Play Therapy & The Association for Play Therapy

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) is a national professional society founded in 1982 to promote the value of play, play therapy, and credentialed play therapists.   APT defines play therapy 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 differs from regular play in that the therapist helps the child to address and resolve their own issues, at their own pace, using their own innate language – play.

APT welcomes the opportunity to be a resource for you and the children and families you serve. With over 5,100 credentialed play therapists across the country, APT is the most widely-known and reputable play therapy agency, dedicated to promoting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of all people, especially children.

Who, What, and Why Play Therapy?

A credentialed play therapist is a licensed mental health professional who has earned a Master's or Doctorate degree in a mental health field with considerable clinical experience and supervision. With advanced, specialized training, experience, and supervision, mental health professionals may earn the School Based-Registered Play Therapist^TM (SB-RPT), Registered Play Therapist^TM (RPT), or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor^TM (RPT-S) credentials conferred by APT.

Play therapists can be found across the country in private, group, and agency practice as well as in universities, schools, and hospitals.

Our Play Therapy Makes a Difference document provides answers to common questions from parents, such as what is play therapy and how does play therapy work? In addition, Parents Corner is dedicated to parents and our YouTube channel offers numerous, informative videos.

Research

Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders, including: children whose problems are related to life stressors, such as divorce, death, relocation, hospitalization, chronic illness, assimilate stressful experiences, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, 2005; LeBlanc & Ritchie, 2001; Lin & Bratton, 2015; Ray, Armstrong, Balkin, & Jayne, 2015).

The Play Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Statement (PTEBP) provides a summary of effective outcomes demonstrated through play therapy research over the last 20 years.

Resources for Your Office Order FREE Why Play Therapy? brochures for your office today by filling out the form below. Brochures are useful to help educate parents and colleagues on the value of play, play therapy, and credentialed play therapists. Available in both English and Spanish in quantities of 25.