Appalachian Play Therapy Center Receives National Accreditation

LWC President William T. Luckey Jr., left, and School of Professional Counseling Dean John
Rigney join Associate Professor of Counseling and Director of the Appalachian Play Therapy
Center Jodi Crane as displays the center's Approved Center of Play Therapy Education
accreditation by the Association for Play Therapy.

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The Lindsey Wilson College Appalachian Play Therapy Center joined elite company when it was named an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education by the Association for Play Therapy.

"This is such wonderful news because it shows that our peers in the profession support us," said Jodi Crane, LWC associate professor of counseling and director of the Appalachian Play Therapy Center.

Play therapy is a form of mental health counseling or psychotherapy used by licensed mental health professionals to better communicate with and help clients achieve optimal mental health. It is particularly effective with children because, just as adults use words to communicate and express themselves, children use play.

Being named an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education places LWC among a select group of colleges and universities. The nearest Approved Centers of Play Therapy Education to LWC are Georgia State in Atlanta and University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Crane said the national recognition will provide her more opportunities to do research and publish about play therapy. It will also allow LWC to host national conferences, which will attract play therapists to the region.

"This will bring a great deal of recognition to the college and Columbia-Adair County," said Crane, who is an approved play therapist supervisor and has been published in the subject.

And for LWC students, the recognition means they will be able to take more play therapy courses and receive more training, making it easier for them to become a registered play therapist. Kentucky currently has about 20 registered play therapists, Crane said.

"There is a shortage of registered play therapists in Kentucky, so this achievement will allow Lindsey Wilson to help address that need," Crane said.

The Association for Play Therapy started its Approved Center program to acknowledge colleges and universities generating substantial play therapy research, publications, graduate instruction, supervised clinical experiences, supervisor training and other programs.

During its initial three-year approval period, LWC's Appalachian Play Therapy Center will offer 18 hours of play therapy graduate instruction and a supervised graduate practicum each semester in addition to generating publications and presentations to benefits students, faculty, and practitioners.

The programs may be applied to satisfy state licensing requirements and to earn the Registered Play Therapist and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor credentials conferred by APT.

"Because the rapidly increasing use of play therapy is also boosting demand for more university play therapy programs, APT applauds Lindsey Wilson College for approving the establishment of the Center," said Association for Play Therapy Executive Director Bill Burns. "We are confident that, under Dr. Crane's leadership, it will significantly advance our growing field and serve those who counsel clients, particularly children, in schools, public agencies, private practices, and other venues."  

A national professional society, APT estimates that play therapy is routinely utilized by thousands of licensed psychologists, social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Noting membership has doubled during the last decade, Burns reports that almost 16 percent of accredited universities offer some combination of play therapy graduate instruction and supervised play therapy experiences.

More ...
Click here to listen to an interview with Jodi Crane on WKYU-FM.