JANET COURTNEY, PHD, LCSW, RPT-S

Janet A. Courtney, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S, is founder of FirstPlay Therapy® and an adjunct professor at Barry University School of Social Work, Miami Shores, FL. She is a Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor, TEDx speaker, chair of the Ethics and Practice committee through the Association for Play Therapy, and past president of the Florida Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Courtney is author and co-editor of the groundbreaking 2017 book, Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide. Her research into touch is published in the International Journal of Play Therapy, and the American Journal of Art Therapy. She is also published in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, and is a contributing author for the chapter, "Touching Autism through Developmental Play Therapy" in the book, Play-based Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She offers a certification in FirstPlay Therapy® (including FirstPlay® Infant Massage Storytelling). She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally including the Cayman Islands, England, Ireland, Morocco, Russia and the Ukraine. She specializes in infant play therapy/infant mental health, attachment, and trauma related issues. Dr. Courtney’s new form of Kinesthetic Storytelling® can be found in her children’s book, The Magic Rainbow. Visit her website at www.FirstPlayTherapy.com