The National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE) and its parent organization IDEALS have been offering supervision and certification programs in Child-Centered Play Therapy and Filial Family Therapy since 1972. Under the leadership of Bernard Guerney, Jr., Ph.D., Louise Guerney, Ph.D., and William Nordling, Ph.D., these supervision and certification programs continue to promote the highest standards of excellence in clinical training.

The purpose of the supervisory and certification program in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) is skill-building. Through supervisory feedback, modeling, role-play, and goal setting, the supervisee builds knowledge and skills for more effectively dealing with the common situations, issues, and problems encountered throughout the basic stages of the play therapy process, as well as related activities such as intake, parent meetings, and termination of sessions.

Wherever you live, you may easily participate in any of NIRE's supervision and certification programs through Distance Supervision. Over the past 20 years over 90% of our supervision and certification program participants have made use of our long-distance phone supervision method. Indeed, even many participants local to a NIRE-approved supervisor have opted to utilize this method due to the educational benefits and convenience our phone supervision method provides.

Those participating in Distance Supervision mail a copy of a videotaped play therapy session to their NIRE- approved supervisor. Then, during a scheduled phone supervisory session, the supervisor provides immediate feedback as the supervisor and supervisee each watch the videotaped session in their own setting. This process allows the advantage of the supervisee getting to experience their original therapeutic responses, and then hearing how these responses could have been improved. Equally important, the process allows for the optimal context for discussion, practice, and goal setting for future sessions.

Live supervision is available to those local to NIRE's facilities or to a NIRE-approved supervisor elsewhere in the country. Participants local to NIRE may opt to participate in either individual supervision or on-going supervisory groups offered at NIRE. All participants in the supervision and certification program may also attend any of the regularly scheduled advanced/supervisory workshops offered by NIRE as a way of partially fulfilling certification requirements.

Applicants for the supervision and certification program in Child-Centered Play Therapy must have a graduate degree in a mental health field (or be enrolled in such a graduate program), and be legally eligible to provide therapeutic services under their state legal codes, either independently or under supervision. Applicants who are not qualified to provide therapeutic services independently must document their immediate supervisor's awareness of, and permission for, participating in a NIRE supervision or certification program.

Applicants for the supervision and certification program in Child-Centered Play Therapy must have completed 13 hours of NIRE training in Child-Centered Play Therapy (e.g., the basic workshop offered by NIRE), or its equivalent in college courses or training workshops offered elsewhere.

In general, a total of 26 hours of supervision are required for certification in Child-Centered Play Therapy. It is recommended, but not required, that the supervisee follow one case from start to finish, and during the supervision process enhance the learning experience with sessions from other cases as difficulties arise.

It should be noted that ultimately the awarding of certification is based on the participant reaching certain levels of skill mastery, not merely the completion of a certain number of hours. However, because of the educational and training prerequisites, over 95% of those who are accepted into our certification program complete it successfully within the 26-hour framework.

In calculating supervision hours, individual supervision hours are calculated on a 1 for 1 ratio; small group supervision hours are calculated on a 1 for 2 ratio; and credit for attendance at an advanced workshop is calculated at a 1 for 4 ratio. For example, a participant attending a 2-hour small group supervision session would receive credit for 1 hour of supervision; a participant attending a 13-hour advanced workshop would receive credit for 3.25 hours of supervision.

Please note that up to 50% of supervision hours may be acquired through small group supervision and/or through attendance at an advanced workshop; the remainder must be obtained through individual supervision by a NIRE-approved supervisor. Of course, you may choose to complete all supervisory requirements through individual supervision.

The hourly cost for supervision by an NIRE-approved supervisor is $75 for small group supervision and $75 for individual supervision. In the case of individual supervision, if you request a supervisor with specialized credentials (for example, an APT Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor) the fee for individual supervision is $95. All phone or postal costs associated with distance supervision are borne by the supervisee. NIRE offers a number of payment plans to make participation in its supervision and certification programs convenient and affordable.

To apply for acceptance into the supervision and certification program, please download and complete the Application for Supervision and Certification Program form and mail it together with an application fee of $75.00 to:

Robert Scuka, Ph.D.,
Co-Director of Certification Programs
NIRE, 4400 East-West Highway, Suite 28
Bethesda, MD 20814

If you have questions or would like additional information about NIRE's supervision and certification programs, please contact Robert Scuka, Ph.D. at (301) 986-1479.