Dr. Janet A. Courtney

Founder of FirstPlay® Therapy & Pioneer in Infant Mental Health
Janet A. Courtney, PhD, LCSW is Founder of FirstPlay Therapy® [an Infant Mental Health & Developmental Play Therapy model] and Founder and Editor of FirstPlay® Café: An e-magazine for parents (womb to six Years). She is Director of Developmental Play & Attachment Therapies, Inc. She is a Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor, TEDx Speaker and past Chair of the Association for Play Therapy Ethics and Practice Committee and past President of the Florida Association for Play Therapy and former Chair of the Viola Brody Award Committee. Awarded Third Place overall in the Best Practices Showcase for FirstPlay Therapy at the First 1000 Days Infant Mental Health Summit (Sept, 2018) along with the Children’s Healing Institute.

She is author of “Healing Child and Family Trauma through Expressive and Play Therapies: Art, Nature, Storytelling Body and Mindfulness,” and Editor of “Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Models, Programs and Practice.”  and “Nature-based Play Therapy & Expressive Therapies: Interventions for Children, Teens and Families, “Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide. Her research into practitioner experiences of training in touch and Developmental Play Therapy is published in the American Journal of Art Therapy and the International Journal of Play Therapy. She 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;” and has a chapter in the book, Environmental Expressive Therapies (2017), titled: “The Art of Utilizing the Metaphorical Elements of Nature as ‘Co-Therapist’ in Ecopsychology Play Therapy.” She is also published in the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture.

Professional Credentials

Dr. Courtney offers a Certification in FirstPlay Therapy® including FirstPlay® Developmental Infant Play Therapy Massage Storytelling (ages birth to 36 Months) and for FirstPlay Kinesthetic Storytelling® (ages 3 yrs and up). She provides training to professionals in the Ethical and Clinical Competencies of Touch, FirstPlay® Therapy, Infant Play Therapy, Expressive Therapies, and Nature-based Ecopsychology Play Therapy. She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally including the Cayman Islands, England, Ireland, Morocco, Bali, Russia and the Ukraine. She is a provider through the Florida state boards of Mental Health and Massage Therapy, and an approved provider through the Association for Play Therapy. She specializes in Infant Mental Health and Infant Play Therapy, Attachment, and Trauma related issues. Dr. Courtney’s new form of Kinesthetic Storytelling® can be found in her children’s book, The Magic Rainbow. Website: www.FirstPlayTherapy.com and www.FirstPlaycafe.com, 
 www.firstplayinfantmassage.com  

See also Janet’s Websites:

FirstPlay Infant Massage Parent website

www.firstplayinfantmassage.com

FirstPlay Cafe E-Zine website

www.myplaytherapy.com

Developmental Play & Attachment Therapy

www.myplaytherapy.com

Developmental Play & Attachment Therapy

www.magicrainbowhug.com

Training & Speaking

To Learn More About the Certified FirstPlay® Supervisors and Practitioners Visit:  https://firstplayinfantmassage.com/our-story/
Dr. Courtney is an internationally recognized speaker known for her informative, playful, and inspiring presentation style. She has spoken at conferences and for organizations nationally and internationally including the Cayman Islands, Bali, Indonesia, England, Ireland, Hawaii, Morocco, Russia, and Ukraine. Book Dr. Courtney to speak at your next conference or to provide a FirstPlay® Certification training for your organization. Read Dr. Courtney’s Bio here

Dr. Courtney has provided trainings in the area of child play therapy and offers a certification to practitioners in FirstPlay® Therapy (FirstPlay® Infant Story-Massage and FirstPlay Kinesthetic Storytelling®); Developmental Play Therapy; the Ethics of Touch in Child Play Therapy and Psychotherapy; Nature-based play therapy; Family Play Therapy; Gestalt therapy; among other topics.

