Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome!  Below you will find a list of common questions specific to the School-Based Registered Play Therapist^™ requirements and application process.  We hope you find this resource helpful.

Should you have additional questions contact APT at 559-298-3400.  

View this Membership vs. Credentialing info-graphic for more information to each department.

Terms

1.  What is the SB-RPT^TM?

SB-RPT is the acronym for the School Based-Registered Play Therapist™ credential. The SB-RPT^TM credential is intended for professionals who hold a current and active individual state license or certificate from their state’s department of education to independently practice as a school counselor or school psychologist. Applicants licensed by their state mental health board (i.e. LPC, LCSW, LMFT, etc.) are ineligible for the SB-RPT, but may be eligible for the Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT) or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S) credentials. Registrants may not hold more than one APT credential at any given time. For additional questions, please consult the SB-RPT Guide found under the Play Therapy Credentialing tab on the APT website and/or contact APT.

2.  What is an RPT-S^TM?

RPT-S^™ is the acronym for Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor^TM.

3.  What does "RPT/S" mean?

"RPT/S" is the collective acronym for both the Registered Play Therapist^TM (RPT^TM) and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisior^TM (RPT-S^TM) credentials.

4.  Who is the State Department of Education?

The State Department of Education refers to a state government agency which promulgates school counselor or school psychologist standards and practices and investigates and penalizes violations of such standards and practices. For SB-RPT^TM candidates and designees who are employed in a school setting, their State Department of Education license or certification must allow them to practice in the state in which the school is located. 

Benefits of the SB-RPT^TM Credential

5.  What are the benefits of having the SB-RPT^TM credential?

• Your SB-RPT^TM credential conveys your play therapy knowledge and experience to the general public, schools and universities, parents and children, and other mental health professionals. It lends credibility and visibility to your specialized training and provides you with a community of likeminded individuals who believe in the therapeutic power of play. 

License Verification (Standards, Section 01)

6.  Does my international license/credential meet the SB-RPT^TM licensure requirement?

Applicants must have a current and active school counselor or school psychologist license that permits for independent practice and is issued by the Department of Education. Membership to mental health, school counselor and/or school psychologist associations do not meet the credentialing requirements for licensure. Please contact the APT office should you continue to question whether or not your license/credential meets the SB-RPT^TM licensure requirement. 

Verification of Graduate Degrees and Core Content Coursework (Standards, Section 02)

7.  What are the basic educational requirements to become an SB-RPT^TM?

You must have earned a graduate degree in a mental health discipline with demonstrated coursework in six (6) core areas (i.e. child development, theories of personality, principles of psychotherapy, psychopathology/DSM, cultural/social diversity, and legal/ethical issues). 

8.  I'm not sure my graduate program addressed the six (6) core content areas, will APT review my academic transcripts before I submit my application?

Simply complete and submit the Transcript Review form with a copy of your transcripts and the $50 fee. Note that a transcript review is not required in order to submit a credentialing application. Review Section 02 of the SB-RPT^TM Standards for examples of possible graduate courses titles and descriptions for each content area. If class titles differ from APT's core area titles or the core content was covered in single or multiple courses, submit a copy of the courses' syllabi with the application.

Verification of Clinical Experience (Standards, Section 03)

9.  How do I verify the general clinical experience requirement plus twenty-four (24) consecutive months of continuous work? 

The applicant need only complete and sign Form A, Part 1. 

Verification of Supervised Play Therapy Experience (Standards, Section 04) & Supervision (Standards, Section 05)

10.  How many hours pf play therapy experience (direct client contact hours) must I accrue?

SB-RPT^TM applicants must accrue at least 500 direct client contact hours of supervised play therapy experience during a period of no less than one year.  Supervision must be under an RPT-S^TM.   

11.  How many supervision hours in play therapy must I complete?

SB-RPT^TM applicants must accrue at least 50 hours of play therapy supervision while accruing their supervised clinical play therapy experience of which no more than 25 hours can be in a group format. 

12.  Must my clinical supervisor be an RPT-S^TM?

Yes. Supervision will only be accepted under an RPT-STM. To find an RPT-STM near you, please use the Find a Play Therapist Directory 

13.  How do I document my play therapy experience and supervision?

Use Form A (the last page of the application). It is the applicant’s responsibility to post the dates and hours of his/her supervised play therapy experience on Form A, Part 2. Applicant should indicate the number of individual supervision hours in the section labeled “Individual” and put group supervision hours in the section labeled “Group.” Have the RPT-S^TM sign the form under the section labeled “Verifier” and check the space for “observation of at least one play therapy session.” 

14.  Is there a limit to how many group supervision hours I can submit?

Yes.  No more than 25 hours of group supervision under an RPT-S^TM are accepted. 

If the focus of the supervision was on your individual cases, then you may count only the time spent discussing your individual cases toward the “individual” supervision requirement. 

16.  Can I use internship or practicum hours from my graduate program towards the 500 hours of play therapy experience requirement?

