2019 Award Winners
Play Therapist of the Year – Kate Haberman LISW, RPT-S
Kate Haberman was chosen and awarded the IAPT Play Therapist of the Year award 2019. Kate has an outstanding amount of qualifications under her belt. She has been working with Wartburg College to provide classes to increase understanding and promote play therapy to college students. Kate is a foster and adoptive parent and is on the Allison Area Foster Parent Association Board of Directors. Kate facilitates psychoeducation and community education opportunities at the agency she owns, Monarch Therapy Services. She has provided several trainings to increase education in the field of play therapy to therapists, the Department of Human Services, attorneys, teachers, foster and adoptive families, and many others. Kate is an RPT-S and provides supervision and consultation for therapists to help them receive their RPT. Kate attends local trainings and assists Juvenile Court with assessments and referrals for children needing play therapy and other resources. Kate is now pursuing Theraplay to continue to help more families in need and has a passion for working with children that have experienced early childhood trauma and disrupted attachment. She is always willing to collaborate on cases and go the extra mile to advocate for children and families to receive services they need.
Rookie of the Year – Amber Cook LMFT
Amber Cook was chosen and awarded the IAPT Rookie of the Year award 2019. Amber has worked for Tanager Place in Cedar Rapids for ten years, primarily as a music therapist. She recently returned to school and received her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy last year. Amber has demonstrated an intense passion for play therapy and is working toward obtaining her RPT. Amber is frequently sought out in the clinic and has developed a reputation as one of the best therapists at Tanager. Amber recently started a social play group for children aged 4-7. When Amber isn’t at work, you can find her at home with her five children, including her five-year-old triplet daughters!
2018 Award Winners
Rookie of the Year – Alexandra Skinner Walsh, T-LMHC
I would like to nominate Alexandra Skinner Walsh, T-LMHC (therapist Life Connections Davenport) for the Rookie of the year award. She has been practicing for 2 years and is working on her RPT certification and is a member of IAPT. She enjoys play therapy and working with children. As her supervisor, I can attest to her knowledge and skills. She is eager to learn new techniques and approaches to assist her clients and families. She volunteers for Safe Schools in the Quad Cities, helping promote safety and acceptance for LGBTQ+ youth in school and community environments. Her practice is ethical and professional.
Play Therapist of the Year – Amber Bennett
Amber Bennett is a LMHC and RPT and currently works at Covenant Family Solutions. She received training from Dr. Terry Kottman, and even received a letter of recommendation from her pertaining to Amber’s talent and magical way she is able to work with children using play therapy. Amber received her Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago and her Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Minor in Psychology from Wartburg College. She promotes positive change through a variety of therapeutic approaches including: play therapy, Autplay, CBT, Trauma Informed Care, and Solution Focused Therapy.
She has been with Covenant Family Solutions for a little over a year and in that time has dedicated her work primarily to play therapy. Logging close to 1500 play therapy hours. Amber has often gone the extra mile for those she works with, at times starting at 7:00 am and ending at 6:00pm to ensure availability and minimize impact of children being taken out of school. There have even been times when Amber has come in to work with children and families on weekends.
Amber has been a huge advocate for her patients and has a deep love for working with patients and families diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Amber has created groups for patients with this diagnosis to support with social skills and opportunities to engage with others in a supportive environment at Covenant Family Solutions. She exhibited at the Corridor Autism Expo. She has also supported families struggling to access resources and funding for treatment through wraparound offered in Linn County. She has also reached out to several different local pediatricians, doctors offices, and other professionals to support in community understanding of play therapy and Autism awareness, support, and resources.
Amber continues to attend trainings and continuing education opportunities to support growth as a play therapist. She abides by the code or Ethics and holds a high standard for best practice protocol and procedures. She is independent, driven, and never says no to a chance to teach, collaborate, or consult other professionals or students both in the general community and in the mental health field.
To summarize, Amber is amazing and magical. She is deserving of recognition for her dedication in the field of play therapy.
Amber Bennett is a LMHC and RPT and currently works at Covenant Family Solutions. She received training from Dr. Terry Kottman, and even received a letter of recommendation from her pertaining to Amber’s talent and magical way she is able to work with children using play therapy. Amber received her Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago and her Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Minor in Psychology from Wartburg College. She promotes positive change through a variety of therapeutic approaches including: play therapy, Autplay, CBT, Trauma Informed Care, and Solution Focused Therapy.
She has been with Covenant Family Solutions for a little over a year and in that time has dedicated her work primarily to play therapy. Logging close to 1500 play therapy hours. Amber has often gone the extra mile for those she works with, at times starting at 7:00 am and ending at 6:00pm to ensure availability and minimize impact of children being taken out of school. There have even been times when Amber has come in to work with children and families on weekends.
Amber has been a huge advocate for her patients and has a deep love for working with patients and families diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Amber has created groups for patients with this diagnosis to support with social skills and opportunities to engage with others in a supportive environment at Covenant Family Solutions. She exhibited at the Corridor Autism Expo. She has also supported families struggling to access resources and funding for treatment through wraparound offered in Linn County. She has also reached out to several different local pediatricians, doctors offices, and other professionals to support in community understanding of play therapy and Autism awareness, support, and resources.
Amber continues to attend trainings and continuing education opportunities to support growth as a play therapist. She abides by the code or Ethics and holds a high standard for best practice protocol and procedures. She is independent, driven, and never says no to a chance to teach, collaborate, or consult other professionals or students both in the general community and in the mental health field.
To summarize, Amber is amazing and magical. She is deserving of recognition for her dedication in the field of play therapy.
2017 Award Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award – Terry Kottman Ph.D., RPT-S, NCC, LMHC
Because she has been the light and guide for many of us on our own play therapy path it only makes sense that the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award is, Terry Kottman. Terry has been referred to as the “god-mother” of Adlerian Play Therapy. She is the founder of The Encouragement Zone where she provides play therapy training and supervision, life coaching, counseling, and “play-shops for women.” She is an international speaker, author, and I am told a “wonderful” theater actress. I could go on listing her accomplishments but Terry is much more than her accomplishments.
Play Therapist of the Year – Jen Alexander MA, NCC, SB-RPT
The recipient has shown a strong and steady dedication to practicing and promoting play therapy for more than 15 years, devoting her professional career to helping children in her role as an elementary school counselor. She has encouraged many of the masters’ students placed with her for internship and practicum to follow in her footsteps as a school counselor who is also a play therapist. She has continued to engage in learning opportunities throughout the past twenty years, taking classes, teaching classes, learning and teaching. She recently finished writing a new book–a book designed to help teachers and parents understand the importance of supporting children who have experienced trauma. She is Iowa’s first School Based-Registered Play Therapist.
Rookie of the Year – Jessica Pladsen MA, LMFT
This year’s recipient is passionate about utilizing play therapy techniques and is finishing up her supervision to become an RPT-S. She is constantly seeking new information and education in the field of play therapy in order to expand on her ability to the treat the children in her practice.
Mentorship Award – Lindsey Swales LISW, CTP
