What is play therapy?
Learn more about this treatment modality for children and what you will learn over the course of the 13-unit Play Therapy certificate program.
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Loma Linda University's Play Therapy Certificate is a fully online, 13-unit program designed for licensed behavioral health professionals and graduate students pursuing a licensable mental health degree. Grounded in theoretically based approaches to working with children and adolescents, the program covers child-centered play therapy, child-parent relationship therapy, and trauma-focused play therapy—equipping graduates to use play and expressive activities as meaningful tools for communication, problem-solving, and promoting well-being. The program is designed to meet the educational requirements of the Association for Play Therapy (APT) for those pursuing registration as a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), and can be completed in one year on a part-time basis entirely online.
🔔 Admissions and Program Requirements
- Applications for Fall 2026 are open! Apply by June 1, 2026.
- This program is open only to applicants residing within the United States.
📸 Program Snapshot
- 1-year (part-time), 13-unit, fully online program
- Covers child-centered play therapy, child-parent relationship therapy, and trauma-focused play therapy
- Designed to meet APT educational requirements for Registered Play Therapist (RPT) registration
- Open to licensed behavioral health professionals and graduate students pursuing qualifying licensure
- Classes held Mondays, 6–9 PM via synchronous online format
- Rooted in a Christian commitment to whole person care, compassion, and respect for all persons
Program Director
Dr. Danielle Clair
DMFT, LMFT-S, RPT
Director, School of Behavioral Health Resiliency Clinic
Director, Play Therapy Certificate Program
🔎 More About Our Online Play Therapy Certificate
Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed treatment approach that uses play and expressive activities as the primary language of therapy with children and adolescents. Rather than relying on verbal communication alone, play therapists meet young clients where they are, using the therapeutic relationship and the play environment to support emotional expression, problem-solving, and healing.
LLU's certificate program has trained play therapists for years through a curriculum spanning child-centered play therapy, child-parent relationship therapy, and trauma-focused play therapy. Graduates go on to work in clinical mental health settings, schools, community agencies, and private practice, serving children and families navigating a wide range of behavioral health challenges.
Student Story
The Play Therapy Certificate program at Loma Linda University helped me understand how to work with children and families. As an early childhood educator, I wanted to see how theories of play and play therapy intersected, and how play could support children going through difficult times in their lives. LLU's program enhanced my understanding of children, youth, and behavioral health, and how to guide young ones toward wholeness.
Applicants must:
- Hold or be actively pursuing a licensable mental health graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants already licensed must be in good standing with their licensing board; applicants currently enrolled in a qualifying program must be in good academic standing and have permission from their program to enroll.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from an academic source, professional peer, and/or work supervisor.
- Complete the LLU application form with official transcripts.
| Quarter | Application Opens | Application Closes | Term Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FALL 2026 | March 2, 2026 | June 1, 2026 | September 21, 2026 |
| SUMMER 2027 | February 1, 2027 | April 1, 2027 | June 21, 2027 |
| FALL 2027 | February 1, 2027 | May 1, 2027 | September 20, 2027 |
🗓️ Program Timeline
Most candidates enter the online Play Therapy Certificate program in Summer Quarter and complete at the end of Spring Quarter in the same academic year. This requires four consecutive quarters of full-time coursework. Students with unique scheduling needs may have some flexibility in this timeline.
Please Note: The curriculum of this program includes attendance during the summer term.
Sample Plan of Study
This sample plan of study is provided as a general guide to illustrate the typical sequence of courses for this program. Course offerings, sequencing, and scheduling are subject to change based on curricular revisions, faculty availability, and student progression. Students who take a Leave of Absence (LOA) should expect their program completion term to be extended. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor for individualized academic planning.
| Summer | Units | Fall | Units | Winter | Units | Spring | Units |
| PLTH 550 | 3 | PLTH 513 | 3 | PLTH 516 | 3 | PLTH 546 | 3 |
| RELE 510* | 1 | ||||||
| Total Quarter Units | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Total Year 1 Units: 14 units
*Please note that RELG 510 (1 unit) is required if any of the following applies:
- You are enrolled solely in the Play Therapy Certificate program.
- You are enrolled in the Play Therapy Certificate program alongside another Loma Linda University (LLU) program, and you will complete the certificate after completing your other LLU program. To waive this requirement, both programs must be completed simultaneously, or the certificate must be completed prior to your primary degree program.
- You are concurrently enrolled in a dual LLU program or an additional LLU degree or certificate program.
📜 Certification Information
Completion of the Play Therapy certificate coursework at Loma Linda University does not itself confer certification as a Registered Play Therapist. Graduates must apply to the Association for Play Therapy and fulfill all additional requirements independently.
