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Faculty

The staff team, led by Monika Jephcott, is drawn from an International pool of professional psychological and play therapies educators which has been assembled over many years.

Teaching staff are not only well-qualified and undertake research activities, but are also passionate and inspiring so that you become the future professionals who will change children’s lives.

All members of the APAC faculty that teach the Post Graduate Certificate and Diploma, and MA tutors for UK, are Associate Tutors or Chichester University, UK.

In Ireland the faculty works as part of the accrediting university University College of Cork.

All International tutors are accredited within their own countries and PTI.

All teaching staff are members of PTI/PTUK and are on the PTUK Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapies website.

Senior Leadership Team

Chief Executive, APAC

Monika Jephcott

- Founding member of Play Therapy UK (PTUK)
- 2001 PTI Award from contributions to the field of Play Therapy, CE and founder of APAC
- Programme Director
- Clinical Director for APAC
- Chief Executive APAC, PTUK
- Elected President PTI
- Consultant for Clinical Supervision and Play Therapy practice
Course Director

Sophia O'Neill, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Post-Graduate Masters in Practice-Based Play Therapy
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•BSc Psychology
•LBU associate lecturer
•PTUK Research Writer

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Baby Bonding & Toddler Bonding trainer and practitioner
•Expertise working with families.

Learning & Development Manager

Rochelle Rajan, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Learning & Development Manager
•Course director for UK / International
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Senior Certified Clinical Supervisor
•MA in Practice based Play Therapy
•Diploma in integrative Counselling (MBACP)
•Mental health First Aider

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•15+ years of experience in working with SEN children
•Working with Attachment and Trauma
•Leading and Management of Community based Mental health and Wellbeing projects
•Experience in Leading children’s Mental Health services in school
•Setting up school-based Play Therapy provisions
•Equality and Diversity in Play Therapy setting
•MA work-based learning and research
•Mindfulness training

Learning and Development

Course Development/ Quality Assurance Lead

Amber Cawley

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Development
•Course Director UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certificate Clinical Supervisor
•BA (Hons) Primary Education

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Teacher of children with moderate to severe learning difficulties in a range of mainstream and specialist settings
•Specialist experience of working therapeutically with children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties and children and young people permanently excluded from mainstream education
•Experience of working therapeutically with fostered children and children at risk of criminalisation

Student Disability Officer/ Interviewer

Natasha Conn. MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director UK
•Student Disability Officer/ Interviewer
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Certified Filial Play Coach

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA Practice-based Play Therapy

Overseas & Placements Lead

Sabrina Persiano

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Overseas & Placements Lead
•Course Director UK and overseas
•Bachelor of Psychology and Communications
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Baby Bonding and Toddler Bonding Practitioner
•Trainee Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist (DDP)

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA in Practice based Play Therapy
•Over 20 years’ experience working with Autism and challenging behaviours
•Running an independent therapy practice in Malta and UK in the last 15 years
•Specialising in Attachment and Parenting
•Sandplay
•Member of the DDP Research Committee

Course Directors For The Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy

Course Director, UK & Ireland

Janette Casey

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Ireland
•Course Director Irleand
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•MSc Human Resource and Industrial Relations

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Child, Adolescent, Adult Psychotherapist & Counsellor (MIACP)
•Positive Behaviour Therapist
•Group Therapy Facilitator
•Laughter Yoga Leader Trainer

Course Director, UK

Amber Cawley

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Director UK
•Course Development/ Quality Assurance Lead
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certificate Clinical Supervisor
•BA (Hons) Primary Education

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Teacher of children with moderate to severe learning difficulties in a range of mainstream and specialist settings
•Specialist experience of working therapeutically with children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties and children and young people permanently excluded from mainstream education
•Experience of working therapeutically with fostered children and children at risk of criminalisation

Course Director, UK & International

Rochelle Rajan, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course director for UK / International
•Learning & Development Manager
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Senior Certified Clinical Supervisor
•MA in Practice based Play Therapy
•Diploma in integrative Counselling (MBACP)
•Mental health First Aider

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•15+ years of experience in working with SEN children
•Working with Attachment and Trauma
•Leading and Management of Community based Mental health and Wellbeing projects
•Experience in Leading children’s Mental Health services in school
•Setting up school-based Play Therapy provisions
•Equality and Diversity in Play Therapy setting
•MA work-based learning and research
•Mindfulness training

Course Director, UK

Jessica Van Maanen, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director UK
•MA Practice-Based Play Therapy
•BA (Hons) Psychology and Health Studies
•BA (Hons) Research with Children and Young People
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Certified Creative Arts Counsellor for Children and Young People
•Certified Filial Play Coach

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Intermediate Systemic Family Therapy
•Experience with mainstream and special needs education settings providing Play Therapy.
•Therapy services life story work for fostering and adoption agencies for looked after children and foster carers.

