Who Are RPT™ Candidates?

A Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) is a licensed mental health professional who provides play therapy to individuals, groups, and families. Who qualifies to be an RPT™? An RPT™ credential is for candidates who hold:

A master’s

A master’s or higher clinical mental health degree in counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychiatry, psychology, or social work.

A current

active, and unconditional state license to independently provide clinical mental health services in counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychiatry, psychology, or social work.

Documentation

of additional play therapy instruction, supervision by an RPT-S™ and concurrent play therapy experience.

Note: You may work toward your state required mental health license simultaneously as your RPT credential. But you must hold a current and active state license to independently provide clinical mental health services by the time you apply for an RPT™ credential. This is not an exhaustive list of requirements, See APT for more details and requirements. Final approval for any credential is at the sole discretion of APT.

For RPT™ Candidates We Track
  • Hours by Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3
  • 150 hours of play therapy instruction and recommended Play Therapy Primary Areas.
  • A minimum of 350 direct client contact hours
  • A minimum of 50 hour of supervision by a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S™)
  • Individual and Group Supervision hours, and supervisor observations
  • Contact vs. Non-Contact Hours
  • Multiple play therapy supervisors and multiple sites
  • When you or your play therapy supervisor’s credentials are up for renewal
  • Instruction hours by APT approved provider
  • Your minimum 2-year training requirement and alert you when you are nearing the seven (7) year ceiling