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mission
statement
to organize activities
and ongoing educational opportunities for play therapy and other
mental health professionals and to provide further opportunities for
professional registration, continuing education, and networking; to
establish positive rapport between the public and professional
communities; to create awareness of the value of play as a
therapeutic process.
history
in july
1993 Trudy post Sprunk and ginger pogue met at a play therapy
training institute at fairleigh dickinson university. after some
discussion, they agreed to form a Georgia play
therapy organization which would obtain branch status with aPT.
it was
in april, 1995 that they scheduled the organizational meeting of
what would become gAPT. the organizing members present were millie
dawson-hardy, david drake, barbara fisher, jayne smith, janice
turber and sharon wilson in addition to ginger and trudy.
during the following six months the paperwork process was completed
and gAPT became a branch of aPT on October 14, 1995. incorporation
was completed on October 30 and the internal revenue service granted gAPT tax exempt status under section 501 (c) (3) of the tax code
shortly thereafter.
with the paperwork
completed, the board turned to the main purpose of the
organization; education about play therapy for professionals,
parents, and the general public. the first of many workshops,
conferences, seminars, and other play therapy events was held in
September 1996. gAPT
achieved gold branch status in
2001.
in 1999 aPT adopted the
practice of dual membership. this means
that persons who belong to GAPT also belong to APT.
for information about
GAPT'S coming play therapy events
click here
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To promote the value of play, play therapy, and
credentialed play therapists.
To satisfy this
mission, the Association for Play Therapy will advance
the psychosocial development and mental health of all
people by providing and supporting those programs,
services, and related activities that promote the:
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1. |
Understanding and
valuing of play and play therapy. |
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2. |
Effective practice of
play therapy through education, training, and
research. |
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3. |
Recognition,
incorporation, and preservation of diversity in play
therapy. |
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4. |
Development and
maintenance of a strong professional organization to
accomplish these objectives. |
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Envisioned by Charles
Schaefer, PhD, he and Kevin O'Connor, PhD, co-founded
the Association for Play Therapy in 1982 in New York to
provide a forum for professionals interested in
developing a distinct group of interventions that use
play as an integral component of the therapeutic process
for children in need.
Milestones: 1982 - Garry Landreth, EdD, Louise Guerney,
PhD, and John Allan, PhD, join Schaefer and O'Connor as
initial board members. O'Connor administers daily
operations and creates the APT Newsletter for initial
members (or subscribers).
APT was established
to promote the value of play, play therapy, and
credentialed play therapists.
Today its research, training and credentialing, and
promotional programs benefit nearly 5,000 member
psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage &
family therapists, and other mental health professionals
throughout the United States and 25 other nations!
to read more
about APT'S history
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