Course Directors for the Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills Course Directors

Course Director, UK

Liz Butler

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Creative Clinical Supervisor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Therapeutic Life Story Work
•30 years of experience of teaching primary and adult education.

Course Director, UK & Ireland

Janette Casey

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Ireland
•Course Director Irleand
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•MSc Human Resource and Industrial Relations

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Child, Adolescent, Adult Psychotherapist & Counsellor (MIACP)
•Positive Behaviour Therapist
•Group Therapy Facilitator
•Laughter Yoga Leader Trainer

Course Director, UK

Amber Cawley

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Director UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certificate Clinical Supervisor
•BA (Hons) Primary Education

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Teacher of children with moderate to severe learning difficulties in a range of mainstream and specialist settings
•Specialist experience of working therapeutically with children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties and children and young people permanently excluded from mainstream education
•Experience of working therapeutically with fostered children and children at risk of criminalisation

Course Director UK & Student Disability Officer/ Interviewer

Natasha Conn. MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director UK
•Student Disability Officer/ Interviewer
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Certified Filial Play Coach

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA Practice-based Play Therapy

Course Director, UK

Lauren Lamberton

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•CPD & Conference Lead
•Course Director UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Trainee Clinical Supervisor
•Certified Creative Arts Counsellor for Children and Young People
•MRes Social Research Methods
•Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Social Care Management
•PHD Candidate, Social Work

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Specialising in children’s mental health and research

Course Director, UK

Rachel Morse

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Director, UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Therapeutic life story work
•Experience and had training in attachment and trauma including developmental trauma and working with looked after children.
•Personal trainer specialising with ante and post-natal mothers.

Course Director, UK

Lisa Mulheir, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Director UK
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•BEd (Hons) Education and Primary Arts – English
•MA Practice-Based Play Therapy

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Mainstream primary school teacher for over 10 years
•Over 15 years' experience of working as a local authority advisory teacher and play therapist with children who had been excluded or displayed complex and challenging behaviours.
•'Teacher In Charge' of a behaviour resource for one year.
•Experience of working as a local authority advisory teacher with children in the care system and adopted children.
•Experience of working as an advisory teacher on a Travellers site
•I set up and ran a play therapy provision for a multi academy trust for 3 years.
•I have experience of setting up a play therapy room and working within a complex trauma children's home
•Currently self-employed and provide play therapy, supervision and training from my own play therapy room.
•I am an approved provider for therapeutic services for the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) for three local authorities.

Course Director, UK & Overseas & Placements Lead

Sabrina Persiano

Specialist Areas of Expertise
•Course Director UK and overseas
•Placements Lead
•Bachelor of Psychology and Communications
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Baby Bonding and Toddler Bonding Practitioner
•Trainee Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist (DDP)

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA in Practice based Play Therapy
•Over 20 years’ experience working with Autism and challenging behaviours
•Running an independent therapy practice in Malta and UK in the last 15 years
•Specialising in Attachment and Parenting
•Sandplay
•Member of the DDP Research Committee

Chief Executive for Play Therapy UK & India

Rochelle Rajan, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course director for UK / International
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Senior Certified Clinical Supervisor
•MA in Practice based Play Therapy
•Diploma in integrative Counselling (MBACP)
•Mental health First Aider

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•15+ years of experience in working with SEN children
•Working with Attachment and Trauma
•Leading and Management of Community based Mental health and Wellbeing projects
•Experience in Leading children’s Mental Health services in school
•Setting up school-based Play Therapy provisions
•Equality and Diversity in Play Therapy setting
•MA work-based learning and research
•Mindfulness training

Assistant Course Directors For The Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills Course

Assistant Course Director of Play Therapy Hong Kong

Athen Chung Nga Fan

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Assistant Course Director, Hong Kong
•Certified Play and Creative Arts Therapist
•Certified Supervisor
Assistant Course Director of Play Therapy Dubai

Gemma Hookins, M.A

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Assistant Course Director, Dubai, UAE.
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Qualified EYFS Teacher
•Certified NLP practitioner

Specialism/Area of Expertise
•Master of Arts Degree Holder.
•Play therapy for clients between ages 3 & 12.
•PTSD and trauma focused Play therapy.
•Special needs and Autism specialist.

