EYFS Play Therapy & Therapeutic Interventions in Non-Clinical Settings Staff Training
EYFS Play Therapy Staff CPD Training Overview
Developmental Foundations & Neuroscience: Examining the developmental necessity of play, social-emotional lifespans, and neurological concepts, alongside the impact of adverse childhood experiences on brain architecture.
Therapeutic Modalities & Floor-Level Application: Translating specialised therapeutic frameworks—including Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, DBT, CBT, Emotion Coaching, and Brick Play—into safe, non-clinical early years and primary environments.
Sensory Tools, Expressive Arts & Mindfulness: Embedding sand tray play, therapeutic storytelling, journaling, and structured mindfulness to support emotional regulation while adhering to strict ethical boundaries.
Investment:
On-site: £750 full day or £450 half day.
Remote: £680 or £340 half day.
(If booking multiple training workshops, save using our Annual Plan)
Why EYFS Play Therapy Staff Training is Essential
While specialist clinical therapy is reserved for qualified practitioners, early years educators and school staff sit on the frontline of children's daily emotional lives. Young children naturally communicate complex feelings, anxieties, and trauma through play rather than abstract verbal dialogue. Expecting distressed or dysregulated children to articulate their internal worlds without non-clinical therapeutic tools often leads to unresolved frustration, behavioural misinterpretation, and missed opportunities for early intervention. This masterclass equips staff with a comprehensive, evidence-informed toolkit to safely integrate therapeutic play strategies, sensory interventions, and Emotion Coaching into their everyday settings. By understanding the neuroscience of play and respecting strict ethical boundaries, practitioners can foster emotional well-being, build resilience, and create deeply supportive learning environments.
Core Training Modules
- Play & Neuroscience Foundations
- Therapeutic Modalities & Coaching
- Expressive & Sensory Interventions
- Non-Clinical Application & Ethics
The EYFS Play Therapy Training CPD Course Breakdown
This comprehensive training masterclass provides an in-depth, unit-by-unit pathway that bridges theoretical neuroscience with practical, floor-level application across early years and primary settings. Units 1 to 3 establish the core foundation, exploring the vital role of play in cognitive, physical, and emotional development, the life stages of social-emotional growth, and the neurological impact of adverse childhood experiences on brain architecture. Staff learn to view play as a child's natural language, gaining the insight needed to recognize emotional distress and support healthy brain development.
Units 4 to 6 focus on therapeutic frameworks and relational coaching models. Participants explore key tenets of Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), learning how to safely adapt non-clinical elements into schools and nursery rooms while strictly upholding ethical boundaries. Staff master the four core steps of Emotion Coaching, discovering how to validate intense feelings, set clear behavioral boundaries, and guide children toward constructive problem-solving during moments of dysregulation.
Finally, Units 7 to 10 deliver hands-on, expressive intervention schemes for daily practice. Practitioners learn to facilitate structured Brick Play (Lego Therapy) groups to build social communication, utilize therapeutic storytelling to process fears, and embed sand tray and sensory play for somatic emotional release. The course concludes with practical mindfulness, journaling, and self-evaluation techniques, empowering staff to build sustainable, reflective therapeutic provision across their settings.
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