Who Practices Play Therapy?

The practice of play therapy requires extensive specialized education, training, and experience. A play therapist is a licensed (or certified) mental health professional who has earned a Master's or Doctorate degree in a mental health field with considerable general clinical experience and supervision.

With advanced, specialized training, experience, and supervision, mental health professionals may also earn the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) credentials¹ conferred by the Association for Play Therapy (APT).

¹The Association for Play Therapy (APT confers the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) credentials to licensed (or certified) mental health professionals who have provided APT with documentation that they have 1) earned a graduate or higher mental health degree, 2) completed a minimum number of play therapy training and supervision clock hours, and 3) completed the requisite continuing education hours. The RPT/S credentials do not certify, imply, or affirm the knowledge or competency of such individual but only confirms that the education and training requirements identified herein have been satisfied. APT also offers approved continuing education provider status to agencies and individuals who have provided APT with documentation that the agency or individual will provide program(s) that satisfy APT requirements for continuing education of RPT/S designees. The APT approval status of any continuing education provider does not certify, imply, or affirm the knowledge of any agency, individual, or presenter of a program but only confirms that APT continuing education provider requirements have been satisfied.

*Please visit the Association for Play Therapy website @ www.a4pt.org for additional information