Assistant Course Director

Alanna Kearney

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Assistant Course Director
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Supervisor for play and creative arts therapists
•Level 1 Theraplay trained

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Complex trauma, emotional dysregulation, anger, behavioural, emotional and social difficulties/issues. Worries and boundaries.

Assistant Course Director

Mayumi Komuro, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
• Assistant Course Director
• Certified Play Therapist
• Trainee Supervisor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
• Master of Fine Arts (U.S.A.)
• Certified Public Psychologist (Japan)

Chief Executive & Course Director of Play Therapy Malaysia

Madeleine Yong

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Assistant Course Director
•Clinical Supervisor (trainee)
•Registered Play Therapist
•Registered SandStory Therapist
•Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, USA
•Founder of P.S The Children, Malaysia
•Co-Founder of Power of Play
•Early Childhood Education
•EMDR level 2 EMDRAA

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy, UK (in progress)
•Worked in high risks communities, schools, government, corporations, local and international NGO networks.
•Working with children with complex trauma/developmental trauma, grief, anxiety and ADHD.
•Over 20 years of child protection experience specialising in advocacy, prevention and treatment of sexually abused children and commercial sexual exploited children.
•Co-creator, trainer and facilitator of the personal safety program for children
•Co-creator and therapist of the emotional regulation program for children and adults

Assistant Course Directors For The Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy

Assistant Course Director,

Tsz Hei Henry Fung

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Trainee Clinical Supervisor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Parent Education

Chief Executive & Course Director Of Play Therapy Croatia

Ivanka Gregurincic, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Croatia
•Course Director Croatia
•Certified Play Therapist
•Trainee Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•Sand Play Skills Trainee
•Master of Social Pedagogy
•Master of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
•Board Member of Croatian Chamber of Social Pedagogue

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Specialist for play therapy in hospitals
•Specialist for working with children in crisis of earthquake and war

Assistant Course Director, Hong Kong

Oi Kwan Ng Pandora, PHD

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director Hong Kong
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•PhD
•MSocSc Behavioural Health
•BSocSc Psychology
•Honorary lecturer for HKU (play therapy & children assessments)
•Clinical supervisor for play therapists & expressive arts therapists
•Member of Hong Kong Psychological Society
Assistant Course Director, South Africa

Rene Olhoff, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director South Africa
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Post Graduate Certificate in Education
•BSc (Hons) Psychology

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA Practice-Based Play Therapy
•Attachment and Research
•Working with adoption agencies to help people before they adopt.

PTIrl Course Directors For The Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy & Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills Course

Course Director

Michelle Bux

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director,
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor to play and creative arts Therapist’s.
•Social Care Leader, specializing in parenting support.
Chief Executive & Course Director Play Therapy Ireland

Janette Casey

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Ireland
•Course Director Irleand
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•MSc Human Resource and Industrial Relations

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Child, Adolescent, Adult Psychotherapist & Counsellor (MIACP)
•Positive Behaviour Therapist
•Group Therapy Facilitator
•Laughter Yoga Leader Trainer

Course Director, Ireland & UK

Aoife Kelly, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director Ireland &UK

•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Working with children with ASD, bereavement and medical experiences
•MA Practice-based Play Therapy

Play Therapy International Course Directors

Chief Executive, Play Therapy Poland & Course Director, UK and Poland

Nina Ambroziak

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Supervisor of Play & Creative Arts Therapies
•Psychologist
•Sensory Integration Therapist
•Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychological Diagnosis of Child and Family
•Post Graduate Diploma in Sociotherapy with Children and Youth
•Member of Polish Psychological Association
•Member of American Psychological Association
•Member of Polish Association of Sensory Integration
•President and Founder of Play Therapy for Poland Foundation

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Specialist experience working with Deaf children, children with mental and speech delay
•Specialist for working with children in refugee crisis
•Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations

Chief Executive of & Course Director Play Therapy Indonesia

Alice Arianto, PHD

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor (PTUK Senior Status)
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, PSP, USA
•Certified StoryPlay, Facilitator StoryPlay
•Certified Group Psychotherapy, USA
•Certified Child & Adolescence Trauma Professional
•Certified Advanced Telehealth, USA
•Director CAE Indonesia
•President of PTBI (Association of Play Therapy Indonesia)
•Member of AGPA (American Group Psychotherapy Association)
•Researcher, develop PCPM Model (Parent-Child Parallel Intervention Model)
Chief Executive & Course Director Play Therapy Greece

Nellie Boukavala, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•MA Chemical Engineering
•PG Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling
Course Director of Play Therapy Malaysia

