How to Become a Play Therapist in California
Want to become a play therapist? This career path provides professional fulfillment and financial stability. Play therapists in the United States typically earn between $40,000 to $70,000 annually. Professionals with extra certifications can make even more.
You’ll need specific education and dedicated training to become a certified play therapist. The first step requires meeting your jurisdiction’s licensure requirements to practice as a therapist or counselor. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) allows 2 to 10 years to finish all certification requirements. You must complete 150 hours of play therapy-specific instruction that covers major content areas. The training includes child development, theories of personality, principles of psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychopathology, and legal, ethical, and professional issues.
This complete guide shows you each step to become a play therapist in California. We cover everything from educational foundations to certification requirements. The information helps both newcomers and professionals who want to specialize in this rewarding field.
Understand the Role of a Play Therapist
Play therapists are mental health professionals who use play—a child’s natural language—to help young people process difficult experiences and emotions. You should understand the complete scope of this role before pursuing play therapy certification.
What play therapists do
Play therapists build safe spaces where children express themselves freely without judgment. They help children heal through play instead of traditional talk therapy. These professionals check a child’s needs, create treatment plans, and run sessions with creative techniques like arts and crafts, storytelling, puppetry, and sand play.
Play therapists watch children’s play patterns, choices, and interactions to learn about hidden issues. They notice behaviors and help children build awareness and skills to solve problems shown through play. They also track progress, keep detailed records, and meet regularly with experienced therapists to improve their practice.
This isn’t just ordinary playtime—it serves specific clinical purposes. Play therapists guide children toward healthier solutions while giving them freedom to explore their emotions naturally. They often cooperate with parents, teachers, and other healthcare professionals to provide detailed support for each child.
Who they work with
Play therapy helps people of all ages, but we mainly focus on children between 3 and 12 years old. Children this age can work well with play materials but might not have the words to express complex feelings. Play therapy also works for teenagers and adults, and recently, therapists have successfully used it with infants and toddlers.
Play therapists help children facing many challenges, including:
- Emotional difficulties (anxiety, depression, grief)
- Behavioral issues (aggression, anger, problems in school)
- Family transitions (divorce, relocation, new siblings)
- Trauma or abuse (domestic violence, neglect)
- Medical conditions (chronic illness, hospital procedures)
- Developmental concerns (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities)
Research shows play therapy helps children in a variety of populations, including African-American, Chinese, Korean, Native American, and Puerto Rican communities. So play therapists must create welcoming spaces that encourage cultural exploration for all children.
Why play therapy matters
Play therapy bridges the communication gap between children and adults. Young children haven’t developed complex language skills to express their emotions, so play becomes their main way to communicate. Children can safely explore troubling experiences and discover new ways to handle difficulties through play.
Research backs up play therapy’s effectiveness—up to 71% of children in play therapy show positive changes. Children develop self-awareness, build coping skills, improve social abilities, and learn to manage their emotions better.
On top of that, it gives children chances to learn self-responsibility. Experts point out that “children who are provided opportunities to learn decision making and self-responsibility become self-directed, self-motivated, and feel a sense of control in their lives”. This growth helps children handle future emotional challenges better.
Play therapy works because it meets children at their developmental level. Instead of asking children to communicate like adults, play therapists step into the child’s world and create a path between their experience and healing.
Meet the Education and Licensure Requirements
A career as a play therapist in California demands specific educational qualifications and strict licensing requirements. The journey consists of several stages that build on each other and starts with formal education.
Required degrees and coursework
You must get a master’s degree or higher in a mental health field such as counseling, psychology, social work, or marriage and family therapy from an accredited institution. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) requires your graduate coursework to cover five key areas for credentialing:
- Child Development
- Theories of Personality
- Principles of Psychotherapy
- Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
- Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues
Several California universities offer specialized play therapy programs. Sacramento State University has a 10-unit graduate-level certificate program that meets APT requirements. These programs focus on play therapy history, theories, skills, methods, and cultural diversity topics.
Licensure needed in California
Your next step after education is to get a California state license as a mental health professional. You can start play therapy training during graduate school or provisional licensure, but you need an active, unconditional license when applying for your Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential.
