Training • Supervision • Professional Community
Illuminate Play Therapy Institute
Learn the Art. Understand the Science. Experience the Power of Play.
A Comprehensive Play Therapy Training & Supervision Pathway
Founding Cohort Planned for 2027 | Western Colorado
Play therapy is so much more than toys, games, and creative activities.
It's understanding child development, recognizing the meaning behind behavior, building therapeutic relationships, and learning how children communicate through play.
It's knowing when to follow, when to support, when to set limits, and how to help children express experiences they may not yet have words to describe.
And becoming a play therapist requires more than collecting interventions.
It requires learning how to think, connect, conceptualize, and respond through the language of play.
At Illuminate Play Therapy Institute, we're developing a comprehensive, experiential training and supervision pathway for mental health professionals interested in pursuing the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential.
Our program is designed to bring together education, supervised clinical application, mentorship, and a supportive professional community.
Because we believe learning play therapy should be an experience—not simply a collection of continuing education certificates.
More Than Training. A Place to Grow.
Many therapists become interested in play therapy because they love working with children.
But knowing you want to help children and knowing how to use play therapy effectively are two different things.
You might wonder:
- Where do I begin?
- Which play therapy theories should I learn?
- How do I create a therapeutic playroom?
- How do I understand what a child is communicating?
- How do I involve parents and caregivers?
- How do I work with trauma through play?
- How do I know whether an intervention is clinically appropriate?
- How do I organize my training, supervision, and experience toward the RPT credential?
We want to make that learning journey more intentional, connected, and supportive.
Rather than attending disconnected trainings and trying to piece everything together yourself, the Illuminate pathway is being designed to help clinicians build knowledge progressively and integrate it into real clinical work.
Learn it. Experience it. Practice it. Reflect on it. Integrate it.
Our 24-Month Play Therapy Development Pathway
The planned Illuminate program follows a two-year, cohort-based learning model with three developmental phases.
The curriculum is being designed around approximately 150 hours of play therapy instruction, delivered through ten 15-hour workshops, together with opportunities for clinical application, professional reflection, and separately arranged play therapy supervision.
The pathway is intended to support clinicians working toward applicable Association for Play Therapy credentialing requirements.
Phase One: Foundations of Play Therapy
Months 1–8 | Building the Foundation
Before learning dozens of interventions, clinicians need to understand why play therapy works.
During this phase, we'll explore foundational theories, child development, the therapeutic relationship, playroom design, ethical considerations, and the clinical skills needed to begin understanding children through play.
Learning areas include:
- History and foundational theories of play therapy
- Therapeutic powers of play
- Child development and developmental considerations
- Child-centered play therapy
- Therapeutic relationships and attunement
- Playroom design and therapeutic materials
- Limit setting and clinical boundaries
- Cultural responsiveness
- Assessment and case conceptualization
- Caregiver involvement and ethical practice
Our focus: Understanding the language of play.
Phase Two: Application & Clinical Growth
Months 9–16 | Expanding the Clinical Toolbox
Once a strong foundation is established, clinicians begin exploring additional approaches and applying their learning more intentionally.
This phase introduces different ways of working with children and families while strengthening clinical reasoning and treatment planning.
Learning areas include:
- Directive and nondirective play therapy approaches
- Sandtray and symbolic expression
- Expressive arts and creative interventions
- Trauma-informed play therapy
- Attachment and relational approaches
- ADHD and neurodivergent-affirming play therapy
- Sensory and regulation considerations
- Caregiver consultation and parent-child relationships
- Grief, loss, and life transitions
- Developmentally responsive treatment planning
Our focus: Choosing interventions with intention—not simply collecting activities.
Phase Three: Integration & Professional Identity
Months 17–24 | Becoming the Play Therapist
The final phase emphasizes clinical integration, more complex presentations, ethical decision-making, and professional identity.
Clinicians are encouraged to connect theory with practice and recognize their individual strengths, interests, and areas requiring continued development.
Learning areas include:
- Complex and developmental trauma
- Advanced case conceptualization
- Attachment disruptions and family systems
- Dissociation awareness and scope of competence
- Somatic and experiential integration
- Play therapy with older children and adolescents
- Clinical decision-making and treatment evaluation
- Professional boundaries and use of self
- Collaboration, consultation, and appropriate referrals
- Developing a sustainable play therapy practice
Our focus: Becoming a thoughtful, ethical, developmentally responsive play therapist.
Experience Play Therapy From the Other Side
One of the things that will make Illuminate's training experience different is our emphasis on experiential learning.
We regularly ask children to communicate through play, metaphor, movement, imagination, and creativity.
We believe clinicians benefit from opportunities to experience these processes themselves.
Throughout the program, participants may engage in activities involving sandtray, expressive arts, symbolic play, therapeutic storytelling, creative reflection, playroom materials, and developmentally responsive interventions.
Experiential learning creates opportunities to explore questions such as:
What did it feel like to participate?
What created safety?
What felt uncomfortable?
How much direction was helpful?
What did I communicate without using words?
How might a child experience this differently?
What clinical considerations should guide whether I use this intervention?
The goal isn't simply to leave with another activity.
It's to understand the therapeutic purpose behind what we do.
