Careers: Play therapist

What kind of children do play therapists work with?
Play therapists work with children and young people from nursery age to adolescence suffering from a range of psychological difficulties including anxiety, depression and aggression. Many of the children they work with have experienced bereavement, abuse, family breakdown and trauma. Therapists usually work one-to-one with individuals but sometimes also with groups and families.

Where do play therapists work?
Play therapists usually work in multi-disciplinary teams. The majority work in the statutory sector: within social services teams, child mental health services, family centres and schools. Some voluntary organisations such as the NSPCC also employ play therapists, while others work in private practice.

Does the role offer flexible working?
Play therapists rarely work full-time for one organisation, according to the British Association of Play Therapists, although they may make up a full-time week by working for more than one organisation or undertaking private practice. “There are posts that are five days a week, but it is a job that a lots of mothers do who want to work part-time,” says Harriet Armstrong, chair of the British Association of Play Therapists communications sub-committee.

Play therapy is usually a second career for those working in the fields of counselling, psychology, nursing, social work or teaching, according
to the association.

What kind of challenges does the work involve?
“Working with children who are having difficulties can be very hard,” says Armstrong. “But if you are party to improving their life that feels very rewarding. I always find that children are really inspiring; a child could be suffering hugely but is still coping quite well at school, for example. Another challenge can be wor