LEADERSHIP Editorial
Kathryn Lebby, MS, CAE, CMP APT President/CEO
of the profession must remain a central priority for the Association for Play Therapy. Like many professional associations, APT is grappling with its implications. While tools such as ChatGPT can assist with editing and organization,
their
misuse raises serious ethical concerns when AI-generated content is presented as original work.
APT programs rely on member-generated content to advance conference proposals, committee work, and approved provider reports are expected to represent the author’s expertise and judgment. Undisclosed substantive AI use blurs authorship, undermines trust, and can replace genuine, practice-based insight with generalized language lacking clinical depth. The issue deepens when AI generates citations, which may be inaccurate, incomplete, or fabricated. This undermines scholarly standards, introduces misinformation into the professional literature, and erodes the discipline’s credibility.
expectations, and accountability for AI use. Safeguarding the integrity of member contributions is not simply policy, it is fundamental to preserving trust, rigor, and the profession’s long-term advancement.
401 Clovis Ave, Suite 107 Clovis, CA 93612 USA Tel (559) 298-3400 Fax (559) 298-3410
GLOBAL ENDS POLICY 5.00 The Association for Play Therapy (APT) exists to advance play therapy and provide a professional and diverse community to support those engaged in play therapy practice, instruction, and supervision.
Kristi Perryman, PhD, LPC, RPT-S™, Chair, APT Board of Directors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Kristi Perryman, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S™ (AR) Chair-Elect Edward Franc Hudspeth, PhD, LPC, RPT-S™ (MS) Secretary Mandi Meléndez, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S™ (TX) Past Chair Rebeca Chow, PhD, LCPC, RPT-S™ (KS) Director ™ (LA) Director Elizabeth Hartwig, PhD, LPC-S, LMFT, RPT-S™ (TX) Director Sueann Kenney-Noziska, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S™ (NM) Director Julie Nash, PhD, RPT-S™ (CT) Director Kim Vander Dussen, PsyD, RPT-S™ (CA) President & CEO Kathryn Lebby, CAE, CMP (CA)
COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards of Excellence Claudia Ocampo, MS, LPC-S, RPT-S™ (TX) Conference Program Dana Holtz, EDS, LPC, RPT-S™ (AL) Ethics & Practices Lisa Anderson Mangan, MEd, LCPC, RPT-S™ (MT) International Journal®
Kimberly M. Jayne, PhD, LPC (OR)
Leadership Academy Andrea Walker, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, RPT-S™ (MT) Nominations Rebeca Chow, PhD, LCPC, RPT-S™ (KS) Play Therapy™ Jared Andes, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S™ (UT) Registration & Continuing Educ Mary M. Bennett, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S™ (TX) Research Yi-Ju Cheng, PhD, LPC, NCC, RPT™ (NJ) University Education Maggie Parker, PhD, LPC, RPT-S™ (VA)
FOUNDATION FOR PLAY THERAPY Chair Mary Anne Peabody, EdD, LCSW, RPT-S™ (ME) Vice-Chair Johnnie Jenkins III, LPC, RPT-S™ (GA) Secretary Rachel Altvater, PsyD, RPT-S™ (MD) Treasurer Tara Moser, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S™ (FL) APT Chair & CGO Kristi Perryman, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S™ (AR) President & CEO Kathryn Lebby, CAE, CMP (CA)
ENDS POLICIES
community to support those engaged in play therapy practice, instruction, and supervision. POSITIVE IMAGE
5.01
Play therapy will have a positive, professional image such that the public and a broad range of health,
5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALING STANDARDS
The public can trust that credentialed play therapists are trained to provide safe and continuously improving care to children and families.
ETHICAL, SKILLED MEMBERS
APT members are ethical, knowledgeable, skilled, and continuously improving across all stages of their professional careers.
RESEARCH
Research supporting the evidence base of play therapy will be shared and opportunities for further research will be promoted.
VIBRANT COMMUNITY
Mental collaborative play therapy professional community.
APT observes the Policy Governance© Model. The board scans the mental health environment and then
the CEO accountable for collaborating with members to produce the programs that accomplish those Ends.
STAFF President & CEO Kathryn Lebby, MS, CAE, CMP Vice President & COO Diane Leon, CMP Operations Manager Melissa Villegas, MPA Clinical Coordinator Megan Curtis, MA, LPCC, NCC Member Services Erica Godinez Education & Training Coordinator Rosalinda Mendez Program Assistant Lacey Battenburg Credentialing Services Kira Moore Credentialing Services Andrea Perez-Esquivel Ciara Lopez
Publisher & Editor Kathryn Lebby, MS, CAE, CMP Clinical Editor Jared Andes, MSW, LCSW, RPT™ Assistant Clinical Editor Melissa Villegas, MPA Art Director Keith Cappelluti,
www.keithcappelluti.com
PLAYTHERAPY ™ Publication Policies: Play TherapyTM is published by the Association for Play Therapy on behalf of its
member psychologists, social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health professionals and subscribers who apply the therapeutic power of play to effectively commu- nicate with and help clients, especially children, achieve optimal mental health. It is produced and dis- tributed quarterly via 3rd class mail each March, June, September, and December. Its $50.00 annual subscription fee is included in membership dues. Publication of articles and advertisements is not an endorsement of authors, advertisers, or their opinions and products. The views expressed herein do omit, or cancel advertising for any reason, edit for clarity and spatial purposes, and refuse discrimina-
2 | PLAYTHERAPY | June 2026 |
www.a4pt.org
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