Most commonly reported Work Activities

•   Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
•   Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
•   Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
•   Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
•   Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
•   Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
•   Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
•   Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
•   Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
•   Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Working Life

Play Therapist's help children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. As young children cannot process and communicate their own emotions in the same way as adults the Play Therapist communicates with the child through play.

The conditions a play therapist will help a child with include anxiety, anxiety, and depression. Often, they will work with children going through difficult periods in their life, such as family breakdown or loss.

The goal is that as they spend time together the child will develop thrust and become less guarded around the therapist, allowing the therapist to help the child process their emotions.

A related role is Play Specialist, they help children who have been hospitalised, providing them a means of understanding and coping with the treatment they are undertaking.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
• Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
• Plan, organise, direct, and participate in treatment programmes and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems.
• Observe, analyse, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programmes as needed.
• Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programmes.
• Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
• Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
• Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.
• Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
• Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

 Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

 Linguistic

The Linguistic's interests are usually focused on ideas and information exchange. They tend to like reading a lot, and enjoy discussion about what has been said. Some will want to write about their own ideas and may follow a path towards journalism, story writing or editing. Others will develop skills in other languages, perhaps finding work as a translator or interpreter. Most Linguistic types will enjoy the opportunity to teach or instruct people in a topic they are interested in.

 Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Play therapy practitioners who are not psychotherapists are not intended to provide treatment for children with complex issues including those linked to trauma, attachment disruptions, or mental health concerns. In such cases the referral should be made to a psychotherapist with a specialisation in play therapy who can provide a developmentally appropriate intervention to address difficulties and distress. Garda vetting will form part of developing in this career. 

• Route 1 for those with a previous Mental Health Qualification who have undertaken an additional Play Therapy Specific Training course. IAPTP Bye Law 8
• Route 2 for those who have undertaken a full Play Therapy Core Training and who have suitable undergraduate training and experience. Such undergraduate training and experience tends to be in areas such as (but not exhaustively) psychology, social science, social studies, education, early childhood care & education, nursing, youth work etc. IAPTP Bye Law 9

Sample Education and Training Pathways
A number of courses are available throughout the country that focus on learning and skills that may be useful for this career. The examples and links below may guide you in your research. 

Further Education (FET)
Further Education & Training (FET) Courses are delivered by local ETBs, ranging in duration from several weeks up to 20 months. Courses are designed to meet the labour market needs and often include a large element of work experience.

Example search terms include: social and community care, early childhood care and education, special needs with intellectual studies, health service skills.

Search for FET Courses

PLC Courses (FET)
PLC courses are full-time courses, one or two years duration, with awards at Level 5 and 6 on the NFQ. They are offered nationally in Schools and Colleges of Further Education.

Example search terms include: education, counselling, early childhood education, occupational therapy asst, psychology, social care.

Search for PLC Courses

Higher Education CAO (Undergraduate) 
Higher Education courses at Levels 6 to 8 on the NFQ, delivered in Universities and Technological Universities & Institutes. Courses run from 2 – 5 years and places are allocated on a points-based system, processed by the Central Application Office.

Example search terms include: counselling, psychotherapy, early years education, occupational therapy, primary education, psychiatry, psychology, psychiatric nursing, social care, social work, special needs education, cognate disciplines.

Search for CAO Courses

Higher Education (Postgraduate)
Postgraduate courses are courses at Levels 9 and 10 on the NFQ and usually last 1 – 2 years full time, or longer if a PhD or part time. Entrants typically require an undergraduate award (Level 8).

Example search terms include: integrative psychotherapy, play therapy, practice based play therapy, art therapy, principles of art therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, music therapy.

Search for Postgraduate Courses

Professional Development 

Professional development (CPD) courses are specialised training, formal education, or advanced professional learning that improves skills, professional knowledge, competency, and overall effectiveness in the professional world.

• Irish Assoc of Play Therapy & Psychotherapy.
• IPTA Irish Play Therapist Assoc.

Check the Useful Contacts tab on this page to see if there are any professional bodies listed who may provide training related to this career.

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €41k - €71k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Indeed/ Glassdoor

Last Updated: July, 2024

Note: The following information relates to occupations that include: Physiotherapists; Occupational therapists; Speech and language therapists; Therapy professionals n.e.c (not elsewhere classified).   

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment growth was below average for therapy professionals, with levels in 2022 remaining below that of 2020. Although LFS data does not allow for a detailed breakdown of employment in this group, Census data for 2016 and 2022 shows detailed employment as follows.

Despite the lack of overall employment growth in recent years, issues with recruitment resulted in a number of therapist roles (occupational, physiotherapists and speech and language) being added to the Critical Skills Employment Permit List in June 2022. A total of 53 new permits were issued in 2022, primarily for physiotherapists with a small number for occupational and speech & language therapists.

The delivery of the Sláintecare report, particularly in terms of community care and mental health services, will require additional staffing in these occupations and, while a combined total of 100 additional training places are planned for occupational, physio, and speech/language therapists in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s education system, given the duration of training programmes, recruitment difficulties for these posts are unlikely to ease in the short-to-medium term. However, as employment levels are not increasing and the data does not allow for detailed analysis, it is not possible to determine if shortages exist for this occupation at present.

• Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP)

  • 21 Dublin Rd, Bray, Co. Wicklow
  • (01) 230 3536
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Early Childhood Ireland

  • c/o Childminding Ireland
  • 01 4057100
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• CORU - Regulating Health & Social Care Professionals

  • Infinity Building, George’s Court, George’s Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y
  • (01) 293 3160
  • [email protected]/ [email protected]/ [email protected]
  • Click Here