Lay Har Chua

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Malaysia
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Talks: Child Development, Intervention and Play Therapy
•Advocates for children
•Malaysia Child Protection Intervention Training
•Private practice: Play therapy [children]; Integrative approach [Adolescents & adults]

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Trauma & Young children.
•Consultant: Assessment, Intervention and Play Therapy

Chief Executive & Course Director Of Play Therapy Croatia

Ivanka Gregurincic, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive of Play Therapy Croatia
•Course Director Croatia
•Certified Play Therapist
•Trainee Clinical Supervisor
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•Sand Play Skills Trainee
•Master of Social Pedagogy
•Master of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
•Board Member of Croatian Chamber of Social Pedagogue

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Specialist for play therapy in hospitals
•Specialist for working with children in crisis of earthquake and war

Assistant Course Director,

Tsz Hei Henry Fung

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Trainee Clinical Supervisor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Parent Education

International Course Director

Wonhee Kang, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Director, “Arts Plus” Therapeutic Camps
•International Accredited Trainer, HeartMath*
•International Accredited Trainer, Enneagram
•International Accredited Trainer, Choice & Reality Therapy
•Member of Expressive Arts Therapist, International
•Doctorate in Arts & Theology, USA
•Founder of TheraHarmony*
•Board Chair (Greater Washington), International Enneagram Association, USA
•Researcher, Unity in Diversity, Innovative Therapeutic Tools for Young People

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy, UK
•Specialized young people in therapeutic residential & education
•Experiences in therapeutic camps
•Archetypes Studies Enneagram
•Creating new therapeutic tools
•Consultant for creative arts therapy
•Young people in disabilities

International Course Director

Wailee Kui

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director for France/Madagascar/Myanmar/Thailand
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Certified Creative Arts Counsellor for Children and Young People
•Certified Filial Play Coach
•Floor time/DIR Practitioner
•MSc Development Economics

Specialism/ Area of Expertise:
•Baby Bonding Practitioner

Chief Executive & Course Director of Play Therapy Singapore

Marina Lim

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Chief Executive Singapore
•Singapore Play Therapy Course Director
•Certified Play Therapist
•Provisional Clinical Supervisor
•Provisional Filial Play Coach
•Part-time Lecturer of National Institute of Education in Play Therapy
•Director of Creative Play Lab Pte Ltd offering Play Therapy services, placement and supervision

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Speaker and Consultant to schools, local organisations and centres, in Play Therapy and Play-based Group Work, with preschoolers to Third Age population
•Master in Education, worked with atypical and typical preschoolers to adolescents for more than 30 years

Assistant Course Director, Hong Kong

Oi Kwan Ng Pandora, PHD

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director Hong Kong
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•PhD
•MSocSc Behavioural Health
•BSocSc Psychology
•Honorary lecturer for HKU (play therapy & children assessments)
•Clinical supervisor for play therapists & expressive arts therapists
•Member of Hong Kong Psychological Society
Assistant Course Director, South Africa

Rene Olhoff, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director South Africa
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor
•Post Graduate Certificate in Education
•BSc (Hons) Psychology

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA Practice-Based Play Therapy
•Attachment and Research
•Working with adoption agencies to help people before they adopt.

Chief Executive & Course Director of Play Therapy China

Lai Man Julia Shum

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director China
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor (PTI Senior Status)
•Doctor of Education
Assistant Course Director, Australia

May Kai Chi Yeung, MA

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Assistant Course Director, Australia
•Accredited Play Therapist
•Certified Landplay Therapist
•Certified Experiential Learning Trainer
•Certified Baby Signing Time Instructor
•Social Emotional Learning Trainer and K-12 Educator
•Lead Trainer for Play-Therapeutic Parenting
•Corporate Lead Trainer for Metocha Neuroscience Leadership
•Designer and Patent Holder of Motion Emotions Board Game that received a $1 million BUD grant from the Hong Kong SAR government

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•MA Play Therapy
•PgD Play Therapy,
•PgC Play Therapy
•Play Therapy for clients ages 3-72
•Social Emotional Learning
•Play-Therapeutic Parenting

Course Director of Play Therapy Greece

Katerina Tismila

Specialist Areas of Expertise:
•Course Director of Play Therapy Greece
•Certified Play Therapist
•Certified Clinical Supervisor for Play & Creative Arts Therapists
•Trainee Filial Play Coach
•Certified Level One in Theraplay
•Certified Parent group instructor

Specialism/Area of Expertise:
•Couple Therapist (Emotionally focused therapy)
•Person Centered Counsellor (MSc)