Contact Us | Sign In | Join APT

Association for Play Therapy

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is a national professional society established in 1982 to foster contact among mental health professionals interested in exploring and, when developmentally appropriate, applying the therapeutic power of play to communicate with and treat clients, particularly children.

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is defined by APT as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained Play Therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development."

Play Therapy should only be provided by mental health professionals who have met the required education, licensure, and additional specialized training and supervision specific to Play Therapy. Read more…

Association Programs & Benefits


Membership in the Association for Play Therapy (APT) demonstrates your interest in the field of play therapy! APT is dedicated to the growth and advancement of play therapy, increasing your knowledge, and providing you with networking opportunities and the professional tools you need.

Membership

APT membership demonstrates your interest in the field of play therapy and provides access to the latest play therapy news, research, publications, networking, and professional tools.

Read More

Play Therapy Research

APT encourages play therapy research that demonstrates the value and effectiveness of play therapy, increases play therapy knowledge, and supports evidence-based play therapy practices.

Read More

Publications

APT provides official publications exclusively to its membership, in the form of the International Journal of Play Therapy®, Play Therapy™ Magazine, PlayToday e-newsletter, and more!

Read More

Play Therapy Connection

A professional network of support is an important resource for any mental health professional. Connect with fellow members and exchange clinical knowledge.

Read More

E-Learning Center

Earn valuable non-contact continuing education from various play therapy sources, including APT’s Annual Conference Workshops, the International Journal of Play Therapy®, and more!

Read More

Annual Conference

The Annual APT Conference takes place every October, offering play therapy education to mental health professionals and graduate students from an array of disciplines.

Read More
Association Newsmore

APT Awards of Excellence

APT sponsors several Awards of Excellence for individuals who embody its values of service, leadership, and contribution to the play therapy field and community. Nominate your fellow play therapists who exemplify these values by submitting an Awards of Excellence application before the March 15, 2020 deadline.

All nominations must satisfy minimum criteria and will be evaluated by Awards Committee Chair Renee Turner, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S and the Awards of Excellence Committee.

Mailing Changes Coming Soon!

Effective March 1, 2020, APT correspondence will be mailed to your address selected as the Preferred Contact. For steps on how to change your preferred contact address, click here. For additional questions, please email info@a4pt.org or call (559) 298-3400.

2020 Annual Membership Survey - Due Jan 24.

Three days left to complete the Annual Membership Survey! APT invites you to take this opportunity to share your thoughts on current programs and ideas for new resources.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Important Dates:
Play Therapy in the News more
Calendar more

The upcoming calendar is currently empty.

Click here to view past events and photos »

This website uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are used for visitor analysis, others are essential to making our site function properly and improve the user experience. By using this site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Click Accept to consent and dismiss this message or Deny to leave this website. Read our Privacy Statement for more.