About CBPT for School Refusal course


This course explores how Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy (CBPT) can be effectively applied to support children struggling with school refusal. School refusal is not simply defiance—it reflects deep emotional distress and can manifest in many forms, from morning tantrums to chronic absenteeism. Left unaddressed, it can disrupt emotional development, academic progress, and long-term adjustment.
Through this course, you’ll learn how CBPT offers a developmentally sensitive, play-based approach to help children understand and manage their fears, build coping skills, and gradually return to school. We’ll examine how to assess the underlying functions of school refusal, determine when CBPT is the right fit, and tailor interventions to each child’s needs.
You’ll also explore the essential role of parents and schools in treatment. From parent training using PRIDE skills to collaborative planning with educators, we’ll cover how to extend therapeutic gains beyond the playroom. Special attention is given to adapting CBPT for older children and adolescents, as well as navigating legal and systemic challenges that can arise when school refusal is misunderstood.


CBPT for school refusal Course Objectives

At the end of this module, participants should be able to:

  1. Recognize the emotional and behavioral profiles of school refusal and distinguish them from truancy.
  2. Apply CBPT techniques—such as play-based psychoeducation, coping skills, and exposure hierarchies—to help children manage anxiety and return to school.
  3. Collaborate with parents and educators to reinforce therapeutic goals across home and school settings.
  4. Adapt CBPT strategies for older children and adolescents using developmentally appropriate, engaging formats.
  5. Advocate for accurate classification and supportive responses to school refusal within legal and educational systems.
  6. Conduct developmentally informed case conceptualizations to determine CBPT compatibility and tailor interventions to individual school refusal profiles.
  7. Use playful psychoeducation tools (e.g., CBT triangle, worry monster, thought bubbles) to help children understand and externalize anxiety in accessible ways.

CBPT for school refusal Course Requirements



The course is aimed at:

  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • Clinical Social Workers Or Licensed Independent Social Workers
  • Licensed Professional Counselors
  • Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist
  • Licensed Mental Health Clinical Nurse Practitioner
The delivery of the certificate of attendance at the conclusion of the course will be tied to the evaluation of the participants' requirements. In the absence of the requirements, the course hours will not be certified. 

CBPT for school refusal Course Curriculum

  Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy for School Refusal
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Learning test
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Find out how CBPT is going to help children that refuse to go to school

Your CBPT Instructor

Samantha Martin

Clinical Psychology Graduate Student, Department of Psychological Sciences

Case Western Reserve University



START CBPT for school refusal COURSE NOW!