Our Bulgarian and Turkish partners operate at this moments various child development/rehabilitation centres where they are now deploying Play Therapy. VET education in Play Therapy did not exist at all in these countries at the time of writing the project concept. Our project therefore aimed to develop an ECVET compliant Play Therapy training towards early child intervention. It therefore relied on best practices collected from Belgium and Portugal. By conducting the project, we filled this gap in the labour market, while enabling our partners to deploy Play therapy in their own countries on a VET level, whereby a 150 hour instruction course allows for a swift training of the target groups.
Play therapy is a method of therapy that uses play to uncover and deal with psychological issues. It can be used on its own, particularly with children, or along with other therapies and medications. Play therapy is a form of therapy used primarily for children. In 2021 Play Therapy was basically non-existent in Bulgaria and Türkiye, while the need for it is high, and there is need for practical training towards fast deployment of such therapies. Our project aimed therefore to develop an ECVET compliant Play Therapy training towards early child intervention. It therefore relied on best practices collected from Belgium and Portugal. To succeed, the trainees had to complete 150 hours of Play Therapy instruction. Target groups Play therapists therefore had to be well-trained in child development, attachment, and the use of play as a way to communicate with children. The play therapist also had to be trained in a recognized therapeutic approach, such as children-centred, cognitive-behavioural, Adlerian, or Gestalt therapy. In addition to having the appropriate educational background and relevant experience, the therapist had to be adequate in working on personal and family issues and make the connection with the parent(s).