Special Considerations when Supervising Child Therapists

Description

Child therapists often carry the emotional weight of their young clients’ trauma, grief, and behavioral struggles—making burnout, self-doubt, and compassion fatigue common hazards in their work. Effective supervision must do more than monitor cases; it must actively nurture the therapist’s resilience, creativity, and clinical growth.

This course offers creative, effective tools to help clinical supervisors meet the needs of child therapists with intention, structure, and compassion.

Sarah Scott Dooling, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S, brings deep expertise to this training. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Sarah combines her real-world experience in schools and private practice with a talent for teaching graduate students and leading dynamic workshops that engage and inspire.

In this course, Sarah takes a hands-on, relational approach to supervision—one that blends creativity with practical structure. She emphasizes how playful, experiential methods can deepen reflection, boost morale, and help supervisees cultivate lasting self-care practices.

Topics covered include how to structure supervision sessions for child-focused clinicians, incorporate experiential activities, promote self-awareness through culture and identity exercises, and foster resilience through reflective rituals, compassion fatigue prevention, and personalized self-care planning.

Key Takeaways:

• Create impactful supervision sessions: Learn how to structure supervision with agendas, case presentations, and rituals tailored to the needs of child therapists.

• Support supervisee well-being: Gain tools to help supervisees process stress, remember their professional “why,” and build resilience against burnout.

• Use experiential supervision techniques: Explore playful, hands-on strategies that enhance learning, strengthen rapport, and reinforce core clinical skills.

Why this course?

• Specifically designed for child therapy supervision: This isn’t just another general supervision training—it focuses on the real needs of those supporting play therapists and child counselors.

• Led by a creative expert in the field: Instructor Sarah Dooling brings passion, innovation, and decades of relevant experience to your learning.

• Backed by a trusted CE provider: Telehealth Certification Institute is known for delivering high-quality, relevant continuing education that makes a difference in clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the value of clinical supervision in maximizing play therapists’ skills and experiences.

• Develop a personalized philosophy for clinical supervision to help guide play-focused session planning, energy, and interactions.

• Leverage play therapy tools, resources, and exercises to help supervisees develop self-care regimens that promote resiliency.

Refresh your supervisory toolkit with strategies that center both the therapist and the child.

Add this impactful training to your professional development today and begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Sarah Dooling, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S

Sarah Scott Dooling is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Play Therapist - Supervisor specializing in play therapy. Sarah teaches graduate-level classes at two San Diego universities, and facilitates creative, interactive professional development workshops for clinicians and educators. She is employed at Escondido Union School District and also works in private practice. 

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours: 

This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.

Play therapy credit available to mental health professionals & graduate students in a mental health program.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Play Therapists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC has been approved as a continuing education provider by the Association for Play Therapy: APT Approved Provider 21-633.  Per the Association for Play Therapy (APT), play therapy training may not be awarded to non-mental health professionals.  APT alone holds the right to accept or deny any continuing education training at its discretion. This course qualifies as 1 non-contact continuing education Play Therapy credit.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals: 

This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement