Training

The Healing Power of Play

The foundation of everything we do — for more than 25 years

Play is the young child's language and toys are their words. Play helps children make sense of their world, express their feelings, learn new skills, and heal after traumatic events. Play Therapy is the foundation of our work at Center for Child Counseling — underlying all the interventions we use to help children and teens work through trauma, loss, grief, and other circumstances that impact mental health and well-being.

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The Child's Language

Play is how children communicate, process emotion, and make sense of their experiences — especially when words aren't enough.

Evidence-Based Practice

Grounded in decades of research showing that play expands self-expression, emotional regulation, creative thinking, and healing.

APT Approved Training

Center for Child Counseling is an approved provider of Play Therapy Continuing Education through the Association for Play Therapy.

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Toys are the young child's words and play is their language. When we meet children in that language — with warmth, attunement, and respect — we don't just help them heal. We help them show us who they are, what they've experienced, and what they need to thrive. Play is not a nice-to-have. It is the foundation of everything we do.

Renée Layman

President & CEO, Center for Child Counseling

Ways to Play

Explore our curated collection of play-based activities, strategies, and resources designed to help parents, caregivers, and educators bring the power of play into everyday moments with children.

Explore Ways to Play →

25+ Years of Play Expertise

Our Play Therapy Experts

Our play therapy expertise traces back to our founding more than 25 years ago. Today, our trainers and clinical leaders are among the most credentialed play therapy professionals in the region — bringing deep expertise to every workshop, supervision session, and consultation.

Our Founder

Jane Robinson

Founder, Center for Child Counseling

Jane Robinson founded Center for Child Counseling more than 25 years ago with a vision rooted in the power of play. She spent over two decades in local childcare centers using play with young children — building the philosophy and practice that continues to define our organization's approach to healing, connection, and child development today.

🏆 Viola Brody Award — Florida Association for Play Therapy, 2024

Dominika Nolan

MS, LMHC, QS, RPT-S™, NCC, CCMHC, LPHA, IMH-E®
EMDR Certified Therapist

Oversees all training programs at Center for Child Counseling, bringing advanced expertise in play therapy, infant mental health, and trauma-informed clinical practice.

Stephanie De La Cruz

LMHC, RPT-S™
PCIT Certified Therapist & Trainer

Provides clinical supervision for student and registered interns. A Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor and certified PCIT therapist and trainer.

Darla Mullenix

LMHC, NCC, QS, RPT™

Leads our Early Childhood Social-Emotional Supports Program, integrating play-based approaches with young children in community settings across Palm Beach County.

Meet All of Our Experts on BeKidSafe.org →

The Foundation of Our Work

What Is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is defined by the Association for Play Therapy as the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained Play Therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.

Using the Child's Language

A wealth of research shows that play expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization, and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress, connects us to people in positive ways, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, and regulates our emotions.

Play allows children to practice skills and roles needed for development. Learning and development are best fostered through play — and when a child has experienced trauma, loss, or overwhelming stress, play becomes the pathway to healing.

At Center for Child Counseling, Play Therapy underlies all the interventions we use to help children and teens work through trauma, loss, grief, and other circumstances that impact mental health and well-being. Our therapists are trained in child-centered, directive, and integrative play therapy approaches — meeting each child where they are developmentally.

How Play Therapy Helps

Through the therapeutic relationship and carefully facilitated play, children learn to communicate, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and build healthier ways of relating to others. Play provides a safe psychological distance from their problems and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to their development.

The Research Shows

Self-Expression — Play expands children's capacity to communicate thoughts and feelings they cannot yet put into words.

Emotional Regulation — Play relieves stress and helps children develop the ability to manage overwhelming emotions.

Creative Thinking — Through play, children explore new possibilities, practice problem-solving, and build cognitive flexibility.

Healing from Trauma — Play therapy allows children to process traumatic experiences at their own pace, in their own language.

Relationship Building — The therapeutic relationship formed in play therapy provides a corrective emotional experience necessary for healing.

In-Person & Live Training

World-Class Expertise, Right Here

We bring nationally and internationally recognized play therapy experts to Palm Beach County — providing live, hands-on training for our staff, community therapists, and organizations that work with children, teens, and families.

Ann Beckley-Forest

LCSW, RPT-S™

Trauma expert and Certified EMDR Therapist specializing in integrative approaches to healing with children and families.

Dr. Eliana Gil

Ph.D., LMFT, RPT-S™, ATR

Internationally recognized play therapy pioneer, author of The Healing Power of Play, and former President of APT.

Paris Goodyear-Brown

LCSW, RPT-S™

Creator of TraumaPlay™, founder and Clinical Director of Nurture House, and Executive Director of TraumaPlay™.

Live Play Therapy Workshops

Our live, in-person workshops offer hands-on experiences that enhance the learning process. Participants leave with skills and strategies they can immediately implement into practice. Early bird and student discounts are available for select workshops.

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Learn & Grow

Workshops & Online Learning

Access play therapy training through our online learning platform, BeKidSafe.org — with self-paced, on-demand workshops available 24/7 for mental health professionals.

Play Therapy on BeKidSafe.org

Our dedicated Professionals tab on BeKidSafe.org provides access to all clinical workshops, including our full library of Play Therapy continuing education courses — approved through the Association for Play Therapy.

✓ APT-approved continuing education credits
✓ Self-paced, on-demand — 24/7 access
✓ Play therapy with families, groups, and individuals
✓ Trauma-focused play therapy approaches
✓ 30-day access after registration

Browse Professional Workshops →

Watch: Overview of Play Therapy

Learn about the foundations of play therapy and how it is used at Center for Child Counseling to help children heal.

Recognized Excellence

Our Credentials

Our staff and trainers are credentialed, well-trained, and have access to the most recent research and interventions in play.

Approved Provider

#09-263

Play Therapy Continuing Education

Center for Child Counseling is an approved provider of Play Therapy Continuing Education through the Association for Play Therapy, which has developed the policies, standards, and credentialing for the practice of Play Therapy.

From child-centered and directive play therapy to trauma-focused approaches and family play therapy — our workshops are designed to deepen clinical skill and transform how professionals show up for the children they serve.

APT Provider