Therapeutic Play Skills

Delivery Mode

This QQI Level 6 award has been specifically designed for delivery by blended learning. It is very suited to you if you want to study from home whilst gaining this qualification. During the induction, you will be given your log-in details to the online portal,  “ePortobello”. Here you will find course notes, reading lists, articles of interest and assessment guidelines. The content is structured in an easy to “find and follow” format. You will need basic computer skills such as searching the internet and typing a word document.

There is one to one expert tutor support available to you throughout your learning journey. You can upload your assessments and your tutor will give you feedback on whether you are on the right track. Blended learning allows you to study at your own pace and in your own time with support available when you need it. The practical workshops are delivered by online webinars and designed to give you practical insight into Therapeutic Play Skills from an experienced practitioner. There are two webinars which take place on Saturdays and they are mandatory to attend. You must attend the first webinar to be able to attend and understand the second. Webinars are not recorded or available to watch back for the privacy of those taking part.

What is a Webinar?

A webinar, in the context of online learning, is a lecturer delivering a presentation or class online to a group of students. We use specifically designed e-learning software so you can participate in the class just as if you were present in the same room. You can ask a question of the lecturer at any stage during the class. The software is designed with “break-out rooms” where you can discuss a topic or complete a group exercise with a smaller group from your class. You will need a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone that has an internet connection, an audio facility so you can hear and speak during the class and a camera so your lecturer and fellow class participants can see you. The webinar is a secure online environment and only those permitted entry by the lecturer can gain access to the “classroom”.

Outlined below is the content covered during each webinar.

Course Structure

Portobello Institute’s Therapeutic Play Skills is a blended learning course, a mix between online learning and webinars. The content is all available on ePortobello and is in an easy to follow “week by week” format.

You can commence this course immediately with the online content and attend the scheduled webinars as and when they arise. You must attend the first webinar before attending the second webinar. If for any reason you are unable to attend the scheduled webinar, you can attend the same webinar on another date. Please contact your assigned programme support manager for details of alternative dates.

Webinar 1: Introduction to Therapeutic Play Skills

• Introduce the course aims, and objectives and discuss the assignments.
• Introduce the history of play therapy PowerPoint presentation with general discussions around this.
• Lecture of play and explore the difference between “play” and “therapeutic play”.
• The concept of the therapeutic relationship introduced.
• Introduction to Bowlby and attachment types, then Erik Erikson’s stages of man.
• Webinar 1 wraps up by explaining the mediums we will discuss in webinar 2.
• Question and answer session.

Virtual breakout rooms are used for group discussions throughout the day.

Webinar 2: More insight into the practical elements of Therapeutic Play Skills

• Introduction to sand play and experiential exercises.
• Introduction to art therapy and experiential exercises.
• Introduction to clay/playdough and experiential exercises.
• Introduction to therapeutic stories and discussion/ideas about stories.
• Introduction to puppets and discussion.
• Catch up on Eric Erikson’s stages of man theory and Bowlby’s attachment theory.
• Time allocated to support students with queries about content and assignments.

Virtual breakout rooms are used for group discussions throughout the day.

How will I be assessed?

A variety of assessment methods are used to support students with different learning styles. These vary from written reports to practical case studies to examinations. We encourage you to reflect on your knowledge gained with a number of assignments designed to explore your learning journey. All of these assessment methods are seeking to support you to combine theory with scenario-based learning and how to practically implement these methods into your everyday practice.

Fees