Supervision in Play Therapy: Competencies, Ethics and Self-Care Considerations

Rebekah Byrd

Ph.D., LPC (TN), LCMHC (NC), NCC, ACS, RPT-S

Friday, June 26, 2026
9:00AM - 4:30PM EST

(APT Contact CE Hours)

Session Description

The complex ethical duties of play therapy supervisors reflect the significant responsibility in guiding clinicians to be competent and reflective play therapists. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) (2019) noted that play therapists providing supervision must be appropriately prepared to provide such services, must be competent in supervision practices and supervision skills, and must understand their responsibility to both supervisees and clients. In this presentation, the presenter will explore the Play Therapy Competencies (APT, 2019; Turner et al., 2020) as a framework for understanding critical components for consideration in play therapy supervision. In particular, the presenter will address the following topics: how to understand the powers of play in supervision, how and when to evaluate supervisee’s competencies while taking the responsibility of gatekeeper, how to understand theory in practice and supervision, multicultural humility, and how to promote the practice of self-compassion and self-care in supervision. Although the presenter will discuss a pantheoretical approach to play therapy supervision, the humanistic theoretical lens more specifically child centered play therapy (CCPT) perspectives will be incorporated. The presenter will also invite participants to discuss and share their struggles and creative solutions and strategies implemented in their play therapy supervision.

Primary Area: Play Therapy Special Topics

Play Therapy Competencies Addressed: Competency 3 (Professional Engagement in Play Therapy)

Theoretical Basis: Child-Centered

In-Person Workshop Scheduled:

9:00-10:30 am Session

10:30-10:45 am BREAK

10:45-12:15 pm Session

12:15-1:15 pm LUNCH BREAK

1:15-2:45 pm Session

2:45-3:00 pm BREAK

3:00-4:30 pm Session

Learning Objectives

Attendees will identify the purposes of clinical supervision in play therapy.
Attendees will evaluate the powers of play specific to supervision.
Attendees will evaluate information and resources for evaluating play therapy supervisees.
Attendees wit analyze legal and ethical information specific to play therapy supervision.
Attendees will analyze their own levels of cultural humility as supervisors and assess how to support supervisees in their growth and development.
Attendees will evaluate their level of self-are and self-compassion.

Brief Bio

Rebekah Byrd, Ph.D., LPC, (TN), LCMHC (NC), NCC, RPT-S, ACS (she/hers) is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Counselor Education and Director of the Institute for Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Education and Research at Sacred Heart University. She has been a counselor educator for over 15 years with over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field in varying capacities and settings including school settings as she continues to hold a license in school counseling. Her research specialization falls primarily in issues pertaining to children/adolescent counseling, play therapy, LGBTGEQIAP+ advocacy, school counseling, social justice/multicultural concerns, self-injury, and women’s wellness. She recently co-authored a textbook on counseling children and adolescents and edited a book about common encounters in school counseling and has written many journal articles and chapters for multiple texts. She serves on many national and statewide committees and just recently received the Service Award from the Association for Play Therapy.

Questions?

Please contact the Office of School and Community Partnerships at oscp-coed@charlotte.edu if you have any questions.