Yes, as long as your supervisor was an RPT-S^TM. You may accrue such hours via your graduate play therapy practicums, internships, externships, etc. Please make sure to have your supervisor sign off on your play therapy experience hours on Form A, Part 2. 

17.  Do I have to complete my play therapy training (instruction hours) before I can begin accruing my play therapy experience hours (direct client contact hours)?

Applicants must follow the phase approach outlined in the Credentialing Standards AND it is expected that applicants (and their supervisors) adhere to their State Department of Education ethical guidelines and scope of practice.  This likely means applicants may have taken some play therapy instruction prior to seeing clients. 

Verification of Play Therapy Coursework and Trainings (Standards, Section 06)

18. How and from whom may I earn the 150 hours of play therapy instruction?

You may complete graduate play therapy courses at institutions of higher education (transcripts) and/or workshops by APT Approved Providers of Play Therapy Continuing Education (certificates). Certificates that do not bear the APT Approved Provider number will not be eligible for APT CE’s. Play therapy graduate courses must appear on a university transcript, whether taken for credit or audited. If the term “play therapy” is not found on the course title, please submit a copy of the course syllabus and/or a letter from the instructor attesting to the hours of play therapy specific content the course offered. Audited play therapy courses must be accompanied by a letter from the instructor attesting to the student’s successful completion of all coursework required to receive a passing grade.

19. What is considered contact training?

Trainings where attendees enjoy in-person, live instruction in real time. Live webinars are NOT considered contact trainings.

20. How many of the 150 hours of play therapy instruction may be non-contact or distance learning hours?

Effective April 1, 2025, a minimum of 75 hours must be met by contact (in-person) training. The remaining 75 hours may be earned via contact or non-contact training. All webinars, including live webinars are counted as non-contact training. See Terms for definition of each.

• Contact Training – a minimum of 75 hours are required to be Contact Training. There is no maximum, all 150 hours may be obtained in this category.
  

• Non-Contact Training – a maximum of 75 hours may be completed through Non-Contact Trainings, which include APT approved book studies, on-demand webinars, live webinars, specialized live webinars, etc. 

21. Is there a time limit for achieving the 150 hours of play therapy instruction?

Yes. Applicants must demonstrate attainment of the credentialing requirements in no less than two (2) years and no more than ten (10) years from start of accruement. The necessary skills to practice play therapy competently are not acquired in a short period of time – this includes training, supervision, and experience. 

Renewal of SB-RPT^TM Credential (Standards, Section 09)

22. Once I earn my SB-RPT^TM credential, what additional play therapy continuing education is required to maintain it?

You must earn 24 hours of play therapy specific training and 3 hours of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) training (or diagnosis/psychopathology) during each subsequent 36-month continuing education cycle. Not more than 12 of the 24 play therapy hours may be non-contact. All play therapy hours must be obtained through APT Approved Provider CE trainings or University graduate course visible on a transcript. DSM training hours may be non-contact or contact and need not be from an APT Approved Provider. See page 17, Section 09 of the SB- RPTTM Standards for more information regarding renewing your credential.

23. When do I renew my SB-RPT^TM credential?

Renew annually 12 months after approval. APT will notify you via email (please ensure your member profile has current contact information) Be sure to earn 24 hours of play therapy training and 3 hours of DSM training during each 36-month continuing education cycle.

Transitioning from the SB-RPT^TM to the RPT^TM

24. I am a current SB-RPT^TM. What do I need to do to obtain the RPTTM credential?

Should you obtain a clinical mental health license issued by your state mental health board (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, etc.), you may be eligible to transition your SB-RPT^TM to the RPT^TM credential. Please contact us and request to transition your credential. After receipt of your request, a review of your file will be completed and an email sent to you outlining the necessary requirements you will need to transition.

25. What are the benefits of transitioning from the SB-RPT^TM to the RPT^TM credential?

APT’s play therapy credentials come along side your state licensing laws and regulations. School counselors and school psychologists licensed through their State Department of Education are permitted to practice only on school grounds while mental health practitioners licensed through their state mental health boards may practice where permitted (e.g. private practice, hospitals, clinics, schools, etc.).

Miscellaneous

26. I am a current RPT^TM and would like to obtain the SB-RPT^TM as well. Does APT confer multiple credentials to an individual?

No, registrants cannot hold more than one APT credential at any given time (so you are either a RPT^TM or a RPT-S^TM or a SB-RPT^TM).

27. Is it true that some states do not permit you to use the RPT^TM acronym?

Yes. Please review the list of states that do not permit you to use the RPT^TM acronym as it is already in use for registered physical therapists. In these states, registrants must spell out their credential.

28. Does the SB-RPT^TM credential replace my state department of education license/certification?

No. The SB-RPT^TM credential is a secondary credential and does not legally permit you to practice without a state department of education license. In fact, applicants are not eligible for the SB-RPT^TM credentials without a state department of education license.