“…This additional credential reflects the current trends and needs for using play therapy in schools. Because school counseling was instituted in school systems in the 1960s, the integration of play in school counseling has been a growing recommendation because it facilitates connections with students and assists them at a level they can better relate to (Perryman, 2015; Ray, Armstrong, Balkin, & Jayne, 2015; Shen, 2017; Trice-Black, Bailey, & Kiper Riechel, 2013). Also, empirical studies have supported the use of play therapy to promote the emotional (Raman & Kapur, 1999; Ray, Schottelkorb, & Tsai, 2007), behavioral (Bratton et al, 2013; Fall, Navelski, & Welch, 2002; Garza & Bratton, 2005; Meany-Walen, Bratton, & Kottman, 2014; Ray, Blanco, Sullivan, & Holliman, 2009), and academic development of students (Blanco, Holliman, Muro, Toland, & Farnam, 2017; Blanco & Ray, 2011).…”