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Our Mission

Play Therapy International (PTI) exists to further the good practice of therapeutic work with children. The efficacy of Play Therapy has been proven in a number of cultures. It is now time to make therapeutic play services available in all countries to benefit all the children of the world.

We urgently need universities or established professional organisations in the health and social care field in many countries, as collaborative partners, to provide training at post graduate level that meet our standards and who can help us set up the necessary professional infrastructure.

As a result of the pioneering work of our sister organisation, the Register of Play and Creative Arts, managed by Play Therapy UK (PTUK), was the first in its field to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority in April 2013. The Authority oversee the regulation and registration of all health and social care professions in the UK. The PTUK Register is the largest for Play Therapists in the UK. It also includes registrants working in 40 other countries. PTI administers the registration of Play Therapists in countries where there is no government approved register for Play Therapists using the PTUK ones as de facto standards.

Further evolution needs to happen. PTI and PTUK intend to lead the way in improving the quality and safety of practice of therapy with children in line with the principles of Right Touch Regulation, the modern foundation of health and social care policies.

PTI will continue to:

  • Promote the use of play, creative arts therapies and filial coaching as ways of enabling children to reach their full potential by alleviating social, emotional, behaviour and mental health problems and improve child / parent relationships, where they are deficient;
  • maintain and further develop methods of clinical governance (quality assurance) to protect the children, ensure the credibility of our registrants and provide guidance and support for them to improve the quality of their practice;
  • increase the number of registrants required to meet the demand by accrediting training programmes throughout the UK that fulfil the requirements of the accreditation of our Register by the Authority;
  • provide support for commissioners of Play Therapy and employers to offer a safe and cost effective service to their clients;
  • carry out research covering the professional management of practice and communication as well as updating the evidence base.