Developing a Professional Play Therapy Identity
Membership in professional associations is an important feature of a career in play therapy. Having a clear plan for professional involvement will assist you continue your study of play therapy and build your professional career.
As you learn more about play therapy, you will develop a personal theoretical orientation that may expand and integrate as you learn. As a starting point, you will describe your current approach to play therapy theory.
For this assignment, write a paper that includes the following sections:
Part 1: Play Therapy Organizations
• Provide a description of one of the organizations you researched.
• Evaluate the organization’s benefits and opportunities for professional growth.
• Describe specific academic and professional requirements for becoming a member.
• Describe your steps to becoming a member of the organization.
• Discuss the activities you intend to be involved with as an active member. If you are already a member of the organization, describe your current involvement.
• Explain why it is important to be a member of a professional play therapy organization and how this would assist you in using established best practices.
Part 2: Personal Theoretical Orientation
• After studying several approaches to play therapy this term, which ones make the most sense to you or fit your professional style, and why? Which ones do not seem to fit you or your profession, and why?
Distinguished Rubric
Evaluates theoretical orientations of play therapy that best fit a professional style and describes ways to integrate the orientation with practice. 20%
Evaluates the benefits, opportunities for professional growth, and appropriateness for membership of a professional play therapy organization and provides personal examples of benefits. 20%
Describes the value and benefits of active participation in a professional organization and explains what active membership would entail. 20%
Identifies steps for attaining active membership in a professional play therapy organization and provides a reasonable timetable for attaining membership. 20%
Communicates in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions. Supports writing with scholarly sources outside of required readings. 20%
