Skip to main content
Checkapedia
< All Topics
Print

Play Therapy UK (PTUK)

Posted
Updated
ByWEBPAINTUK

Overview

Play Therapy UK (PTUK) is the principal UK professional body and governing association for practitioners of play therapy, therapeutic play and creative arts therapies. It exists to set, maintain and regulate professional standards for clinical practice, training, ethical conduct and competence in therapeutic work with children and families. PTUK also manages the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, the first UK play therapy register to be accredited by an external regulator, confirming standards of professional practice and accountability.

Purpose & Mission

PTUK’s mission is to further the good practice of therapeutic work with children using play and creative arts to support emotional wellbeing, behavioural health and mental health. Its work includes quality assurance of training, clinical governance, ethical oversight, research and professional development.

Key Functions

Professional Standards & Regulation

  • Manages the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the UK Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Registers programme, providing assurance of clinical competency and ethical practice.

Accreditation of Training

  • Accredits and quality-assures professional play therapy and therapeutic play training programmes that meet established competency frameworks.

Ethical Framework & Governance

  • Maintains an ethical framework guiding members’ practice, supervision, client care and professional conduct.

Clinical Governance & Evidence Base

  • Promotes clinical governance – systematic monitoring and improvement of clinical outcomes – and supports research to strengthen evidence for play therapy practice.

Professional Development

  • Supports Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for certified and accredited members to maintain competence and revalidation.

Membership & Certification

PTUK offers tiered membership grades aligned with training achievements and clinical experience, such as:

  • Certified Play Therapist

  • Accredited Play Therapist (includes minimum clinical practice hours)

  • Additional grades for trainees and affiliate members.

Membership provides access to the PTUK Register, professional recognition, resources, CPD opportunities, and inclusion in a community of UK play therapy practitioners.

Scope of Practice & Standards

PTUK’s standards are informed by a competency framework for practice, ethical practice guidelines, and clinical governance principles designed to ensure high-quality therapeutic care tailored to children and their developmental needs.

Relationships with Other Bodies

PTUK operates independently but in alignment with UK regulatory expectations for health and care professions through the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited register. It also works collaboratively with Play Therapy International (PTI) to support aligned standards globally.

 

Play Therapy UK (PTUK) is the UK Society for Play and Creative Arts Therapies, a not‑for‑profit professional body that promotes safe, effective play therapy and creative arts therapies for children and young people.

PTUK manages the Play and Creative Arts Therapists Register (accredited by the Professional Standards Authority), quality‑assures practitioners through revalidation and supervision standards, accredits training, and runs a large research programme showing positive outcomes for most children receiving PTUK‑standard play therapy.

Yes, PTUK’s register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, meaning its standards for training, conduct, and register management meet nationally recognised benchmarks for public protection.

The PTUK Register only lists practitioners who meet its training, supervision, and CPD requirements; registrants are checked for fitness to practise monthly, monitored by an independent “watchdog” body, and sanctions or strike‑offs are recorded to protect the public.

Parents and carers can search the PTUK Accredited Register online to find local practitioners who meet PTUK’s standards for safe and effective practice, filtering by location such as Brighton & Hove and surrounding areas.

 

PTUK registrants typically hold postgraduate‑level training (e.g. Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills or Diploma in Play Therapy) plus supervised clinical experience, with minimum monthly supervision and ongoing CPD to maintain registration.

PTUK promotes an Integrative Holistic model that combines non‑directive and directive play therapy with a “Play Therapy Tool‑Kit” of creative arts media, working with both conscious and unconscious processes and integrating clinical research with practice.

PTUK is UK‑based but linked to Play Therapy International, with members in many countries; its standards and research are used internationally for training and professional practice.

References 

Play Therapy UK. (2024). Standards for Play Therapy, Therapeutic Play and Filial Play.
https://playtherapy.org.uk/standards-for-play-therapy-therapeutic-play-and-filial-play/

Play Therapy UK. (2024). About certification.
https://playtherapy.org.uk/about-certification/

Play Therapy UK. (2024). Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
https://playtherapy.org.uk/continuous-professional-development-cpd/

Play Therapy UK. (2024). Why join PTUK?
https://playtherapy.org.uk/why-join-ptuk/

Professional Standards Authority. (2025). Play Therapy UK: Accredited Register overview.
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/organisations-we-oversee/find-a-register/play-therapy-uk

Play Therapy UK. (2024). PTUK membership grades and fees.
https://playtherapy.org.uk/ptuk-membership-grades-and-fees/

Table of Contents