Please contact Dr. Courtney directly to learn more about the specific training topics and for rates and availability. Here are some of the agencies, institutions and organizations where Dr. Courtney has been invited to speak:
Organizations We've Worked With
  • Play Therapy Asia, Bali, Indonesia
  • Association for Play Therapy: APT Provider 10-287
  • Play Therapy International, UK (World Congress on Child and Play Therapy)
  • Florida Association for Play Therapy
  • National Association of Social Workers
  • Barry University Center for Professional Advancement, Miami, FL
  • TEDx, Delray Beach, FL
  • Florida Atlantic University
  • Lynn University
  • Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
  • Children’s Home Society
  • Institute for Child & Family Health,
  • First Steps to Success: ARC of the Palm Beaches
  • Department of Navy, WPB, FL
  • Boys Town
  • Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
  • The School District of Palm Beach County
  • Palm Beach County Mental Health Association
  • Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County
  • Parent-Child Center of the Palm Beaches
  • Family Central, Broward County
  • Camelot Community Care
  • Linking Forces, Miami, FL
  • Hearts and Hope
  • Catholic Charities,
  • Center for Family Services
  • AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence)
  • Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  • Oakwood Mental Health Center: Children’s School Outreach Program
  • Association for Community Counseling
  • Tykes and Teens of Martin County
  • Hospice
  • Cook County Family Services, Cook County, Chicago, IL
  • Palm Beach County Health Care District
  • SED-Network: Multiagency Network for Students with Severe Emotional Disturbances
  • Visiting Nurse Association of Palm Beach County
  • Children’s Case Management Organization
  • Florida Department of Children and Families District 9
  • Women in Distress
  • Chrysalis Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Dr. Courtney is licensed through the State of Florida as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (SW2329) and is an approved educational provider for the following entities:

  • Florida State of Department of Health: Educational Provider # 50-11687
  • Association for Play Therapy: APT Provider 10-287
  • Palm Beach County Early Childhood Registry: Educational Trainer #: 2969
See Dr. Courtney's Publications

