Sandtray credentials can be earned through the International Association for Sandtray Therapy (IAST) or the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals (WASTP) by completing approved training levels, documenting client hours, and participating in supervision with an approved provider. Playful Connections Sandtray Institute can guide you from your first class to final credentialing. Depending on the program you complete, the process typically takes 6 months to 2 years and results in advanced skills, a respected credential, and connection to a supportive international community. 

IAST: www.sandtraytherapy.org

WASTP: www.worldsandtherapy.org

Play therapy credentials can be earned through the Association for Play Therapy (APT) by completing approved play therapy training hours, documenting clinical experience using play therapy, and participating in supervision with a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™. Applicants must hold a master’s or higher degree in a mental health field and be a licensed mental health professional (or under approved supervision toward licensure).

At Playful Connections Sandtray Institute, trainings are led by Bianca Kisselburg, a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S), offering APT-approved hours and guidance to help you plan your path toward becoming a Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT), Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (RPT-S), or School-Based Registered Play Therapist™ (SB-RPT). The process typically takes 2–7 years, depending on your pace, and results in specialized skills, a respected credential, and connection to a thriving play therapy community.

APT (Association for Play Therapy): www.a4pt.org

Geek Therapy certification can be earned through GeekTherapy.org by completing their 2-hour certification course, which equips helping professionals to ethically and effectively integrate fandom, pop culture, and personal passions into therapeutic or educational work. Applicants may be mental health professionals, educators, or others in related fields who want to use clients’ unique interests as tools for connection, engagement, and growth.

Bianca Kisselburg is Geek Therapy Certified (GTC) and brings these approaches into trainings at Playful Connections Sandtray Institute—showing therapists how to harness the power of comics, video games, movies, and other fandoms to create safe, meaningful pathways for healing. This 2-hour course results in a respected certification and connects participants to a community of practitioners who believe in the transformative power of geek culture.

Geek Therapy Community: www.geektherapy.org

In the mental health world, a certification typically means you have completed a specific course or training that grants recognition of your knowledge or skills in a certain area. It’s often shorter in duration and may not require ongoing supervision, clinical hours, or continuing education.

A credential is a more extensive professional designation that usually requires meeting education and licensure prerequisites, completing advanced training, documenting supervised clinical experience, and sometimes passing an exam. Credentials are often regulated by professional organizations and take longer to earn.

PCSI welcomes participants who are licensed in a mental health field or currently enrolled in a mental health graduate program. If you’re from a country that doesn’t license clinicians—or if you’re unsure whether you qualify—please email support@pcsandtray.com or bianca@pcsandtray.com to discuss your situation.