California accepts these licenses:
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC): You need 3,000 supervised hours over a minimum of 104 weeks. Registration as an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) is mandatory to accumulate supervised experience, except under the 90-day rule.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT): This path also needs 3,000 supervised hours over at least 104 weeks. You must register as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist before collecting postdegree supervised experience.
You can also become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or licensed psychologist.
The final step involves passing required licensing exams. LPCCs must pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). LMFTs take a clinical exam after meeting all other requirements.
How long does it take to become a play therapist?
Your journey to becoming a certified play therapist depends on your individual pace and circumstances. APT gives you flexibility with 2 to 10 years to complete all requirements. This window opens when you finish your first approved play therapy training.
The typical timeline includes:
- Master’s degree completion: 2-3 years
- Licensure requirements: 2-3 years (including supervised hours)
- APT requirements: Can run parallel with licensure or follow it
Your timeline might vary based on finances, training opportunities, and supervision access. Many professionals work on their APT requirements while pursuing their California license to make the process more efficient.
Note that California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences registrations remain valid for 6 years (five renewals). You’ll need to apply for another registration number if you haven’t completed all supervised experience hours within this timeframe.
Complete the Three Phases of RPT Certification
The Association for Play Therapy (APT) breaks down the certification process into three sequential phases. You must complete these phases in order. This approach will give you proper skills through integrated learning instead of just collecting hours.
Phase 1: Original training and supervision
Your experience starts with basic knowledge and practice. This phase requires:
- 35-55 hours of play therapy instruction
- 50-75 hours of supervised play therapy experience
- 5-10 hours of play therapy supervision
Your supervisor needs to observe at least one play therapy session during this first phase. The observation can happen through in-person monitoring, two-way mirror, video/audio recording, transcribed session, or a mock/role-play scenario. HIPAA-compliant platforms make virtual observations possible too.
You must finish all Phase 1 requirements before moving forward. A Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) will help you apply theoretical knowledge correctly in your practice.
Phase 2: Intermediate instruction and experience
After completing Phase 1, you’ll move to more intensive training and client work:
- 55-70 more hours of play therapy instruction
- 100-150 more hours of supervised play therapy experience
- 10-15 more hours of play therapy supervision
Your supervisor must watch at least two more play therapy sessions during this middle stage. Phase 2 helps you understand play therapy theories better and builds your practical skills with different client situations.
APT suggests sharing your training certificates or transcripts with your supervisor. This helps connect your learned knowledge with actual practice.
Phase 3: Advanced practice and supervision
The final phase builds your expertise through:
- 45-60 final hours of play therapy instruction (reaching 150 hours total)
- 100-175 final hours of supervised play therapy experience (reaching 350 hours total)
- 10-20 final hours of play therapy supervision (reaching 35 hours total)
Your supervisor needs to observe two more sessions in Phase 3, making five total observations across all phases. You should show advanced skills in play therapy techniques and theory application at this point.
Starting April 1, 2025, at least 75 of your 150 instruction hours must be in-person training. You can earn the other 75 hours through either in-person or online methods. This creates a mix of hands-on learning and theoretical knowledge.
The certification process is flexible with timing. You have between two and ten years to complete all requirements. This timeline lets you progress at your own pace while keeping your training current.
This three-phase system lines up with proven educational models for psychotherapist development. Each phase builds on previous learning, so you can understand and use knowledge gradually under supervision. APT believes this well-laid-out method creates “well-rounded play therapy clinicians” who can blend theory into practice confidently.
Fulfill Play Therapy Training and Supervision Hours
Becoming a certified play therapist requires specific hours of training in three core areas. These requirements help you build skills through structured learning and hands-on practice.
150 hours of play therapy instruction
The instructional requirements include 150 hours that cover five main areas: play therapy history (minimum 5 hours), seminal theories (minimum 25 hours in one theory), skills and methods, special topics, and cultural/social diversity (minimum 6 hours).
Starting April 1, 2025, you’ll complete at least 75 of these 150 hours through in-person training. You can complete the other 75 hours through non-contact options like APT-approved book studies, on-demand webinars, or live webinars.
Graduate play therapy courses at higher education institutions (verified by transcripts) or workshops from APT Approved Providers of Play Therapy Continuing Education (verified by certificates) count toward these hours. Your course syllabus or instructor’s letter must confirm the play therapy content if “play therapy” isn’t in the course title.
