Kawanna Ward, of Suffolk, earned the prestigious Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor credential conferred by the Association for Play Therapy, according to its chief executive officer, Kathryn Lebby.

Ward is a licensed clinical social worker.

To become a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, applicants must have earned a traditional master’s or higher mental health degree from an institution of higher education, 150 clock hours of play therapy training, five years and 5,000 hours of post-master’s clinical experience, 500 supervised and 500 additional hours of play therapy experience, and be licensed or certified by their state boards of practice.

Play therapy continues to gain popularity as an effective modality by which licensed mental health professionals, school counselors and school psychologists use play therapy theories and techniques in developmentally appropriate ways to better communicate with and help clients, especially children.

Play Therapy is a mental health modality used by licensed mental health professionals, when developmentally appropriate, 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 ideas and feelings, children use play.

APT is a national professional society formed in 1982 to advance the field of play therapy. It sponsors research, training and credentialing programs to assist the professional development of its nearly 6,000 member psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, school counselors and school psychologists in more than 25 nations. Additional information is available at www.a4pt.org.