Play Therapy Supervision With Natalie
Natalie Marie Hanks, MA, LPC-S, LAC, RPT-S
Founder of Illuminate Play Therapy & Counseling
As a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Natalie offers play therapy-specific supervision and mentorship for eligible clinicians.
Her supervision philosophy emphasizes clinical competency, therapeutic relationships, ethical practice, developmental understanding, intentional interventions, and the integration of theory into clinical work.
Supervision may include:
- Play therapy case conceptualization
- Treatment planning and clinical decision-making
- Understanding play themes and patterns
- Caregiver involvement
- Ethical and developmental considerations
- Clinical observation and feedback
- Therapeutic use of self
- Scope of competence
- Professional identity and continued development
Play therapy supervision is a formal professional relationship, with its own agreement, documentation, evaluation, and requirements.
Supervision availability, eligibility, format, and fees will be discussed separately from program instruction.
A Community of Play Therapists
We want Illuminate to be more than a place where clinicians attend training and leave.
Our vision includes a consistent cohort of developing play therapists who learn together, ask questions, exchange ideas, celebrate progress, and support one another throughout the journey.
The planned experience includes:
Cohort-based learning: Grow alongside other clinicians over the course of the program.
Experiential workshops: Learn through demonstration, hands-on practice, reflection, and clinical discussion.
Clinical application: Connect classroom learning to appropriate supervised clinical work.
Mentorship: Receive guidance as you explore your strengths, challenges, and professional interests.
Practical resources: Develop a growing collection of clinical tools, case conceptualization resources, playroom ideas, and professional materials.
Professional connection: Build relationships with other clinicians who share an interest in the therapeutic power of play.
Who Is This Program For?
The Illuminate Play Therapy Institute is being developed for mental health professionals and eligible developing clinicians who want a comprehensive foundation in play therapy.
This may include:
- Licensed Professional Counselors
- Licensed Professional Counselor Candidates
- Clinical social workers and eligible social work candidates
- Marriage and family therapists and eligible candidates
- Other qualifying mental health professionals
- Clinicians interested in expanding their play therapy knowledge
- Professionals pursuing the Registered Play Therapist credential
Eligibility for particular instructional hours, supervision, clinical experience, or credentialing will depend on professional qualifications and applicable requirements.
Working Toward the Registered Play Therapist Credential
The Registered Play Therapist credential is awarded by the Association for Play Therapy (APT), not Illuminate.
The credentialing process includes specific requirements for professional qualifications, play therapy instruction, supervised play therapy experience, supervision, and demonstrated competencies.
Our program is being developed to help participants understand, organize, and work toward applicable requirements through a structured educational pathway.
However, participation in the Illuminate Play Therapy Institute does not automatically qualify a participant for the RPT credential.
APT determines credentialing eligibility and acceptance of submitted education, experience, and supervision.
Final information about qualifying continuing education credit will be provided before enrollment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a complete RPT credentialing program?
The planned pathway is designed to provide comprehensive play therapy education and opportunities to integrate training with clinical experience and supervision.
However, each participant remains responsible for meeting all applicable APT credentialing requirements. Completion of the Illuminate program does not guarantee the RPT credential.
Do I need to work at Illuminate to participate?
No. The program is being developed for eligible mental health professionals both within and outside Illuminate.
Is supervision included?
Play therapy supervision will be available through separate arrangements for eligible clinicians, subject to supervisor availability, professional qualifications, and a signed supervision agreement.
Program tuition and supervision fees will be identified separately before enrollment.
Do I need previous play therapy experience?
The pathway is designed to build from foundational concepts toward more advanced clinical integration.
Participants will need to meet applicable educational, professional, and clinical eligibility requirements for their intended activities and credentialing pathway.
Will the program include hands-on training?
Yes. Experiential learning is central to Illuminate's approach.
Participants can expect opportunities to engage with play therapy materials, creative interventions, case examples, clinical demonstrations, and reflective learning activities.
Will individual workshops be available?
We are exploring opportunities for clinicians to attend selected workshops without enrolling in the complete cohort.
Details will be announced with the final training calendar.
Where will trainings take place?
The program is being developed in Western Colorado, with an emphasis on in-person experiential training and opportunities for additional learning and professional connection.
Final locations, dates, and delivery formats will be announced before enrollment.
When does the program begin?
We are planning our founding cohort for 2027.
Specific dates, tuition, enrollment requirements, and the application process will be announced as the program is finalized.
Your Journey Into Play Therapy Starts With Curiosity
You don't need to arrive knowing every theory.
You don't need a playroom filled with hundreds of toys.
You don't need to have your future specialty completely figured out.
You need curiosity.
A willingness to learn.
Respect for the children and families who will trust you with their stories.
An openness to feedback.
And a commitment to developing the knowledge, skills, and clinical judgment necessary to practice responsibly.
At Illuminate, we believe play therapy is both an art and a science.
We want to help clinicians understand both.
Learn the art. Understand the science. Experience the power of play.
Interested in the Founding 2027 Cohort?
We're gathering interest from clinicians who want to learn more about Illuminate's comprehensive play therapy training and supervision pathway.
Join our interest list to receive updates about program dates, curriculum, eligibility, tuition, and enrollment.
Illuminate Play Therapy Institute — Growing thoughtful, confident, connected play therapists.
Join the 2027 Interest List
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