Depth

• We provide in-depth theoretical and conceptual models of practice to guide work with clients presenting with a range of psychological issues and needs.
• We provide training in how to use art and play therapy in all stages of the therapeutic process including building and maintaining the therapeutic relationship, assessment and case formulation, therapeutic intervention, and therapy breaks and endings.
• We provide training in ethical and legal considerations of art and play therapy practice including documentation, legal proceedings, and expert testimony.
• All our training is guided by trauma-informed practice and a commitment to child protection principles.
• All our training is guided by culturally informed, client-centred practice which we achieve by applying the principles of critical reflective practice.
• We value and are guided by all three components of evidence-based practice:

2) clinical judgement and expertise

3) client values, culture and therapeutic preferences

• Our postgraduate certificate, diploma and masterclass elective levels of training include individual fortnightly clinical supervision.

Quality

• The Academy is an internationally accredited provider with CPD Standards Office (UK).
• Our training and supervision can be used for your annual CPD requirements with your clinical board/association.
• Our postgraduate certificate and diploma-level courses have been written in accordance with the standards associated with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• We only offer our training to qualified counselling clinicians, ensuring therapeutically safe, ethical client outcomes.
• We have an advisory committee made up of independent industry representatives who provide advice and recommendations to the Academy’s Director on any number of organisational and student matters that may arise while providing our services.
• We engage in regular systematic consultation with the counselling industry (clients, counselling clinicians, employers, funding bodies, and researchers) to ensure the Academy’s courses continue to meet industry needs.

Community

• We provide you with online and face-to-face opportunities to connect with like-minded colleagues around the world.
• We provide you with the option of participating in group supervision with other counselling clinicians completing our training.
• We provide you with the option of participating in a quarterly journal and book club where we meet to critically evaluate recent articles and books in the art and play therapy literature.
• We provide students of the postgraduate certificate, diploma and masterclass elective levels of training with exclusive access to the Academy’s private blog.
• We host optional periodic residential training programs, where you can meet with and learn from other counselling clinicians from around the world.

Centrality of place

• We acknowledge the centrality of place in teaching, learning, and practice.
• We recognise the importance of the lands we all live and work on and acknowledge the traditional and contemporary custodians of these lands, waterways, and communities.
• We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land the Academy conducts its services from in Sydney, Australia. We value their continuing connection to Country and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
• The Academy celebrates the diversity you all bring, and we look forward to learning more about you and the people, places and spaces you work with.

Eco sustainability

• For each workshop or course you enrol in, you receive a Welcome Starter Pack which uses boxes that are constructed from 99.9% recycled paper and are fully recyclable and compostable. All our additional packaging such as our mailers, tissue paper and labels are also compostable and biodegradable. Best of all, for each course you enrol in, a tree is planted through Ecologi ♻️🌱.