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Play Therapy Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Play Therapist

Bixby, OK · On-site

$74K - $86K/yr

... play therapy, art therapy, musical therapy, social work, Adlerian therapy, PTSD ... group therapy, couples therapy, psychotherapy * Ability to demonstrate and model stable ...

We specialize in play-based, relational therapy and help children and families build connection, resilience, and joy. ⸻ What We Offer: • W-2 position with stable income and benefits • ...

We specialize in play-based, relational therapy and help children and families build connection, resilience, and joy. ⸻ What We Offer: • W-2 position with stable income and benefits • ...

Competitive benefit package Love Play Grow, a thriving child and family therapy practice, is seeking a compassionate and experienced Child and Family Therapist to join our team in either our ...

Occupational Therapist

Nashville, TN

$39 - $51.25/hr

In this position you will have the opportunity to build relationships across Project Play Therapy's team of professionals through regular collaboration and team gatherings, and continue your growth ...

Occupational Therapist

Nashville, TN · On-site

$39 - $51.25/hr

In this position you will have the opportunity to build relationships across Project Play Therapy's team of professionals through regular collaboration and team gatherings, and continue your growth ...

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Play Therapy information

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$11

$17

$24

How much do play therapy jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for play therapy in the United States is $17.36, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.42 and $19.71 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Play Therapist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Play Therapist, you need a background in psychology, counseling, or social work—often with a relevant master's degree and licensure as a counselor or therapist. Familiarity with play therapy techniques, assessment tools, and documentation systems is typically required, and certification from organizations like the Association for Play Therapy is highly valued. Strong communication, patience, and the ability to build rapport with children and families are essential soft skills. These qualifications and skills ensure effective therapeutic outcomes by fostering trust, appropriate intervention, and a supportive environment for child clients.

What are some common challenges faced by play therapists when working with children from diverse backgrounds?

Play therapists often encounter challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences in expressing emotions, and varying family expectations about therapy. To address these, therapists need to adapt their approaches by incorporating culturally relevant toys, being sensitive to nonverbal communication styles, and building trust with both the child and their family. Continuous professional development and cultural competence training are essential for providing effective, empathetic care and ensuring that each child's unique background is respected throughout the therapeutic process.

What is the difference between Play Therapy vs Child Psychologist?

AspectPlay TherapyChild Psychologist
Required CredentialsRegistered Play Therapist, Master's or Doctoral degree in counseling or related fieldDoctoral degree (PhD or PsyD), license to practice psychology
Work EnvironmentPrivate practice, clinics, schools, hospitalsPrivate practice, hospitals, schools, research settings
Industry UsageSpecialized mental health therapy for children using play-based techniquesAssessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health issues in children and adolescents

Play Therapy focuses on using play to help children express emotions and resolve issues, often requiring specific certifications like Registered Play Therapist. Child Psychologists have a broader scope, including diagnosis and therapy, with advanced degrees and licensing. Both roles work in similar environments but serve different functions in child mental health care.

What is play therapy?

Play therapy is a form of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play as a way for children to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. By engaging in play, children can communicate in a natural way and work through emotional or psychological challenges with the guidance of a trained therapist. Play therapy is often used to help children cope with issues such as trauma, anxiety, behavioral problems, or family changes. The therapist uses toys, games, art, and storytelling to help the child process their emotions.
More about Play Therapy jobs
What cities are hiring for Play Therapy jobs? Cities with the most Play Therapy job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Play Therapy jobs? The most popular types of Play Therapy jobs are:
What states have the most Play Therapy jobs? States with the most job openings for Play Therapy jobs include:
Infographic showing various Play Therapy job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 4% As Needed, 57% Full Time, 15% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 23% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $36,101 per year, or $17.4 per hour.
Play Therapist

$74K - $86K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 19 days ago


Ellie Mental Health rating

7.3

Company rating: 7.3 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Responsive recruiter
Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Competitive salary
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible schedule
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Training & development
  • Vision insurance

Want more flexibility and work/life freedom?
Qualify as Full time with 30 work hours per week! (27 client hours and ~3 hours of administrative time)
Flexibility to work with a schedule that serves you and focuses on helping your passion population!
As an Outpatient Therapist at Ellie Mental Health's new locally owned and operated clinic in Tulsa, you'll share our vision for improving and expanding access to quality mental health care and thrive in an environment driven by our core values of authenticity, humor, compassion, creativity, acceptance, and determination.
We offer:
  • 401K
  • Flexible schedule and a short work week
  • Health, dental, vision and life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Brand new, fully furnished and nicely appointed office

