Wednesday, February 6, 2019

How To Become A Registered Play Therapist

By Martha Anderson


Most often, individuals working in this area of the therapeutic field must have completed a Bachelors, Masters or hold a PhD which includes coursework in five core areas. It should be noted that different licensing organizations like the Association of Play Therapy aka APT and others have different requirements on How To Become A Registered Play Therapist. Although, most all require coursework in the areas of psychopathology, psychotherapy, theories of personality and child development.

Applicants desiring to become therapists in this area must already hold a state license in the field of mental health. When it comes to a SB-RPT School Based Registered Play Therapist, these individuals must be working as a child psychologist or school counselor. In addition, these individuals must hold a certificate from the Department of the Education from the state in which the individual is working at the time.

Before applying, applicants need to understand the meaning of three job titles in the area and overall job descriptions. The positions and titles in this area include Registered Play Therapist, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and School Based Play Therapist. While each position is similar in providing therapy to clients, SB-RPTs must hold a certificate and license from the a state Department of Education.

Individuals licensed by a state mental health board are not eligible for SB-RPT positions though depending on requirements might be eligible for the RPT-S or RPT positions. Whereas, the APT does allow for individuals to hold more than one credential at a time. While this is the case, there are specific requirements based on association and state rules related to individuals working in these areas.

While there are specific criteria and requirements, there are benefits to working in this area. In one case, being a therapist in this area often helps relay the knowledge the individual has in the area of play therapy to colleges, universities, schools, children, teachers, parents and associates. Whereas, active registered play therapists also prove the credibility and visibility of the position to the general public and perspective clients.

There are also specific work requirements for those working in this area. These include two thousand direct client contact and two years of direct hours for those applying for SB-RPT and RPT positions. Whereas, three thousand hours of client contact and three thousand direct hours are required for those desiring to work in RPT-S positions.

It should be noted that these are only the basic educational and employment requirements and do not include those set by various associations involved in this type of therapy. As such, it is important to inquire about specific organizational based requirements when planning on applying for a certificate or license in this area. After which, it is more likely that an application will be accepted without having to reapply due to missing criteria, proof of education and employment or missing information.

When submitting an application, individuals must be able to prove that all requirements, including state, educational and work-related have been met before registration can be finalized. In the case of the APT, the association has a list of approved methods of verification that requirements have been met on the organization website. Whereas, if obtaining licensing from another agency, it is important to inquire about such proof in order for registration to take place in a timely and efficient manner.




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