Play Therapy Graduate Certificate

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^TM (RPT^TM) or School-Based Registered Play Therapist^TM (SB-RPT^TM) 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^TM (RPT-S^TM). 

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^TM or SB-RPT^TM. 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^TM and SB-RPT^TM 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^TM (RPT^TM) or School-Based Registered Play Therapist^TM (SB-RPT^TM) credential.  

To be approved to take the coursework for the Certificate in Play Therapy through the College of Continuing Education, students must meet the following minimum requirements: 

1. Possess a graduate degree in counseling or a closely related field 
2. Earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in the graduate degree 
3. Licensure or Associate registration as an LPCC, LCSW, or MFT through the Board of Behavioral Sciences (or equivalent state licensing board), licensure or associate registration as a psychologist through the Board of Psychology (or equivalent state licensing board), OR possession of a valid Pupil Personnel Services credential through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (or equivalent state teacher credentialing board). 

This is a graduate-level certificate program and students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in good standing.

Structure

The program is offered in a hybrid format with a blend of in-person coursework and options for in-person or online supervision.  

The courses in the certificate program are: 

*EDC 477 may be taken multiple times to complete supervision hours.  Enrollment in the class, including paying course fees, is required each time the course is completed. 

Students coming into the certificate program who already have EDC 242 (or an approved equivalent) complete will only need to complete the remaining 7 units to earn the certificate. Please note that the EDC 242 or equivalent course must have been taken through in-person instruction in order to meet credentialing standards.    

RPT^TM and SB-RPT^TM Credential Information 

To be eligible for the RPT^TM and SB-RPT^TM 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^TM credential and 600 hours for the SB-RPT^TM credential), and complete 150 hours of play therapy specific instruction. Candidates for the RPT^TM and SB-RPT^TM credentials must receive supervision from a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor^TM (RPT-S^TM) for their direct contact hours to count. The RPT^TM credential requires applicants to complete 35 hours of supervision across three phases, and the SB-RPT^TM credential requires applicants to complete 50 hours of supervision. 

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. 

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^TM (RPT^TM) and School-Based Registered Play Therapist^TM (SB-RPT^TM) 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^TM or SB-RPT^TM. The CSU will not refund tuition, fees, or any associated costs to students who determine subsequent to admission that they cannot meet credentialing requirements.