350 hours of supervised client contact
You’ll need 350 hours of direct play therapy experience with clients spread across three certification phases:
- Phase 1: 50-75 hours
- Phase 2: 100-150 hours
- Phase 3: 100-175 hours
The supervised experience must take place over a minimum of two years but no more than ten years. Since January 1, 2020, a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) must oversee all supervised play therapy experience hours.
35 hours of supervision with an RPT-S
Your training includes 35 hours of play therapy supervision from an RPT-S. The supervision hours split across three phases:
- Phase 1: 5-10 hours
- Phase 2: 10-15 hours
- Phase 3: 10-20 hours
Group supervision can make up 15 of these 35 hours, while individual supervision covers the remaining 20 hours. Your supervisor will observe five play therapy sessions throughout the three phases (one in Phase 1, two in Phase 2, two in Phase 3).
Observation methods include in-person monitoring, two-way mirror, video/audio recording, transcribed sessions, mock/role-play sessions, or HIPAA-compliant virtual platforms. These requirements ensure quality guidance as you develop your play therapy skills in California.
Submit Your Application and Maintain Certification
The final step to become a Registered Play Therapist in California comes after completing your training and supervision requirements. You’ll need to submit your application and keep your credential active.
Documents and fees required
The Association for Play Therapy (APT) needs several documents from you. These include your graduate transcripts, current California state license, and completed Criteria Verification Forms. You’ll also need to pay the following fees:
- Application fees:
- APT Member – $140.00
- Non-Member – $270.00
- Annual renewal fees:
- APT Member – $60.00
- Non-Member – $150.00
APT will review your materials and let you know their decision. Some specialized play therapy certification programs run their own application processes with separate fees, which usually cost around $95.00.
Continuing education every 36 months
Your RPT credential requires ongoing education every three years. The current requirements are:
- 24 total continuing education hours
- 22 hours specifically in play therapy
- 2 hours focused on cultural and social diversity
APT workshops, conferences, and online platforms provide various continuing education opportunities. Many workshops offer 6 hours of APT Non-Contact Play Therapy credits per session.
Joining APT and staying updated
APT membership brings valuable benefits to your professional growth. The organization offers these membership levels:
- Professional Membership: $110.00 annually ($90.00 if residing in DE, MT, or NE)
- Affiliate Membership: $65.00 annually ($55.00 if residing in DE, MT or NE)
- E-Student Membership: Free for full-time graduate students
APT members get access to the Community Play Therapy Connection—an online forum that connects you with other play therapists. Your membership also includes official publications, videos on the APT YouTube Channel, and automatic membership in your local branch affiliate.
The organization runs 42 branches across the United States. These branches provide local training, resources, and networking opportunities designed for play therapists. Active involvement with APT helps you stay current with best practices and certification requirements throughout your career.
Become a California Play Therapist Today
A career as a play therapist in California is both fulfilling and financially stable. This experience will turn you into a specialized mental health professional who helps children process complex emotions through their natural language – play.
You’ll need dedication to start this path. Requirements include a master’s degree in a mental health field and state licensure as an LPCC, LMFT, LCSW, or psychologist. The Association for Play Therapy’s three-phase certification process will give you skills step by step, rather than just counting hours.
Each phase builds on what you’ve learned before. You must complete specific instruction hours, supervised client contact, and supervision sessions. This well-laid-out approach creates play therapists who can blend theory into practice confidently. You can take between two and ten years to finish the requirements, which lets you move at your own pace while keeping your knowledge fresh.
Once you complete all requirements – 150 hours of instruction, 350 hours of client experience, and 35 hours of supervision with five observed sessions – you can submit your application with proper documentation and fees. But your learning doesn’t stop there. You’ll need 24 continuing education hours every three years to keep your credential, including focus on cultural diversity.
The Association for Play Therapy connects you with professionals who share your passion for helping children through therapeutic play. These connections are a great way to get guidance as you grow your practice and learn about new techniques and standards.
Your new skills will help you work with children from different backgrounds who face emotional difficulties, behavioral problems, family changes, trauma, medical conditions, or developmental concerns. Your work bridges the gap between children’s experiences and their path to healing.
Becoming a play therapist takes time and dedication. All the same, the chance to help children work through tough experiences using their natural language of play makes it all worth it.