Play Therapy Training UK Summer School

Fully accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills (Stage I) & Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy (Stage II)

We’re thrilled to announce that our 2026 APAC Summer School will take place in the beautiful Berkshire countryside, UK.

Join our Postgraduate Play Therapy training programme and dive into 15 inspiring days of face-to-face learning, creative practice, and professional development — with two half-days to recharge. After the training block, you will complete 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, taking you confidently towards graduation.

Our Postgraduate Summer School combines theory, experiential learning, and supervised skills development—supporting your journey to becoming a confident, creative Play Therapist in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Both the Certificate and Diploma programmes are fully accredited and delivered in partnership with the University of Chichester. Completing either course meets the professional standards required for registration with Play Therapy UK, whose Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

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Training Dates & Venue

Training Dates: 26/07/2026 – 09/08/2026 – Applications close 26/06/26

Venue: Moor Hall, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 9QH

Certificate Course Fees

University of Chichester Certificate Courses: Summer School (UK)

Total payable:

£4,360.00 / €5,045.00

Payment Schedule

One week post-application

£200.00 / €250.00 deposit (non-refundable; counts toward course fees)

10 weeks before course starts (course fees must be paid in full)

£4,160.00 / €4,795.00

Includes:

- Course fees
- Digital Healing Path book (£15/€20)
- University registration fee (£370/€460)
- PTUK membership fee (£60/€70)*

* Please note: The membership fee will be issued as a separate invoice.

Diploma Course Fees

University of Chichester Diploma Courses: Summer School (UK)

Total payable:

£4,390.00 / €5,060.00

Payment Schedule

One week post-application

£300.00 / €400.00 deposit (non-refundable; counts toward course fees)

10 weeks before course starts

£4,090.00 / €4,660.00

Includes:

- Course fees
- University registration fee (£370/€460)

Notes & Additional Costs

Your membership fee of £60 will need to be paid in full to Play Therapy UK – please click here for information on grades and fees
£250 – £450 to build your Play Kit
We would also recommend factoring in your supervision costs with a PTUK Supervisor which you will require whilst undertaking your placement. These charges would be payable directly to the Supervisor and do vary, however if you work on the basis of between £40 and £50 per hour, this should give you a reasonable estimate. You will require around 20 hours of supervision over the course of your placement.
Registration with the Information Commissioners Office – please see the ICO website for further details
Enhanced DBS/ Access NI/ Garda Vetting/ Scottish PVG Check under the role of Trainee Play Therapist or Play Therapist – please email contact@apac.org.uk for information on the associated fees
The University Registration Fee covers registration with Chichester University for this course as a part of the MA in Practise Based Play Therapy programme. There will be additional University Registration Fees if you subsequently proceed to the Diploma and MA stages.
Course fees are not inclusive of accommodation or travel.

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Start Your Journey

The Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills course is the first part of the programme leading to an MA in Practice Based Play Therapy. This course may also be undertaken as a ‘stand alone’ course. On completion, it allows you to practice as a Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills. The purpose of this course is to enable participants to practice safely and effectively using therapeutic play skills in a variety of settings to provide emotional support to individual children with slight to moderate problems.

Next Steps

After completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills with APAC, there are various opportunities to progress to the next stage of professional training by enrolling on the Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy.

Another option is the Post qualifying Certificate in Filial Play Coaching – This course equips Practitioners to support parents or carers in facilitating play-based therapeutic engagement with their own children. Enabling them to extend their practice to working with parents, carers and families as well as children.

The PG Diploma

The Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy follows on from the Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills (Stage I) material and builds upon the theory and practice of humanistic psychology, particularly that of Virginia Axline (“Dibs In Search of Self”) and Carl Rogers and gestalt Play Therapy developed by Violet Oaklander.

The course is experiential in nature and will be specifically rooted in non-directive Play Therapy whilst looking at working with the conscious/unconscious and non-directive/directive in response to the client’s process.

Becoming A Play Therapist

Successful completion of the Diploma leads to eligibility for certification as a Certified Play Therapist with Play Therapy UK (PTUK), enabling them to work with individuals and groups of children who have moderate to severe problems. The course also teaches students how to deal with more difficult problems and using the Play Therapy Dimensions Model (PTDM) as an assessment tool.

The next steps would be:

MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy (Stage III)
Post Qualifying Certificate Courses