Play Therapist

Company Description

The Family Enhancement Centre is a full-service counselling, coaching, and training centre dedicated to supporting individuals and families through comprehensive therapeutic services. Our mission is to foster positive growth and well-being within the community by providing expert care and innovative programs.

Job Summary

We are seeking a compassionate and dedicated Play Therapist to join our multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in working with children, with experience in therapeutic play techniques that facilitate emotional and psychological healing. As a Play Therapist, you will develop and implement tailored play-based interventions, support children’s mental health needs, and collaborate closely with families and healthcare professionals to promote holistic patient care.

The Play Therapist reports to the Manager, Clinical Services and People Development and is responsible for providing ethical, client-centered psychotherapy and counselling services within their professional scope of practice. We offer services that foster hope, resilience, and meaningful life outcomes through collaboration, professional excellence, and client-centered care.

Role Description

• Provide individual play therapy and psychotherapy to children & youth as well as family sessions when required
• Conduct intake, assessment, risk screening, treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and treatment planning within professional scope of practice.
• Establish developmentally appropriate therapeutic goals in collaboration with clients and caregivers.
• Use evidence-informed play-based, expressive, attachment-focused, and trauma-informed interventions appropriate to each client’s needs.
• Create and maintain a physically and emotionally safe therapeutic play environment, including the appropriate selection, organization, and care of therapeutic materials.
• Observe and document themes, behaviours, strengths, needs, and progress
• Provide caregivers with clinically appropriate consultation, psychoeducation, and strategies that support the child’s treatment goals and confidentiality needs.
• Maintain clear professional boundaries and obtain informed consent and assent, as applicable.
• Respond appropriately to risk, safety concerns, disclosures, and urgent situations in accordance with legislation and agency policies.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and timely clinical records, including assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, consultations, and discharge summaries.
• Collaborate with clinical therapists, schools, physicians, and community providers with appropriate consent when applicable.
• Participate in clinical supervision or consultation, staff meetings, professional development, and program development initiatives.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant legislation, professional standards, ethical requirements, and agency policies and procedures.
• Complete outcome measures, administrative tasks, and service tracking requirements as assigned.
• Other duties as required.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of clinical experience providing mental health services to children, youth, and families.
• Demonstrated education, training, and supervised experience in play therapy or therapeutic play-based interventions.
• Strong knowledge of child and adolescent development, attachment, trauma, emotional regulation, family systems, and common childhood mental health concerns.
• Ability to build therapeutic rapport with children and communicate effectively with caregivers and collateral professionals.
• Experience completing clinical assessments, treatment plans, risk assessments, progress notes, and discharge planning.
• Knowledge of confidentiality, informed consent and assent, privacy legislation, professional boundaries, duty to report, and trauma-informed practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational, documentation, critical-thinking, and follow-up skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Excellent time management skills related to scheduling, caseload management, documentation, and clinical follow-up.
• Ability to provide virtual and in-person services, as required.
• Additional language skills are considered an asset.

Educational Requirements and Credentials:

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychotherapy, Psychology, or a related clinical mental health field.
• Current registration and good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), or another applicable regulatory college authorized to provide psychotherapy.
• Formal play therapy training from a recognized program; certification or credentialing through a recognized play therapy association is preferred
• Professional liability insurance appropriate to the role and regulatory requirements.
• Clear Vulnerable Sector Check.

Join our team as we empower children through innovative play therapy techniques that foster resilience, healing, and growth!

The Family Enhancement Centre is an equal opportunity employer. We are situated in a multi-cultural neighbourhood and are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce who will work together to create & sustain a vibrant, healthy, safe and caring community.

The Family Enhancement Centre welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), The Family Enhancement Centre Team will provide accommodation, accessible formats and communication supports for the interview upon request.

Please include the title of the position in the subject line.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.