Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™)

The Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) credential is awarded by the Association for Play Therapy (APT) to licensed mental health professionals who have completed advanced education, supervised clinical experience, and specialized training in play therapy. The credential is recognized nationally as a standard of competency in the practice of play therapy.

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate form of psychotherapy that helps children express emotions, process experiences, strengthen coping skills, and improve relationships through the language most natural to them: play.

Because children often communicate differently than adults, play therapy allows trained clinicians to understand and respond to a child’s emotional world in ways that may not emerge through traditional talk therapy alone.

The Registered Play Therapist™ credential indicates advanced post-graduate specialization in the psychotherapeutic treatment of children using play-based interventions grounded in child development, attachment theory, and mental health research.

Clinicians pursuing or holding the RPT™ credential complete substantial post-licensure preparation, including:

150 hours of play therapy-specific instruction
350 hours of direct play therapy clinical experience
35 hours of supervised consultation with an RPT-S™
Specialized training in developmental, trauma-informed, and family-centered treatment approaches

RPT™ clinicians receive education in:

Child and adolescent mental health
Trauma and attachment
Family systems and parent consultation
Developmental assessment
Therapeutic use of expressive and play-based modalities
Developmentally responsive assessment and intervention
Interdisciplinary collaboration and continuity of care

The credential also requires ongoing renewal and continuing education to maintain competency and remain current with developments in the field of play therapy.

Foundational Theraplay® Practitioner

Theraplay® is an evidence-based, attachment-focused, dyadic therapy designed to strengthen the relationship between children and caregivers through playful, structured, nurturing, and engaging interactions. The model is grounded in attachment theory, neuroscience, child development, and relational trauma treatment. www.theraplay.org

The Theraplay Institute offers a structured certification pathway that helps clinicians develop competency through both intensive training and ongoing supervision. Foundational Theraplay® Practitioner Certification represents the first formal level of certification and reflects meaningful specialized training in the Theraplay modality.

The process of earning Foundational Theraplay® Practitioner Certification involves several stages of advanced professional development beyond graduate education and clinical licensure.

The certification process typically includes:

A master’s degree or higher in a mental health or related helping profession
Clinical licensure or professional credentials allowing independent practice
Completion of Level One Theraplay® & MIM (Marschak Interaction Method) Training
Participation in a formal Theraplay® practicum
Direct supervised Theraplay® clinical work with children and caregivers
Ongoing consultation and evaluation by a Certified Theraplay® Supervisor

According to the Theraplay Institute, the foundational certification process includes:

Completion of the 4-day Level One Theraplay® & MIM training
A minimum of 8 supervised Theraplay® sessions
A minimum of 32 unsupervised clinical Theraplay® sessions
Recommendation and approval from a Certified Theraplay® Supervisor
Participation in supervision focused on fidelity to the Theraplay® model and clinical skill development.

The Theraplay Institute identifies Foundational Certification as the recommended minimum standard for best practice in the Theraplay® modality. (theraplay.org)