Registered Play Therapist

As an APTA Registered Play Therapist you are recognised for the skills, expertise and experience you have as a practicing specialist Play Therapist and Mental Health professional. This demonstrates to employers, professional colleagues, parents, clients and carers that an individual play therapist and mental health professional has achieved the professional standard for practice in play therapy as required by APTA. Applicants must agree to abide by the APTA Best Practices Guidelines and are subject to the Complaints Procedure of their mental health professional association.

Eligibility Requirements

The Australian Play Therapists Association confers the designation of Australian Play Therapists Association Registered Play Therapist (APTA-RPT) to individuals who have provided APTA with documentation that they have:

1. Mental Health qualification.

2. Registration with a regulation body related to Mental Health qualification Level 3 ACA, Clinical Member PACFA, AASW, AHPRA, ACATA, ANZATA.

3. WWCC or National Police Certificate.

4. Professional Indemnity Insurance.

5. 150 hours Play Therapy training (100 hours live contact hours, & 50 hours non contact).

6. 300 hours post training Play Therapy specific client hours.

7. 50 hours post training Play Therapy specific supervision (max. 10 hours group supervision may be included). Supervision must be with a Registered Play Therapist or Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of APTA, APPTA, APT, or BAPT.

The designation as an APTA-RPT does 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.

150 hours of Play Therapy training with a minimum of 100 hours face to face training and no more than 50 hours of distance or online learning

• The 150 hours of Play Therapy training accepted by APTA for Clinical Membership must be Play Therapy specific and focused on Play Therapy as a form of counselling or psychotherapy for children.

• APTA only accepts Play Therapy specific training for clinical member training hours

e.g. A workshop on Trauma and Attachment linked with Play Therapy practice is accepted by APTA whereas a Trauma and Attachment workshop that is general and not relating specifically to Play Therapy is not accepted by APTA for the Play Therapy training hours required for Clinical Membership.

Play Therapy approaches that are accepted by APTA and where the Play Therapy training is focused on specializing in working with children include:

1. • Child Centered Play Therapy(this may include some hours related to Filial Therapy note, total hours cannot relate to Filial Therapy exclusive

2. Narrative Play Therapy

3.  Relationship Play Therapy

4. Psychoanalytic Play Therapy

5.  Psychodynamic Play Therapy

6.  Object Relations Play Therapy

7.  Jungian Play Therapy

8.  Experiential Play Therapy

9. Gestalt Play Therapy

10.  Structured Play Therapy

11.  Adlerian Play Therapy

12. Sand Play Therapy

13. Synergetic Play Therapy

14. • Other – other Play Therapy modalities will be considered where the Play Therapy modality is a form of counselling or psychotherapy for children such as Theraplay. 

All applicants for APTA Registered Play Therapist must demonstrate completion of approved Play Therapy specific training in the following areas and meet the following criteria:

1. Social - emotional developmental stages of children linked with play therapy

2.  Ethical issues in working with children in play therapy

3. Theoretical model/s of play therapy and the application of 1 or more systematic model/s to the practise of play therapy

4.  Play therapy skills based training

5. The therapeutic relationship including issues of transference and countertransference in the play therapy relationship

6.  Attachment theories linked with play therapy

7.  Play therapy case conceptualisation and assessment

8. History of Play Therapy

Renewal Requirements

• Minimum 10 hours of professional development per membership cycle, specific to the practice of play therapy.  This can be in face-to-face training, distance or online learning. Clinical Supervision does not constitute Professional Development. Verification of these hours must be provided either via a certificate or a statutory declaration. Evidence of attendance at PD may be requested by the APTA committee for approval of membership.

• Minimum 50 hours Play Therapy specific client hours.

• 10 hours Play Therapy specific supervision with a Registered Play Therapist or Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of APTA, APPTA, APT, or BAPT.

Benefits of Membership

• Advertise their membership status with the post nominals Australian Play Therapists Association Registered Play Therapist (APTA-RPT).

• Advertise as a Registered Play Therapist of the Australian Play Therapists Association.

• Listing on the APTA Register of Play Therapists “Where to Find a Registered Play Therapist” indicating you have met the professional standards, clinical experience and maintain ongoing professional development to work as an APTA Registered Play Therapist.

• Advertising of your professional details on the APTA “Where to find a Registered Play Therapist” webpage.

• Voting rights at APTA meetings and eligibility for membership on the APTA committee.

• Display APTA’s logo on advertising material.

• $225 per year on acceptance of Registered Play Therapist Application

• Membership fees are set according to the category application. Membership will run for (1) year from the date the application is approved.