MA Course

Our flagship QQI Level 9 programme equips you to become a fully qualified Psychotherapist and Play Therapist, with dual accreditation and a deep, integrative approach to working with children, adolescents, and their families.

We are the only institution in Ireland where you can gain a dual qualification as Play Therapist and Psychotherapit with full academic and professional validation. This has been acknowledged and applauded by a wide range of professional accreditation and registration bodies. We operate to the very highest academic and professional training standards, fully meeting the standards set by Quality and Qualification Ireland (QQI); The Irish Association for Play Therapy and Psychotherapy (IAPTP); the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) and the European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP).

MA in Creative Psychotherapy and Play Therapy

This is the first accredited programme of its kind in Ireland to offer a comprehensive, experiential training in Play Therapy as part of a fully professionally recognised MA qualification in Psychotherapy, with a major emphasis on Play Therapy.
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Your Path to Professional Growth

Easily select, book, and complete your training with CTC. Our flexible courses provide the skills, certification, and confidence needed to advance your career in Play Therapy, Therapeutic Play and Psychotherapy.
Select Course
Choose from a range of flexible, practical training options designed to fit your needs. Learn at your pace and enhance your therapeutic skills effectively!
Book Course
Browse, book, and begin your training with ease. Choose the right course for you and start learning today!
Certificate
Gain official certification to showcase your skills and enhance your career opportunities in play therapy and psychotherapy!
See Our Guide To Picking The Right Course

Other Courses

Take your skills to the next level with our specialised postgraduate certificates and diplomas, designed for qualified professionals in the field.

Certificate in Therapeutic Play Practice

The Certificate in Therapeutic Play Practice is a 30 credit QQI Level 6 Specific Purpose Award (PG25579) comprised of two, 15 credit, minor awards: Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills (PG25614); Certificate in Nature-Based Therapeutic Play (PG256...
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Multi-Sensory Trauma Processing (MTP ©) and EMDR Principles Across the Lifespan

This exciting training programme, utilises two core models to address and resolve trauma.  As this is a practitioner award, engagement in 20 clinical practice sessions, and 5 supervision sessions, are required. This supervision is included in the cou...
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Professional Diploma in Sandtray Therapy and Symbolic Expression

IACP CPD approved for 84 CPD Points This exciting, one-year, Diploma course will bring you deep into the world of projective play and the use of symbols as therapeutic agents with psychotherapy and counselling clients. You will engage in experiential...
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Diploma in Creative Supervision

Creative Supervision includes the use of action methods and creative approaches in the supervision of therapists and other professionals involved in direct work with clients of all ages, utilising a variety of theoretical frameworks, and in a variety...
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Practitioner Certificate in Creative Therapy with Emerging Adults

The intensive blended learning course explores the unique developmental tasks, mental health challenges, and therapeutic needs of emerging adults, commonly seen as spanning the years between 18 and mid- to late-20’s.  Participants will develop expert...
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Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

Hear from past trainees about their experience at CTC and how our courses have supported their personal and professional growth.
My CTC experience was nothing short of excellent. Now that I have transitioned out of CTC and established my private practice while also working as a psychotherapist in an organization, I feel immense gratitude for the comprehensive training I received. The quality of education and support at CTC truly is second to none. I am excited about the upcoming short courses and CPD opportunities, as there is always fantastic training and new information ...
CTC MA Graduate
What an empowering and invigorating two years I have spent with Children’s Therapy Centre. Each module inspired and exposed new ways of being. The balanced and integrated course builds on the theories of experts through the years right up to current practice which exposes the sheer joy and power of play. As a primary school teacher, my class benefited from my newfound skills and experiential learning. I found there is a playful and creative way o...
Y3 MA Student
CTC is the third time I’ve been to college. I used to like the idea of college, learning & broadening my mind, however I never had the focus to really experience or enjoy it. Fast forward to 2022 when I signed up to take part in the Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate course, that was it, I was hooked! I applied to the MA in Creative Psychotherapy the following year. I had found an educational centre that taught in a way that reached out to a...
Y2 MA Student
I completed the Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate course with the lovely Cathy at CTC. It was such a wonderful and rich experience. A fabulous mix of experiential learning – games, role play, self reflection, and so much fun and creativity! It was a completely new way of learning for me. The course was a real eye opener, both personally as a parent, and professionally, and was a very important stepping stone towards a new and exciting car...
Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate Graduate
“Since qualifying from the MA & working in Psychotherapy, attending CPD trainings with CTC has been a transformative experience for my practice. I continue to gain new insights, learning & resources, that have directly enhanced my therapeutic skills. I’ve gained a deeper understanding in more specialised areas & the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals has expanded my confidence and competence. These trainin...
CPD Attendee
I have had the pleasure of doing quite a number of short courses with some fantastic and well experienced CTC facilitators over the last couple of months. I found the learning intentions of each course were always clearly stated and what I took away from the training always far exceeded my expectations. I have been given lots of food for thought to enhance my own wellbeing and that of my family and the children I work with. It is evident to me th...
Short online course participant

I completed the Therapeutic Play Skills training in person in Kilcock with Elaine. The training was so enjoyable, it challenged me to reflect on my own practice, and to become really curious about the children’s behaviour. I feel that it changed the way I teach and interact with the children I work with, for the better. It is, hands down, the best CPD I have done in my 10 years of teaching.

Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate Graduate
To say this course has been life changing feels like an understatement. In 4 years, I have changed my entire career, grown professionally and interpersonally more than I could ever have imagined, all the while gaining a deeply rich and integrated knowledge of theory, clinical practice and Self-knowledge. All this knowledge has been garnered from a course that is so intelligently designed that a new-found Self emerges, following layer after layer ...
CTC MA Graduate

Looking for Something Shorter?

Explore our wide range of flexible short courses—perfect for professional development, CPD, or getting started in the field.
Browse Short Courses
Children’s Therapy Centre (CTC) is Ireland’s longest established leading provider of training in the field of Play Therapy, Therapeutic Play, and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy.
Our centre
Children’s Therapy Centre
Stewart House
Lonsdale Road,
National Technology Park,
Plassey, Limerick.
V94 KN70, Ireland
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