Overview
The Certificate in Play Therapy is a 10-unit graduate-level certificate program designed to prepare candidates to meet the eligibility requirements for credentialing as a Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) or School-Based Registered Play Therapist™ (SB-RPT™) through the Association for Play Therapy. The program includes advanced coursework in play therapy, including play therapy history, play therapy seminal and historically significant theories, play therapy skills and methods, play therapy special topics, and play therapy cultural and social diversity topics. All coursework includes experiential components so that students may further practice and develop their play therapy skills. Enrolled students will also receive play therapy supervision from a credentialed Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S™).
Benefits
The Certificate in Play Therapy provides students with advanced competency in providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and their families, and eligibility for credentialing as an RPT™ or SB-RPT™. The certificate encompasses four courses that fulfill the required 150 hours of play therapy-specific instruction and a minimum of 20 of the required 35-50 hours of supervision of play therapy experience needed for the RPT™ and SB-RPT™ credentials. The course schedule is built around the needs of working professionals through a hybrid format that fulfills the APT requirements for in-person contact hours while also offering the flexibility of virtual learning. In-person class meetings are offered on Friday evenings and Saturdays, and online synchronous sessions are held in the evenings. Supervision is available in either the morning or evening to accommodate the various work settings of students.
Audience
This program is ideal for graduates of the Sacramento State M.S. in Counseling program, as well as counselors in the community who are seeking to obtain their Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) or School-Based Registered Play Therapist™ (SB-RPT™) credential.
RPT™ and SB-RPT™ Credential Information
To be eligible for the RPT™ and SB-RPT™ credentials, individuals must earn a master’s degree in counseling or a related field, hold either a mental health license or a school counseling credential with two years of experience including direct play therapy experience (350 hours for the RPT™ credential and 600 hours for the SB-RPT™ credential), and complete 150 hours of play therapy specific instruction. Candidates for the RPT™ and SB-RPT™ credentials must receive supervision from a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S™) for their direct contact hours to count. The RPT™ credential requires applicants to complete 35 hours of supervision across three phases, and the SB-RPT™ credential requires applicants to complete 50 hours of supervision.
Courses
EDC 242: Play and Art in Therapy with Children – 3 units
Explores the ways children use fantasy, play, and art as means for communication, growth, and healing. Emphasis is placed on clinical skills, therapeutic limit setting, counseling theory, and developmentally appropriate interventions. Purchase of some basic art supplies is required.
EDC 245: Advanced Play Therapy – 3 units
EDC 245 is a 3-unit seminar course designed for the advanced study of play therapy and builds upon material taught in EDC 242. Students will have the opportunity to expand on their basic play therapy skills through actual play therapy experiences with children and receive both instructor and peer feedback. Students will study the application of play therapy theories with diverse populations, as well as additional advanced topics, including trauma and play therapy, and play therapy across the lifespan.
EDC 246: Filial and Group Play Therapy – 3 units
EDC 246 is a 3-unit seminar course designed for the advanced study of play therapy and builds upon material taught in EDC 242. Students will study the theory, tenets, and implementation of filial therapy and group play therapy with diverse populations. Students will have the opportunity to apply group play therapy skills with children and adolescents, as well as practice an evidence-based filial therapy model, and receive both instructor and peer feedback.
EDC 477: Supervision in Play Therapy (may be taken a maximum of six times to complete supervision hours) – 1 unit
EDC 477 is a 1-unit advanced counseling course designed to provide students with specialized supervision in play therapy from an instructor who possesses the RPT-S credential. This course is intended to be taken concurrently with practicum, internship, or while earning post-graduate hours in the field. Students will participate in a weekly one-hour supervision group, as well as receive tri-weekly individual supervision to fulfill the play therapy supervision requirement for the Registered Play Therapist and/or School-Based Registered Play Therapist credentials.
Licensure/Credentialing
Special Note about Credentialing: Admission into programs leading to specialized credentialing does not guarantee that students will obtain a credential. The Association for Play Therapy determines the requirements for credentialing as a Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT) and School-Based Registered Play Therapist™ (SB-RPT), and is not controlled by or affiliated with the CSU. Credentialing requirements can change at any time. Students are responsible for determining whether they can meet credentialing as an RPT™ or SB-RPT™. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who determine after admission that they cannot meet credentialing requirements.
Please visit the Play Therapy Credentials section of the Association for Play Therapy website for more information.
For questions concerning the Credentialing Program, contact APT at info@a4pt.org or 559-298-3400.
To receive more information about the Play Therapy Graduate Certificate program offered through the CCE, please fill out an interest form here.
