Certificate Program

Becoming Playful

Play Therapy Certificate Program

The Becoming Playful program is open to individuals looking to become Registered Play Therapists. Individuals must be currently enrolled in a master’s level mental health program (counseling, social work, marriage and family, psychology, or psychiatry). Or the individual has completed, at minimum, a master’s level mental health program.

Becoming Playful is designed to meet your needs, both money and time. Becoming Playful has competitive pricing compared to other local and national APT Approved Providers. The program is designed to use contact, virtual, recorded trainings to maximize your time. This will reduce your amount of time off work and expenses of driving/hotel. Our trainers are Registered Play Therapist Supervisors (RPT-S) and are extremely familiar with the 3 phases and how to navigate them. The course outline follows the APT phase system.

Start dates for the program are January and September each year. Participants can expect to complete one in-person, virtual or recorded training per month for the two year minimum requirement for play therapy training. Trainings align with phase system requirements for play therapy instructions. Participants will receive 26 hours in Child-Centered Play Therapy and 26 hours in Adlerian Play Therapy to meet the requirement of 25 hours in one seminol theory.

Phase 1 Trainings

Introduction to the Playroom 3 Virtual Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
Play Therapy Through the Ages 5 Virtual Hours Content Area: History
Foundations of Child-Centered Play Therapy 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Foundations of Adlerian Play Therapy 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Broad Play Therapy Strategies 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
The Art of the Relationship 8 Non-Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Social and Cultural Diversity / Play Across the Lifespan 5 Contact Hours Content Area: Diversity & Skills
When Parents are at War 3 Non-Contact Hours Content Area: Special Topics

History: 5 Hours Skills: 12 Hours Theories: 20 Hours Diversity: 2 Hours Special Topics: 3 Hours Total Hours: 42 Hours

Phase 2 Trainings

Adlerian Conceptualization 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Building Blocks of Sandtray Therapy 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
Creative Expressions in the Playroom 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
One Tray to Rule Them All! Sandtray with Groups and Families 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
Partners in Play 8 Non-Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Seminol Theories 6 Non-Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Attachment Centered Play Therapy 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Special Topics
Social and Cultural Diversity Part 2 / Touch in the Playroom 5 Contact Hours Content Area: Diversity & Skills
Intermediate Child-Centered Play Therapy 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Alphabet Soup: Supporting LGBTQIA+ 3 Virtual Hours Content Area: Special Topics

Skills: 25 Hours Theories: 26 Hours Diversity: 2 Hours Special Topics: 5 Hours Total Hours: 58 Hours

Phase 3 Trainings

Play Therapy in Early Childhood 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
Yours, Mine, and Ours; Working with Divorced & Blended Families 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Special Topics
Advanced Child-Centered Play Therapy   6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Adlerian Phases and Treatment Planning   6 Contact Hours Content Area: Theories
Introduction to Trauma in the Playroom 6 Contact Hours Content Area: Special Topics
Posttraumatic Play: Is it Dynamic or Toxic? 3 Contact Hours Content Area: Special Topics
Sandtray with Special Populations   6 Contact Hours Content Area: Skills & Methods
Social and Cultural Diversity Part 3 / Burnout 5 Contact Hours Content Area: Diversity & Skills
Interpersonal Neurobiology in the Playroom 6 Non-Contact Hours Content Area: Special Topics

Skills: 15 Hours   Theories: 12 Hours Diversity: 2 Hours   Special Topics: 21 Hours Total Hours: 50 Hours

Phase Overview

  Phase 1   APT Minimum Requirements
Seminol Theories: 20 Hours   20 Hours
Skills & Methods:   12 Hours 10 Hours
History: 5 Hours 5 Hours During Any Phase
Diversity: 2 Hours (2 Hours Per Phase) 6 Hours During Any Phase
Special Topics: 3 Hours 0-5 Hours
Total: 42 Hours 35-55 Hours

Phase 2 APT Minimum Requirements
Seminol Theories: 26 Hours 25-30 Hours
Skills & Methods:   25 Hours 25-30 Hours
Diversity: 2 Hours (2 Hours Per Phase) 6 Hours During Any Phase
Special Topics: 5 Hours 5-10 Hours
Total: 58 Hours 55-70 Hours

Phase 3   APT Minimum Requirements
Seminol Theories: 12 Hours 10-15 Hours
Skills & Methods: 15 Hours 15-20 Hours
Diversity: 2 Hours (2 Hours Per Phase) 6 Hours During Any Phase
Special Topics: 21 Hours 20-25 Hours
Total: 50 Hours 45-60 Hours

Program Overview

  Program Totals APT Training Requirements
Seminol Theories: 58 Hours 55 Hours  (25 Hours in one seminol Theory)
(26 Hours in CCPT & 26 Hours in Adlerian)
Skills & Methods: 52 Hours 50 Hours
Diversity: 6 Hours 6 Hours
Special Topics: 29 Hours 25 Hours
History: 5 Hours 5 Hours
  Total: 150 Hours 150 Hours

Contact Hours: 102 Hours 100 Hours (No Less Than)
Non-Contact Hours: 48 Hours 50 Hours (No More Than)

Program Fees

Here at the Playhouse we are mindful of your financial needs. We have three payment options to help you through the play therapy training process.
Pay in Full Pay per Phase   Pay per Training
  Total: $3,000 $1,050 $22.5 per hour
    Total: $3,150   Total: $3,375

Disclaimer: Completion of the certificate program is NOT a guarantee for receiving the registered play therapy certification. This certification is authorized by the Association for Play Therapy, not The Playhouse.