Getting certified in play therapy means earning the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential from the Association for Play Therapy (APT), the primary credentialing body in the United States. The process requires a mental health graduate degree, a state clinical license, 150 hours of play therapy instruction, and 350 hours of supervised play therapy experience. From start to finish, most people complete the requirements in two to five years after finishing their graduate program.
Step 1: Earn a Mental Health Graduate Degree
You need a master’s degree or higher in a mental health field before you can pursue play therapy certification. This includes degrees in counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, or a related discipline. Some graduate programs offer play therapy coursework or even a concentration in play therapy, which lets you start accumulating instruction hours while still in school. If your program doesn’t offer play therapy courses, you can complete the required training separately through APT-approved providers after graduation.
Step 2: Get Licensed in Your State
APT requires that you hold a current license from your state’s mental health licensing board. The specific license depends on your degree and your state’s requirements. Common examples include Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Licensed Psychologist. Each state has its own post-graduate supervised hours and exam requirements for licensure, so this step alone can take one to three years after you finish your degree.
Step 3: Complete 150 Hours of Play Therapy Instruction
You need 150 clock hours of play therapy-specific education. As of April 2025, at least 75 of those hours must come from in-person, contact training. The remaining 75 can be earned through either in-person or non-contact formats like recorded courses. Live webinars count as non-contact training under the current rules, so plan accordingly if you’re building your hours primarily through online options.
These instruction hours cover topics like the history and theory of play therapy, therapeutic techniques and modalities, applications with specific populations, and ethical considerations. APT maintains a list of approved providers, and many universities, training centers, and conference workshops offer courses that qualify.
Step 4: Accumulate Supervised Play Therapy Experience
This is the most time-intensive part of the process. You need a minimum of 350 direct client contact hours doing play therapy, completed under the supervision of a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S). Alongside those clinical hours, you must log at least 35 hours of play therapy supervision.
The supervision follows a 1-to-10 ratio: one hour of supervision for every 10 hours of play therapy you conduct. Of your 35 supervision hours, up to 15 can be group supervision, but the remaining 20 must be individual, one-on-one sessions with your RPT-S supervisor.
You have a window of two to ten years to complete these requirements, giving you flexibility if you’re working part-time or building a caseload gradually. Finding an RPT-S supervisor is a critical early step. APT’s directory can help you locate one in your area, and some supervisors offer remote supervision depending on your state’s rules.
Step 5: Apply for the RPT Credential
Once you’ve met all the requirements, you submit your application to APT with documentation of your degree, license, instruction hours, and supervised experience. Annual renewal costs $70 for APT members and $190 for non-members. Renewal also requires ongoing continuing education to keep your credential active.
Advancing to the Supervisor Credential
If you eventually want to supervise other therapists working toward their RPT, you can pursue the Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) designation. This requires an additional 3 years and 3,000 direct client contact hours of clinical experience after receiving your clinical license, plus 500 more hours of play therapy-specific client work beyond what you logged for the RPT. The RPT-S credential is what allows you to oversee trainees and sign off on their supervised hours.
Options Outside the United States
If you practice outside the U.S., Play Therapy International (PTI) is a nonprofit organization that promotes play and creative arts therapies globally. PTI uses a four-stage training model tied to a career development framework, and its credentialing structure differs from APT’s. The British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) serves practitioners in the UK. Each organization has its own education and practice requirements, so check with the relevant body in your country.
Planning Your Timeline
The total time from starting your graduate degree to holding the RPT credential varies widely, but a realistic estimate is five to eight years. A master’s program takes two to three years. State licensure adds another one to three years of post-graduate supervised work. Then you need time to complete your 150 instruction hours and 350 supervised play therapy hours, which can overlap with your licensure period if you plan strategically.
The most efficient approach is to start play therapy coursework during graduate school, identify an RPT-S supervisor early in your post-graduate career, and begin logging play therapy hours as soon as your provisional or full license allows. Some clinicians complete everything in the minimum two-year window after licensure, while others take longer depending on their caseload and access to supervision.