School of Social Work

Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy

The University of Memphis Play Therapy Education, Training, and Research Center is offering the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy and there are two primary purposes.

First, it is intended for graduate students enrolled in University of Memphis master's degree seeking students within the majors of Social Work, Counseling Educational Psychology and Research (CEPR), School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health, or School Psychology track who wish to obtain advanced training in play therapy. The Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy may be used by current Graduate level students to gain skills and knowledge of play thertapy skills for practice. It is important to note that the completion of this certificate does not guarantee requirements for a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) be obtained and is dependent on the individuals professional licensure requirements. The courses within this graduate certificate can aid in the pursuit of future credentialing and will provide the students hours towards their 150-hour requirements of education and if completing a field/practicum during their concurrent graduate programming can count towards some of their 35-hour requirements for direct supervision for credentialing, in addition to the 350 direct client contact hours required for the full credentialing by Association for Play Therapy. The university can provide field and practicum programs that include an RPT-S at the site, we can support the RPT-S supervision at a local community program offering play therapy interventions if supervision is needed, we can provide on-campus experiential and suipervison options within the play therapy training center, but we do not incorporate the RPT-based supervision and programming as part of the coursewoek in this graduate certificate. The Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy requires 12 hours of course work.

Second, the certificate is for individuals who already hold a graduate degree in social work, counseling, or a closely related behavioral sciences field. Specifically, the certificate program allows students in the above degree programs and individuals currently working in mental health settings access to educational course work required by the Association for Play Therapy to obtain the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential. For more information about RPT credentialing, please visit https://www.a4pt.org.

The practice of play therapy requires a terminal license within the specific behavioral health field, specialized eduacation in play therapy, and supervised clinical experience. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) mandates licensed mental health professionals obtain 150 hours of play therapy specific education to obtain the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential. University of Memphis Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy is designed to meet and exceed this educational requirement by offering students extensive training in play therapy with opportunities for supervised practice. The play therapy program is a part of the University of Memphis Play Therapy Education, Training, and Research Center, an Approved Center through APT. The certificate program is designed for both current graduate students and working professionals with a graduate degree in social work, counseling, or a related mental health field. Students currently enrolled in University of Memphis in either social work, clinical mental health, or counseling program(s) can begin the certificate program by declaring they are a certificate seeking student in play therapy through the graduate school.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program is housed in the University of Memphis School Social Work and can be pursued concurrently with the Master of Social Work program (or other graduate programs mentioned above) or after completion of a graduate degree in social-behavioral science or closely related field. Concurrent or prior enrollment in an accredited program is required. Students may fulfill admissions requirements in one of the two following ways.

Admission into the Master of Social Work/or other related graduate programs (CEPR, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health, School Psychology, or Counseling) at the University of Memphis. Each of these participating graduate level programs meet the APT requirements for course content in the following areas within the specific field: Child Development, Theories of Personality, Principles pf Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Cultural & Social Diversity, and Legal, Ethical, and Professional issues.

Proof of successful completion of a master's degree in one of the following areas from accredited programs: Social Work, Counseling, Clinical Mental Health, or School Psychology programs.

Program Requirements/Degree Plan

Must Complete 12 credit hours from the attached course information attached here

Retention Requirements

Retention requirements are the same as those in the Master of Social Work Program. All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. Should the student's cumulative GPA fall below that mark, a period of one semester will be allowed to correct the deficiency. At the discretion of the chair, the director of graduate studies in their student's college, and the Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, this period may be extended one additional semester. No more than 6 hours of "C-," "C" or "C+" will be applied toward meeting graduate degree requirements. "D+," "D," and "F" will not be applied towards the graduate degree requirements. All students who fall below a GPA of 3.-0 for one semester, and all students who earn a grade of "D+," "D," or "F" will be automatically referred to meet with the program retention committee the following semester.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all four required courses with an average grade of B (3.0) or higher for a total of 12 credit hours.

Students may earn no more than 3 credit hours of C+, C or C- grades.

Admission Requirements and Program Inquiry

Please contact Dr. Susan Elswick EdD, LCSW, LSSW, IMH-E, RPT-S (selswick@memphis.edu) with questions and for further information on admission requirements.

Continuing Education

The University of Memphis Play Therapy Education, Training, and Research Center will support the development and maintenance of local RPT and RPT-S by offering an annual Play Therapy Conference offering community APT approved CEUs for the local and regional play therapy communities. To maintain the RPT credential annual continuing education is required. To find out more about renewal standards, please visit: https://www.a4pt.org.