APT Approved Provider #07-195
Approved Provider status is granted by the Association for Play Therapy; this allows registrants to earn credit at IAPT programs towards their Registered Play Therapist™, School Based- Registered Play Therapist™, or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ credentials.
Upcoming IAPT Workshops
IAPT and Meraki Institute of Learning Co-Sponsoring:
Ethics in Play Therapy: Navigating the Gray
Presented by: Joella Gerber, LISW, RPT-S™
Monday, September 28, 2026, 9am- 2pm CST
VIRTUAL LIVE EVENT – 3 NONCONTACT APT APPROVED CE HOURS
Play therapists work at the intersection of the child, caregiver, family, and larger systems, creating ethical dilemmas that may not be adequately resolved by professional codes alone. Common concerns include confidentiality and privacy, informed consent and assent, caregiver access to information, competence, supervision, boundaries and multiple relationships, mandated reporting, technology, and therapist values. Research in play therapy has identified many of these areas as recurring ethical challenges, particularly because clinicians must balance the rights and welfare of children with the legal authority and involvement of caregivers.
This three-hour training combines ethical decision-making instruction with experiential case consultation. Participants will review common ethical decision-making models and the Association for Play Therapy’s Play Therapy Best Practices, then apply a structured decision-making process to complex play therapy vignettes and real-world clinical dilemmas. Particular attention will be given to competing ethical principles, power and stakeholder perspectives, cultural humility, personal bias, consultation, and the development of multiple ethically defensible courses of action.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least five common ethical concerns encountered in play therapy practice, including issues related to confidentiality, informed consent and assent, competence, boundaries, caregiver involvement, and professional responsibility.
- Describe at least two ethical decision-making models relevant to play therapy and explain how ethical principles, professional codes, Association for Play Therapy Best Practices, applicable laws, and consultation inform ethical decision-making.
- Apply a structured ethical decision-making process to play therapy case scenarios by identifying relevant stakeholders, competing ethical principles, cultural and contextual considerations, personal influences, potential courses of action, and possible consequences.
- Evaluate multiple ethically defensible responses to complex play therapy dilemmas through facilitated peer consultation and articulate a rationale for a selected course of action.
2026 Annual Fall Conference
IAPT’s Annual Fall Conference 2026 will be held in Cedar Rapids, IA, September 16-19th featuring workshops presented by Marshall Lyles. See our Fall Conference Page here for more information and to register!
2027 Spring One-Day Conference
The 2027 Spring Conference will be held in Cedar Falls, IA on April 23, 2027 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Kate Haberman will provide the keynote presentation: Working with Children in High Conflict Systems.
See our Spring Conference Page for more information!
Want to present a breakout session at our conference? Complete the Proposal Form by November 13, 2026!
2027 Annual Fall Conference
IAPT’s Annual Fall Conference 2027 will be held in Des Moines, IA at the Airport Holiday Inn & Conference Center, featuring workshops presented by Jared Andes. Check back for more information!