Short Courses

CTC offers a wide range of short courses designed for professionals, students, parents, carers, and anyone with an interest in therapeutic approaches. Whether you’re building your skills, meeting CPD requirements, or just getting started in the field, our flexible online, blended, and onsite courses make professional development accessible and effective. CPD Certificates are issued after each course.

Play Therapy Techniques

  • Live Online Training Event
This web-based course will introduce participants to play, its therapeutic benefits, and a variety of developmentally appropriate techniques used by play therapists and therapeutic play workers.

An Introduction to Play Therapy 25.01.27

  • Monday, January 25, 2027
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will provide participants with a great introduction into the world of Play Therapy.  This experiential workshop is a hands on, skill building session that will allow the partic...

Currently Enrolling

A Playful Attachment: Bonding Playfully with Your Baby 12.10.26
  • Monday, October 12, 2026
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course dives into the power of play and how it can build and enhance a secure and playful attachment with your baby!
Building Inner Besties: Strategies to Boost Children’s Self-concept and Self- Esteem 19.10.26
  • Monday, October 19, 2026
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will look at how we can help children develop positive self-concept and self-esteem.
Using Play and Creative Approaches when Working with Adolescents 01.11.26
  • Sunday, November 1, 2026
  • Live Online Training Event
This innovative live online workshop will introduce participants to medical trauma, and a wide variety of therapeutic approaches that can support chil...
Being with Big Feelings 16.11.26
  • Monday, November 16, 2026
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will look at how we can help adults to support children in their care who are experiencing big or overwhelming feelings
Sensational Sensory Play 30.11.26
  • Monday, November 30, 2026
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course explores the importance of sensory play and practical ways to increase engagement in this type of play
An Introduction to Play Therapy 25.01.27
  • Monday, January 25, 2027
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will provide participants with a great introduction into the world of Play Therapy.  This experiential workshop is a hands on,...
Embracing Relational Neurodivergent Affirming Practice (Across the Lifespan) 06.02.27
  • Saturday, February 6, 2027
  • Live Online Training Event
This engaging workshop provides an interactive and reflective  space to explore the historical context and the changing neurodiversity paradigm which ...
The Impact of Domestic Abuse on Child Development 08.02.26
  • Monday, February 8, 2027
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will look at how living with Domestic Abuse impacts child development.
Post-Traumatic Growth in Children and Young People: Healing Through the Therapeutic Powers of Play 09.02.27
  • Tuesday, February 9, 2027
  • Live Online Training Event
Attachment Theory in the Play Therapy Room 20.04.27
  • Tuesday, April 20, 2027
  • LIVE Online Training Event
This 3-hour live on workshop is designed to enhance your understanding of attachment theory and its application within Play Therapy.
Graduation Gown Hire 2026
  • Saturday, October 17, 2026

Register Your Interest

Play Therapy Techniques
  • Live Online Training Event
This web-based course will introduce participants to play, its therapeutic benefits, and a variety of developmentally appropriate techniques used by p...
Soothing Transitions & Separations
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course will look at supporting children who find it difficult to leave a parent or carer.
Play Therapy in Schools
  • Live Online Training Event
In many ways a school is an ideal setting for Play Therapy to occur, however there are some challenges.
Anchoring your Adolescent
  • Live Online Training Event
This live online course explore how to remain connected to an adolescent as they navigate one of the most challenging times in development.
From Drama to Empowerment: Navigating the Drama Triangle in Clinical Supervision
  • Live Online Training Event
This 3-hour creative, experiential, and interactive workshop, is designed for clinical supervisors seeking to deepen their awareness of the Drama Tria...
Therapeutic Storytelling with Edel Lawlor
  • Live Online Training Event
This innovative live online workshop will introduce participants to medical trauma, and a wide variety of therapeutic approaches that can support chil...
A Joint Journey Towards Healing: Navigating Love, Loss and Grief
  • LIVE Online Training Event
This reflective and interactive workshop is designed for therapists, counsellors, and other  mental health professionals working therapeutically with ...
Medical Trauma in Play Therapy
  • Live Online Training Event
This innovative live online workshop will introduce participants to medical trauma, and a wide variety of therapeutic approaches that can support chil...
Creative Endings in Child & Adolescent Therapy
  • Live Online Training Event
This unique and highly interactive live online course will outline the hallmarks and significance of endings for the therapist, the child and the fami...

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!

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.

‘The MA in Creative Psychotherapy, specialising in play therapy is a unique course that masterfully integrates the depth of psychotherapeutic theory with developmentally appropriate, creative approaches to work with children and adolescents effectively. The trainers bring a wealth of expertise, ensuring that every aspect of the course is delivered to the highest professional standard. Their ability to bridge academic knowledge with real-world therapeutic application is invaluable and allowed me to feel confident in my practice from an early stage. The staff’s ongoing innovation and commitment to maintaining alignment with evolving regulatory standards ensure that the course remains both relevant and forward-thinking. It is also important to mention, the course fosters significant personal growth, encouraging deep self-reflection alongside professional skill development. This MA is an immersive, enriching experience that equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and personal insight to work in the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy’

MA Graduate

I absolutely loved the Therapeutic Play Skills course. The content is incredibly relevant and valuable for anyone working with children, regardless of their profession. One of the standout aspects for me was the experiential nature of the course—it really allowed me to reconnect with my own sense of playfulness, which in turn gave me a wealth of practical ideas to bring into my work with children as a teacher.

