So, You Want to Be a Play Therapist in South Africa?

Play is a child’s natural language—but in South Africa, “play therapist” isn’t a legal registration. To work therapeutically with children you must first register in a base profession (Social Work, Psychology, or Counselling), then add specialised play-based training with robust supervision and ethics. Pathways include SACSSP, HPCSA or ASCHP routes; UP currently offers the MSW (Play-Based Intervention) as the only dedicated postgraduate option.