy session.

Learning Levels

• Beginner

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

• Parks, S. (2026). Capturing Lightning in a Bottle: Play Therapy Documentation Insights. Play Therapy Magazine, Volume 21. Issue 1. Association for Play Therapy. https://www.a4pt.org
• 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.
• Homeyer, L.E., & Bennett, M.M. (2023). The Guide to Play Therapy Documentation and Parent Consultation (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003258766
• Hoffman, D. (2025). Deconstructing the Language of Psychotherapy Documentation. Psychoanalytic Social Work, 32(1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228878.2024.2411280
• Landreth, G. L. (2024). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (4th ed). New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.