Cathy was a wonderful facilitator—so warm, calm, and thoughtful in her approach. She created a safe and supportive space where everyone felt heard and engaged, and she made sure we all got the most out of each session. The course was well-structured, with the modules spaced out perfectly to allow for reflection and learning, while still being full of rich, enjoyable content. I’d highly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of therapeutic play and bring new energy to their work with children.

 

TPS Certificate Graduate

The most sparkly silver lining of this pandemic is that I have the opportunity to do training with the Children’s Therapy Centre. Being based in Hong Kong, it is lovely to experience training with those at home in Ireland. I have done a number of courses through the Children’s Therapy Centre, and all of them have been exceptional. This is true of the entire process. Booking online is easy. Siobhán is wonderful and is super friendly, helpful and speedy in answering any of my questions. All of the facilitators have been excellent; very knowledgeable, approachable (even with the added hurdle of doing this through Zoom) and have delivered fantastic courses that will resonate with me for the rest of my career. And Rachel in the office is awesome at sending out the certificates and answering queries. It has all been terrific. I look forward to one day meeting all the fabulous people I have met in doing these courses and am very excited to participate in the courses to come. Thanks a million CTC!

Short online course participant

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 all learning styles. I have never learned the way I have in CTC. My body learns alongside my brain, giving me a much deeper understanding. I get giddy when I think about it. I want the whole world to know this way of learning. When I got accepted on the MA, I said “I feel like someone has told me Hogwarts is real & I can go learn magic”. I am learning magic!

As well as learning in the class environment we get to develop and learn through our work placement, supervision, personal psychotherapy and through mediums such as sand, toys, movement and more. This isn’t just an academic course for me, it is a new way of life. One that breaks through barriers & promotes allowing children to simply “be” …all they can be.

Y2 MA Student

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 that CTC ensure the quality of their courses are top notch.There is great communication from the CTC team and the booking process is always super easy. I look forward to engaging in more upcoming courses as I find them thoroughly enjoyable. I have laughed and cried in nearly every session and love how much I have to been able to take away from each day. Thank you so much!

Short online course participant

Having just completed the Therapeutic Play Skills course, I have come away from this experience with skills and knowledge that can be transferred to every aspect of my life, from my own children, to adults, and children I work with. These skills have taught me the power of truly listening compassionately to another little human.

Our group spent seven days together; this was spread out over a three-month period. Each weekend brought a different element of play from making puppets, creating therapeutic stories, creative storytelling and lots more. This course is unique as you are provided with a safe space, resources and freedom to express yourself in a fun and playful way.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn how to connect with children in a meaningful way. I have come away from this course with so much confidence and self-esteem from being surrounded by likeminded people and learning new skills. I have enjoyed this course so much that I am going to apply for the Masters in Psychotherapy and Play Therapy this year. It was a truly amazing experience. Thank you so much CTC for giving me amazing memories that I will treasure for ever.

TPS Graduate

I could not recommend the Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate enough. I feel that it is a course that everyone should do as it offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the therapeutic powers of play. We had an amazing lecturer, Laura, who always greeted us with a warm, bright energy. Laura created a safe space for everyone within the group. She is a fountain of knowledge, with a wonderful way with words to help people understand and grasp the therapeutic play skills. You are also given the opportunity to do some individual play sessions which I thoroughly enjoyed. You get to see the therapeutic powers of play at work here, which I found fascinating. It’s the most amazing form of treatment when a child gets to do what they do best- play and heal at the same time. There is also a great sense of community and support within the group, which again makes learning easier and fun. Unknown to yourself, overtime you’ll slowly notice a nice little collection of books, puppets, crafts etc accumulating as you become immersed in the course. Enjoy 🙂

 

TPS Certificate Graduate

As the saying goes, “It only takes one golden opportunity to shape a different future.” For me, that opportunity came in the form of the four year Master of Arts in Creative Psychotherapy (Humanistic & Integrative), which I pursued at the Children’s Therapy Centre from 2019 to 2023. I cannot recommend this course offered by CTC highly enough. The content of the course is grounded in a blend of theory, clinical practice and experiential learning which ensures a high-standard and strong foundation in Psychotherapy is established.

Over the four years we explored ethical considerations, trauma-informed care, child development and clinical practice in depth. The lecturers and supervisors at CTC are highly experienced professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to their teaching of the various modules. Their support and guidance made a significant impact on my learning journey too. Utilising creative therapeutic approaches in an experiential, hands-on way was one of the highlights of the course for me. This approach allowed me to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Aside from academic learning the course fostered a deep self-refection and personal development through the form of personal therapy and reflective practice which I do believe is necessary for any therapeutic practitioner-in-training. I’ve also made friends for life too! Whilst this course is challenging it is incredibly rewarding and I would highly recommend it to anyone passionate about helping children and adolescents therapeutically.

CTC MA Graduate

Build on Your Learning

Take your learning to the next level with our QQI-accredited Certificate Courses—designed for professionals who want to integrate therapeutic play into their practice with confidence and credibility.
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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