List of Publications

  • Courtney, J. A. (2020). Defining Infant Play Therapy. Play Therapy Magazine. Pending Publication. 
  • Courtney, J. A. (2020). Introduction Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Programs, Models and Practice. New York, NY:  Routledge Publishing
  • Courtney, J. A. (2020). Healing Child and Family Trauma through Expressive and Play Therapies: Art, Nature, Storytelling, Body, Mindfulness. New York, NY: Norton.
  • Baldwin, B., Velasquez, M., & Courtney, J. A. (2020). FirstPlay® therapy strengthens the attachment relationship between a mother with perinatal depression and her infant. In J. A. Courtney (Ed.). Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Models, Programs, and Practice (pp. 83-100). New York, NY: Routledge
  • Courtney, J. A., Bakai Toth, V., & Jimenez-Pride, C. (2020). Healing reactive attachment disorder with young children through firstPlay® kinesthetic storytelling. In J. A. Courtney (Ed.). Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Models, Programs, and Practice (pp. 245-254). New York, NY: Routledge
  • Courtney, J. A., & Nowakowski-Sims, E. (2019) Technology’s impact on the parent-infant attachment relationship: Intervening through FirstPlay® therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy. 28(2), 57-68.
  • Courtney, J. A., & Nowakowski-Sims, E. (2018). Technology and the threat to secure attachment relationships: What play therapists need to consider. Play Therapy, 13(3), 10-14.
  • Courtney, J. A., & Siu, A. F. Y. (2018). Practitioner experiences of touch in working with children in play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27(2), 92-102.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pla0000064
  • Courtney, J.A. (2017). The Art of Utilizing the Metaphorical Elements of Nature as “Co-Therapist” in Ecopsychology Play Therapy. In A. Kopytin & M. Rugh (Eds.).
  • Environmental Expressive Therapies: Nature-Assisted Theory and Practice, (Chapter 6). New York, NY: Routledge.   
  • Courtney, J. A., & Nolan, R. D. (2017). Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy:  An Ethical and Clinical Guide. New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Courtney, J. A. (2017). Overview of touch related to professional ethical and clinical practice with children. In J. A. Courtney & R. D. Nolan (Eds.), Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide (pp. 3-17). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Courtney, J. A., Velasquez, M., & Bakai Toth, V. (2017). FirstPlay® Infant Massage Storytelling: Facilitating Corrective Touch Experiences with a Teenage Mother and Her Abused Infant. In J. A. Courtney & R. D. Nolan (Eds.), Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide (pp. 48-62). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Gray, S. W., Courtney, J. A., Nolan, R. D. (2017). Competencies and Recommendations Supporting the Ethics of Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy.  In J. A. Courtney & R. D. Nolan (Eds.), Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide (pp. 217-230). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Courtney, J.A., & Mills, J. C. (2016, March). Utilizing the metaphor of nature as co-therapist in StoryPlay®. Play Therapy. Play Therapy, 11(1), 18-21
  • Montgomery, C. & Courtney, J. (2015). The Theoretical and Therapeutic Paradigm of  Botanical Arranging. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, XXV(1)
  • Courtney, J.A. (2015). Exploring Ethical Considerations of Touch in Developmental Play Therapy and its Relevance to the Formulation of FirstPlay Therapy. Florida Association for Play Therapy Playful Healer Spring, 2015.  
  •  Courtney, J.A., & Gray, S. W. (2014). A Phenomenological Inquiry into Practitioner Experiences of Developmental Play Therapy: Implications for Training in Touch. International Journal of Play Therapy, 23(2), 114-129.  
  • Courtney, J. A. (2015). FirstPlay parent manual. Boynton Beach, FL: Developmental Play & Attachment Therapies, Inc
  • Courtney, J.A. (Fall, 2013). Developmental Play Therapy and Kinesthetic Storytelling™ FirstPlay TOUCH Activities help Children with Autism. Autism Community Magazine.
  • Courtney, J.A. (2013). The Magic Rainbow Hug: Calm & Relax. Palm Beach Gardens, FL: Developmental Play & Attachment Therapies. (Illus., Siblings, Grace & Ben Myers)
  • Courtney, J.A. (Winter, 2013) Change Your Script, Change Your Life. Nothing But Good News Magazine. Vol.8 (1) p. 12. (Online Magazine).
  • Courtney, J.A. (2012). Touching autism through developmental play therapy.  In L. Rubin & L. Gallo-Lopez (Eds.), Play-based interventions for children  and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (pp. 137-157). New York: Routledge
  • Courtney, J.A., & Gray, S. W. (2011, Fall). Perspectives of a child therapist as revealed through therapist drawings. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. 28(3), 132-139.
  • Courtney, J.A. (2011, Fall). The touchy topic of touch: Implications for developmental play therapy training and other play therapy modalities that use touch as a therapeutic intervention. Journal of the International and UK Societies of Play and Creative Arts Therapies.
  • Courtney, J.A. Children win in collaborative divorce: The role of the child specialist. (posted November 7, 2011). The Collaborative Divorce Team Palm Beach County. http://www.collaborativedivorceteam.com/role-child-specialist-collaborative-divorce
  • Courtney, J.A. (Play Therapy, 2011). Alzheimer’s and Play Therapy: A case study.
  • Courtney, J.A. (June, 2008) The perfect dollhouse. Play Therapy. 3(2), 6-7. 
  • Courtney, J. A. (2006). Assessing Practitioner Experiences of Developmental Play Therapy (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Barry University, Miami Shores, 
  • Courtney, J.A. (October, 2004). Tribute to Viola Brody. Paper presented at the general assembly of the 21st Annual Association for Play Therapy, Denver, CO. 
  • Courtney, J.A. (Fall, 2003). My time with Vi Brody. The Playful Healer: Newsletter of the Florida Association for Play Therapy. 
  • Schmitz, C. L., & Courtney, J. A. (1999). Out of School Care Evaluation of Capacity. Children Services Council, Palm Beach County. Academy for Better Communities, Barry University. 
  • Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.