Play Therapy Training

Play Therapists usually hold a primary qualification in a relevant mental health field such as counselling, psychotherapy, social work, psychology: in addition to having undertaken specific Play Therapy training and supervision. Furthermore, there is no overarching governing or regulating body that legally requires a Play Therapist to be registered in order to practice Play Therapy. Therefore, a practitioner can practice Play Therapy should they have the appropriate training and the support of their workplace. Hence, APTA was founded on the view that a formal mental health background is crucial to working therapeutically with children and an essential criteria for APTA membership.

APTA is aware of several different training providers. These different providers offer different modalities of Play Therapy. APTA recommends that you do your own research to find a modality and training style that suits you.

Training providers offering the full 150 training hours (100 contact and 50 non contact hours):

- Child Centred Australia - https://www.childcentredaustralia.com/

- Master of Play Therapy, Deakin University - https://www.deakin.edu.au/

- Play Therapy Australasia - https://playtherapy.org/

- Play Therapy International - https://playtherapy.org/

- Queensland Institute of Play Therapy - https://qipt.com.au/

- Sydney Centre for Creative Change - https://www.artandplaytherapytraining.com.au/qualification_in_play_and_art_therapy

Training providers offering a portion of the required training hours:

- Play Therapy Online Training Academy -APTA accepts 24 hours non contact training.

- Interplay (Donna Berry Institute, previously Play Therapy Australia) -APTA accepts training completed before March 1, 2023 for full recognition of hours; training completed between March 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024 for a maximum of 60 hours training recognised; and training post May 1, 2024 will not be recognised for any hours for registration purposes.

- Synergetic Play Therapy Institute -APTA accepts this as part of the full training needed as the course is only 87 hours.

-Play Therapy Training Australia -APTA accepts training completed prior to August 19, 2024 for up to 50 hours of non-contact training only. Training undertaken post August 19, 2024 will be recognised for up to 65 hours of contact training and up to the maximum 50 hours non-contact training.

-Play Therapy School -APTA accepts 50 hours non-contact training.