How To Become a Play Therapist

By Amy Flaherty, LPE-I, RPT - Guest Blogger

Ever wanted to be a play therapist but have gotten confused when trying to figure out just HOW?  You know being a play therapist will help your career but are not sure which path is best for your life, budget, and overall state of mind? Have you even talked to a play therapist about his or her path and left more confused about the process than when you started?

If any of these sound like you, this post will help.  Yes, being a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) is awesome for many reasons. You get the community of like-minded therapists through the Association for Play Therapy (APT) verification and validation that you do know what you are doing, and quality trainings.  HOWEVER, getting to the place of being a RPT is not always a straight line.  

The picture below will give you a good starting place to understand the different options and requirements of becoming a play therapist. Of course, not all variables are accounted for and more questions may arise on your journey.

Fortunately, APT is very open to all questions.  Visit the APT web site for more information.  Email or call them directly to find answers to specific queries. Of course, I am always open to answer any and all questions about play therapy, as is Pam Dyson.  

 

Celebrate National Play Therapy Week! Become a Play Therapist!

Amy Flaherty, LPE-I, RPT has been working with children in the therapeutic setting since 2005.  In addition to clinical work at her private practice, Amy conducts APT-approved trainings for therapists in the area of sandtray therapy, both at the introductory and advanced levels. 

To learn more about Amy's  work with play therapy and sandtray trainings, visit her Facebook Page and her website True Hope Counseling

National Play Therapy Week, February 2-8, 2014

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) the national society that advances Play Therapy has designated February 2-8, 2014 as National Play Therapy Week. APT has asked licensed mental health professionals throughout the United States to remind the public of the value of play, Play Therapy, and Registered Play Therapists.

To do my part to promote play therapy I have decided to feature play therapists as guest bloggers this week. I've lined up a terrific group of talented play therapists who are excited to share their passion with you. 

You will find their blog entries to be informational and inspirational and I hope you will share their entries via social media to your family, friends and others as a way of further promoting play therapy. 

Why Play Therapists Should Avoid Labeling Toys During Sessions

I'm child-centered in my play therapy approach with children. During sessions I follow Garry Landreth's rule of thumb that toys in the play room are not identified or labeled until the child has verbalized an identifying label for the toy. What might be obvious to us may not be at all what a child has in mind.

This can be illustrated by this little wooden stove that is one of the pieces of furniture from the portable doll house I use in a school setting. 


Today, two different children picked it up, wondered aloud what it was and then answered their own question when one laid it on it's side and said, "It's a car," and the second child said, "It's a roller coaster." Then both children proceeded to use the toy as they had labeled it.

If I would have labeled the toy as "a stove" Landreth says I would have interfered with the children's creativity and fantasy and possibly impeded their ability to decide what they want the toy to be. Landreth goes on to say that when we avoid labeling toys we create a relationship where children feel safe to explore and use the toys in non-conventional ways.



For more information on this and other important skills play therapists need to facilitate child-centered play therapy I suggest reading Landreth's book Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. 

Feelings Catapult

Some basic craft supplies can be easily fashioned into a feelings catapult.