Ellie was proudly founded by clinicians on the principle of destigmatizing mental health. The mental health industry is full of barriers, and we have made it our goal to fill the gap and find innovative ways to break down these barriers for our local communities. We are excited to expand across the country by partnering with local leaders in your community.
Our clinics are structured to remove many of the obstacles that get in the way of providing world-class mental health services. Ellie makes the clinician's experience a priority by offering excellent compensation, benefits, training, flexible scheduling (FT/PT), CEU's, and an incredibly inclusive environment. Additionally, Ellie provides centralized administrative support, technology, referral support, scheduling, client/therapist matching, and more.
Responsibilities include:
  • Evaluate mental health diagnoses, create, implement and maintain treatment plans and complete ongoing documentation
  • Provide excellent customer service for clients and collaborate with a dynamic team to further the mission of filling gaps in your community
  • Utilize creativity in interventions to help clients achieve and exceed goals

Required Qualifications and Skills:
  • Master's degree in one of the behavioral sciences or related fields from an accredited college or university
  • Candidates should ideally have clinical licensure (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)
  • Experience with completing DAs, treatment plans and clinical case notes
  • Passion for topics such as, but not limited to: eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), BIPOC population, humanistic therapy, gender identity and sexual
    orientation, play therapy, art therapy, musical therapy, social work, Adlerian therapy, PTSD, group therapy, couples therapy, psychotherapy
  • Ability to demonstrate and model stable, appropriate boundaries with clients
  • Proficient in the use of Office 365 and EHR systems (Valant)
  • Fully Licensed Clinicians will ideally be credentialed with insurance panels

*Our Clinical Licensure Supervision Program has supervisors for folks seeking licensure as LCSW, LPC-MHSP, and LMFT. This is based on staff availability and we cannot guarantee that a supervisor match will be immediately available. We encourage license seeking clinicians to have one supervisor at Ellie and one outside to help enhance their learning experience, have additional perspective, and utilize the full range of cultural and clinical experiences provided by multiple clinical licensure supervisors.
Independent franchisees are Equal Opportunity employers committed to diverse and inclusive workforces. Franchisees are independent business people and not employed by Ellie Family Services, PLLP, d/b/a "Ellie Mental Health", Ellie MSO, LLC, or Ellie FAM LLC. Thus, each franchisee and each franchisee clinic is unique and the franchisee is alone responsible for all employment matters in their clinic, including the terms and conditions of employment for their employees, such as hiring, firing, discipline, supervision, staffing and scheduling. Depending on the clinic location you select, the job for which you apply may be in a clinic owned and operated by an independent franchisee, and not with the corporate-owned clinics, which are based in Minnesota. This means the franchisee, not Ellie Family Services, PLLP, is responsible for all employment matters at the clinic. If you are hired for the job, the franchisee will be your employer, not Ellie Family Services, PLLP or any of its affiliated entities. For franchisee clinic locations, please contact the franchisee organization directly to the extent you need assistance in completing forms or otherwise participating in that franchisee's application process.
Ellie Mental Health is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, or any other legally-recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change or adjustment to a job or work environment that will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing an undue hardship on the operation of the business.
Compensation: $74,000.00 - $86,400.00 per year
Seeking creative & collaborative humans with a passion for changing mental health care in fun and meaningful ways
Don't meet EVERY requirement?
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Ellie Mental Health is devoted to purposefully building an inclusive and diverse workplace where all of our humans can be their authentic selves! (Authenticity is one of our core values, after all...) If you're excited about the chance to be a change-maker with us, but your past experience doesn't perfectly align with every single qualification of the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. Our mental health jobs need dedicated individuals from every background who are willing to care for others. And who knows, you might just be the perfect candidate for another role!
Employee Experience
We take care of our people. It's that simple. From investing in their financial future, to providing wages that shatter the ceiling in our industry to reasonable caseload expectations we ensure that our people are happy. Happy employees do better work and provide better client care! No matter what it is that you do in your mental health career at Ellie, our clients depend on us cultivating an environment where our employees can thrive so that they can thrive too!
Y'all, jobs in mental health are tough jobs with a high risk of emotional fatigue and burnout. At Ellie, we use all of our core values of humor, creativity, authenticity, acceptance, determination, and compassion not just out in our communities, but we turn them inwards too! Our employees have clear growth paths for advancing their careers.
We have created a culture that reminds us that our employees are our leaders!
Company Structure
Ellie is a socially responsible for-profit business, which allows us to be flexible and responsive to our community's needs. Many mental health and wellness-focused companies are non-profits or government agencies, which rely on the general public, grants, or large donors for funding. This model often results in little creativity and lower compensation for employees, promoting a work culture that just makes people feel "blah."
Feeling blah doesn't help employees stay motivated, engaged, or even in their jobs for a very long time! So we created a new model: one that puts flexibility, innovative decision-making, creativity, and our people first, while remaining a socially conscious and responsible for-profit business focused on changing how we treat mental health.
In short, we're just people helping people. Wanna join the herd?