🏅 Accreditation
The academic programs at Loma Linda University are regionally accredited by the WSCUC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges [WASC] Senior College and University Commission).
💼 Meet Your Instructors
Danielle L. Clair, DMFT, LMFT-S, RPT
Director, Play Therapy Certificate Program
Director, SBH Resiliency Clinic
Director, SBH Resiliency Clinic
Dr. Danielle L. Clair, DMFT, LMFT-S, RPT is a Doctor of Marital and Family Therapy (DMFT), a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and a Registered Play Therapist. She received both her Doctor of Marital and Family Therapy and Play Therapy Certificate from Loma Linda University (LLU). She is the Clinic Director at the LLU School of Behavioral Health Resiliency Clinic and the Program Director for the LLU Play Therapy Certificate Program. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor for LLU School of Behavioral Health, Division of Interdisciplinary Studies and teaches courses for the Play Therapy Certificate Program, Child Life Specialist MS, Marital and Family Therapy MS, and Counseling MS programs. Doing so has allowed Dr. Clair to continue to enhance upon the University's profound legacy of nourishing students' interest in learning how to therapeutically engage with young children, adolescents, and the whole family system. Dr. Clair is a current member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the Association for Play Therapy (A4PT), where she also served previously as President-Elect for the San Bernardino Chapter of the California Association for Play Therapy (CalAPT). She previously served on the Board of Directors of Saving Innocence, a distinguished organization premised upon the advocacy of child welfare and its overall mission to end child sex trafficking.
Felisha Cullum, LMFT, RPT-S
Instructor
Felisha Cullum, LMFT, RPT-S is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. She received graduate study in Play Therapy and her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Fox University. Her background equipped her to work with children and adolescents through the most developmentally appropriate treatment and their primary language: play. She is a Certificated Child Centered Play Therapy Practitioner with over ten years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and families. Felisha has worked as an instructor and supervisor for the Play Therapy Certificate program for the last seven years, teaching courses such as Trauma Focused Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, and Child Centered Play Therapy. She is an active member of the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Felisha has over four years of experience volunteering for the San Bernardino chapter of the California Association for Play Therapy (CalAPT), where she served as Secretary, President-Elect, and President. Felisha is passionate about furthering the field of Play Therapy through education and supervision. She is honored to contribute to the University's high levels of scholarship, professionalism, and spiritual well-being that promotes healthy families and communities.
Graduate Story
I am very thankful to have attended Loma Linda University's Play Therapy program. The various approaches to play therapy provided different skills and techniques that have been very helpful in my work with children and families. The role-playing exercises in the program were a useful way to simulate realistic responses.
The fully online Play Therapy Certificate offers a theoretically-based approach for working with children and adolescents presenting with a number of behavioral health issues.
The program is facilitated via synchronous format. Courses are offered once per academic term, and classes are held on Mondays from 6-9 PM.
Applicants must be a graduate with a licensable mental health degree from an accredited university. (Official transcripts are evidence of degrees and courses completed.) Individuals already licensed as a mental health professional must be in good standing with the relevant licensing board.
All School of Behavioral Health students applying for the Play Therapy Certificate program must complete a new Loma Linda University application and submit 3 new letters of recommendation. The LLU application and letters of recommendation used for your primary SBH program will not be used for consideration for admission into the Play Therapy Certificate program.
We enroll for admissions only twice per academic term (Summer and Fall seasons) and admissions to the preferred academic term of your choice is not guaranteed due to space limitations. Admissions may be deferred to the next subsequent term per open vacancies.
Please review our upcoming application cycle.
Four courses (13 units total) are offered in the Play Therapy Certificate program. Each course is 3 units and is offered once per academic term.
See a brief overview of our course schedule:
- Fall: PLTH 513 Introduction to Play Therapy
- Winter: PLTH 546 Child Parent Relationship Therapy and RELG 510 Service Learning*
- Spring: PLTH 516 Child Centered Play Therapy
- Summer: PLTH 550 Trauma Focused Play Therapy
*RELG 510 is a 1-unit course and is offered in the Winter term and is a requirement for non-SBH students.
The Play Therapy Program does not currently offer clinical supervision for support with hour accruement. Applicants are advised to seek clinical supervision with a Licensed Supervisor. Applicants seeking clinical supervision from a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) can access the Directory of Credentialed Play Therapists and Supervisors on the Association for Play Therapy website.
This program is open only to applicants residing within the United States.
State laws across the nation require universities to be authorized to legally deliver online education to students residing in states other than the home state of the institution.
As a prospective student, if you reside in a state not currently on our state authorization list, we suggest contacting your state’s department of education for more information.