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Registered Play Therapist Supervisor
As an APTA Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor you are recognised as having an advanced level of expertise, as evidenced by ongoing practice and continued education, in the field of play therapy. As with one’s primary license, it is important to recognize experience informs supervisory practice and that advanced clinical skills are needed before one may supervise others under the RPT-S designation. This also 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 Supervisor to individuals who have provided APTA with documentation that they have:
1. Mental Health qualification:
o Psychology (Post Graduate Degree or Masters level)
o Social Work (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Occupational Therapy (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Mental Health Nursing (Grad Dip, Post Grad Dip or Masters level)
o Counselling (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Creative Art Therapy or Art Therapy (Masters level)
2. Registration with a regulation body related to Mental Health qualification: Level 3 ACA, Clinical Member PACFA, AASW, AHPRA, or ANZACATA
3. WWCC (or National Police Certificate, Blue Card Police Check, Teachers Clearance dependent on State requirements)
4. Professional Indemnity Insurance ($10,000,000 min on one claim cover).
5. 150 hours Play Therapy training (with a minimum of 100 hours face to face or live online contact hours, & no more than 50 hours of distance or online non contact learning. See Training page for more information).
6. 750 hours of post tertiary qualification clinical practice hours
7. 300 hours post training Play Therapy specific client hours.
8. 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. Supervision (and not Consultation) with a Certified Synergetic Supervisor will be accepted if evidenced. From July 1st, 2026, all supervision must be provided by a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Supervision with Registered Play Therapists which takes place after June 30, 2026 will no longer be accepted.
9. 22 hours of supervision training in your mental health field plus 6 hours of Play Therapy specific supervision training OR 24 hours of Play Therapy supervision training with an approved provider. All hours of supervision training must be attended face to face or live online. Pre-recorded videos, readings and other self-paced course materials will not be counted towards the total hours. All supervision training must be competency assessed (i.e. QIPT, Psychology and Play Therapy Australia, APT, Deakin University).
10.Minimum 2 years as a Registered Play Therapist prior to application for Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (or demonstration of the equivalence of meeting Registered Play Therapist criteria for 2 years prior, inclusive of the equivalent renewal hours in the preceding 2 year period (200 hours play therapy practice, 20 hours play therapy professional development and 20 supervision hours).
Annual Renewal Requirements
• 10 hours of professional development specific to the practice of play therapy and 3 hours of professional development related to play therapy supervision (13 total). This can be face-to-face training, distance or online learning. Clinical Supervision does not constitute Professional Development.
• Minimum 50 hours of the provision of Play Therapy and/or the provision of Play Therapy supervision (until June 30, 2026). For all renewals from July 1, 2026 onwards, a minimum 100 hours of Play Therapy and/or the provision of Play Therapy supervision will be required.
• Effective as of April 26, 2025: 12 hours Play Therapy-specific and/or Play Therapy Supervision-specific supervision (at the therapist’s decision of how hours are allocated) with a Registered Play Therapist or Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of APTA, APPTA, APT, or BAPT. Group supervision will be accepted for no more than 6 supervision renewal hours (50%), with every 1.5 hours of group supervision accepted as 1 hour of supervision. No more than 4 hours may be conducted in any single session of group supervision. Group supervisor/supervisee ratio 1:6 maximum. From July 1st, 2026, all supervision must be provided by a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Supervision with Registered Play Therapists which takes place after June 30, 2026 will no longer be accepted.
Benefits of Membership
• Advertise as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of the Australian Play Therapists Association.
• Listing on the APTA Register of Play Therapists “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.
• Voting rights at APTA meetings and eligibility for membership on the APTA committee.
• Display APTA’s logo on advertising material.
• Advertising up to twice per calendar year without charge.
• $245 per year on acceptance of the application
• Membership fees are set according to the category application. Membership will run for (1) year from the date the application is approved.
As an APTA Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor you are recognised as having an advanced level of expertise, as evidenced by ongoing practice and continued education, in the field of play therapy. As with one’s primary license, it is important to recognize experience informs supervisory practice and that advanced clinical skills are needed before one may supervise others under the RPT-S designation. This also 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 Supervisor to individuals who have provided APTA with documentation that they have:
1. Mental Health qualification:
o Psychology (Post Graduate Degree or Masters level)
o Social Work (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Occupational Therapy (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Mental Health Nursing (Grad Dip, Post Grad Dip or Masters level)
o Counselling (Bachelor or Masters level)
o Creative Art Therapy or Art Therapy (Masters level)
2. Registration with a regulation body related to Mental Health qualification: Level 3 ACA, Clinical Member PACFA, AASW, AHPRA, or ANZACATA
3. WWCC (or National Police Certificate, Blue Card Police Check, Teachers Clearance dependent on State requirements)
4. Professional Indemnity Insurance ($10,000,000 min on one claim cover).
5. 150 hours Play Therapy training (with a minimum of 100 hours face to face or live online contact hours, & no more than 50 hours of distance or online non contact learning. See Training page for more information).
6. 750 hours of post tertiary qualification clinical practice hours
7. 300 hours post training Play Therapy specific client hours.
8. 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. Supervision (and not Consultation) with a Certified Synergetic Supervisor will be accepted if evidenced. From July 1st, 2026, all supervision must be provided by a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Supervision with Registered Play Therapists which takes place after June 30, 2026 will no longer be accepted.
9. 22 hours of supervision training in your mental health field plus 6 hours of Play Therapy specific supervision training OR 24 hours of Play Therapy supervision training with an approved provider. All hours of supervision training must be attended face to face or live online. Pre-recorded videos, readings and other self-paced course materials will not be counted towards the total hours. All supervision training must be competency assessed (i.e. QIPT, Psychology and Play Therapy Australia, APT, Deakin University).
10.Minimum 2 years as a Registered Play Therapist prior to application for Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (or demonstration of the equivalence of meeting Registered Play Therapist criteria for 2 years prior, inclusive of the equivalent renewal hours in the preceding 2 year period (200 hours play therapy practice, 20 hours play therapy professional development and 20 supervision hours).
Annual Renewal Requirements
• 10 hours of professional development specific to the practice of play therapy and 3 hours of professional development related to play therapy supervision (13 total). This can be face-to-face training, distance or online learning. Clinical Supervision does not constitute Professional Development.
• Minimum 50 hours of the provision of Play Therapy and/or the provision of Play Therapy supervision (until June 30, 2026). For all renewals from July 1, 2026 onwards, a minimum 100 hours of Play Therapy and/or the provision of Play Therapy supervision will be required.
• Effective as of April 26, 2025: 12 hours Play Therapy-specific and/or Play Therapy Supervision-specific supervision (at the therapist’s decision of how hours are allocated) with a Registered Play Therapist or Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of APTA, APPTA, APT, or BAPT. Group supervision will be accepted for no more than 6 supervision renewal hours (50%), with every 1.5 hours of group supervision accepted as 1 hour of supervision. No more than 4 hours may be conducted in any single session of group supervision. Group supervisor/supervisee ratio 1:6 maximum. From July 1st, 2026, all supervision must be provided by a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Supervision with Registered Play Therapists which takes place after June 30, 2026 will no longer be accepted.
Benefits of Membership
• Advertise as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor of the Australian Play Therapists Association.
• Listing on the APTA Register of Play Therapists “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.
• Voting rights at APTA meetings and eligibility for membership on the APTA committee.
• Display APTA’s logo on advertising material.
• Advertising up to twice per calendar year without charge.
• $245 per year on acceptance of the application
• Membership fees are set according to the category application. Membership will run for (1) year from the date the application is approved.