T


         has grounded its existence on the dedication to the professional development of its members, its Registered Play Therapists™


  therapists service, and the greater mental health community. To this effect, APT operates to execute several important ends policies: Because APT  mental health professionals can increase their play therapy knowledge and    play therapy will be shared and opportunities for further research will be               members through best practices.


Play therapists are ethically required to provide services within the scope of their practice, gaining the appropriate education, knowledge, and supervision to do so. Although typical laws governing mental health practice may be rescinded in times of crisis, it is each professional’s ethical obligation to obtain appropriate education, training, and supervision. APT encourages all members, RPT/Ss, and SB-RPTs to subscribe to APT’s        RPTs servicing the greater community via telemental health, practice both   Best Practices and offers play therapists reflective considerations to think through to ensure appropriate service delivery. We recommend that play therapists read through considerations and actively engage in evaluating their current practices. To this end, a downloadable workbook on the APT website includes space for play therapists to record their personal reflections and thoughts.


SECTION A: The Therapeutic Relationship A.1 Commitments and Responsibilities to the Client Play therapists will collaborate with the client and/or her/his legal guardian in creating a therapeutic treatment plan. Play therapists may explain the developmentally responsive treatment plan in an understandable manner to the client and/or her/his legal guardian, if applicable. Play therapists review this plan regularly, which should contain measurable outcome goals, to ensure viability, effectiveness,  others in achieving the therapeutic goals.


• Have you set up an initial caregiver/guardian consultation prior to initiating telemental health services with the client to review their treatment plan in order to assess objectives and goals and to include the provision of telemental health services?


CLINICAL EDITOR’S COMMENTS: The authors offer reflective questions to guide ethical service delivery.


• Is telemental health the most effective medium for delivery of play therapy for this particular client?


   the decision to deliver play therapy through a telemental health platform?


• How are you assessing the client’s level of regulation during and after the session?


• What is your plan for helping the client regulate during and after the session?


• Have you prepared the caregiver/guardian for the client’s emotional reactions following the session and how to respond to the client?


• What are the boundaries that need to be considered regarding your virtual presence in the client’s home? How will you address those boundaries with both caregiver/guardian and client?


• What are the boundaries that need to be considered regarding the  those boundaries with both caregiver/guardian and client? • What are the cultural implications that should be considered?


A.3 Rights of Clients Play therapists inform clients and/or their legal guardians, when applicable, of the purposes, goals, techniques, procedural limitations, potential and foreseeable risks, risks of inconsistent compliance, and 


• Have you informed parents/caregivers of the procedural and therapeutic limitations and risks involved in telemental health delivery of play therapy?.


• Have you informed parents/caregivers regarding the limited research that supports the effectiveness of the play therapy approach you are using through a telemental health platform? Is the parent/caregiver aware that this research is in its infancy and involves very small sample sizes?


SECTION B: Caregiver(s)/Legal Guardian(s) and Family B.1 Caregiver(s)/Legal Guardian(s) Play therapists make a reasonable effort to ensure privacy for the client and maintain professional boundaries with the client/family during home-based therapy sessions and educate family members  professional boundaries in a home-based therapy session.


• Have you explained how you will be working with the client without the caregiver/guardian in the room? Have you provided caregiver/ guardian with a detailed overview of your objectives in the client’s sessions?


www.a4pt.org | September 2023 | PLAYTHERAPY | 25


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