BAPT Formation and Structure

History of Play Therapy

In Britain, Play Therapy started to emerge as a new and differing tradition in the 1980’s. If you would like to know more, please read our page about the History of Play Therapy. Initially the Children’s Hour Trust taught professionals the basic techniques of Axline’s Play Therapy used in a multitude of settings.

In parallel, two Dramatherapists started using Play Therapy methods to inform their Dramatherapy practice with children. Sue Jennings (1994) and Ann Cattanach (1993, 1994, 1998) integrated elements of non directive Play Therapy to formulate a British Play Therapy movement. In 1990, the Institute of Dramatherapy started to offer a Certificate and Diploma in Play Therapy.

In 1992, the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) was started by a group of professionals studying at the Institute of Dramatherapy. Since then, BAPT has developed the British Play Therapy movement and now accredits a number of training courses in the UK including the Masters level programmes.

Theoretical Basis of Play Therapy

Play Therapy is based upon three critical theoretical principles:

How BAPT is run

BAPT is a members-led organisation, and we welcome each and every one of our members to join in with us to shape our future development.  Our members are at the core of every decision we make, and we take great pride in offering a wide range of support to them. 

Formal approval of the title ‘British Association of Play Therapists’ was authorised by the Secretary of State in 2005 when BAPT became a Company Limited by Guarantee (registered number: 5477406)

In 2006 The British Association of Play Therapists was granted Charity Status by the Charities Commission (registered charity number 1115673)

As a registered company BAPT is subject to statutory requirements in law in England and Wales.

As a registered charity BAPT’s governance complies with the requirements of The Charity Commission for England and Wales.

The Charity’s Objectives are:

To relieve the needs of children, young people and adults suffering emotional and behavioural difficulties by promoting the art and science of Play Therapy and promoting high standards in the practice of Play Therapy for the public benefit.

BAPT Registered Play Therapist® trademarked

In 2021, BAPT took the step of trademarking the title “BAPT Registered Play Therapist®” so you can be sure that your play therapist has been fully trained in Play Therapy, rather than just attending a short workshop or online course.

A BAPT Registered Play Therapist® will have a professional qualification, such as teaching, social work, occupational therapist, or a related degree, plus 5 years’ experience working with children BEFORE being accepted on the rigorous 2–3-year MSc/ MA training, that encompasses the theoretical, practical work with clients under supervision, child observations and personal therapy.

Please click here for information about our training on how to become a BAPT Registered Play Therapist®.

Once qualifying, Therapists on the BAPT register have to keep up with post qualification training, our ethical standards, and present proof of their insurance and DBS to be on our monitored Professional Standards Authority register.

This way you can ensure that you have a fully trained, professional working with you and your family.

International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations (IC-PTA)

BAPT is one of the six founding National Play Therapy Associations on the Board of the International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations which was inaugurated in October 2022.

This exciting initiative grew out of the desire to support and encourage knowledge, understanding and development of play therapy and therapeutic play worldwide by bringing together existing not for profit play therapy associations, pooling knowledge and expertise and providing an online space for connection and communication.

To find out more, and see how you can contribute, visit their website: https://www.ic-pta.com/

The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the decision-making body of BAPT. The Board meets at least four times a year. Members of the Board are elected or co-opted to a term of office lasting for three years by the BAPT membership at the Annual General meeting. Board members may serve a second term of office for three years and a third term of office for a further one year. Board members usually serve a maximum term of seven consecutive years. The BAPT membership elects a Chair to serve for a period of three years. If re-elected on retirement, they may not serve more than five consecutive years.

Donna Benson, Chair

Donna Benson is a BAPT Registered Play Therapist® and Chair of the Board of Directors of BAPT. Donna has over 25 years experience working with children, and before training to be a Play Therapist, Donna has taught music and drama in both primary and secondary schools as well as the private sector. Donna trained at the University of South Wales, graduating in 2016, and since qualifying has worked in private practice, as well as the Third Sector. She currently works for a Local Authority in South Wales, leading their Play Therapy and Family Therapy Service.

Donna joined the BAPT Board in 2019. Whilst volunteering for the Professional Practice sub-committee, she quickly realised that she was the only member, so joined the Board as Chair of Professional Practice. A very short stint as Acting Vice-Chair in 2021 led her to becoming Chair of the Board of Directors of BAPT in 2022. BAPT has evolved in the short time Donna has been on the Board, and she is excited about the future direction of BAPT.

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Chair role

Sarah Hickson, Vice Chair

Sarah Hickson is the current Vice Chair of BAPT and represents BAPT on the International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations (IC-PTA). Sarah specialises in working with children with developmental and relational trauma, with a particular focus on children living in foster care and who are adopted.

Sarah works in a range of different ways with children and families including attachment focussed family work, therapeutic life story work, Life-World Narrative Therapy, as well as individual and group Play Therapy. Sarah is an international educator, author, and public speaker. She has published book chapters on child development and international Play Therapy supervision.

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Vice Chair role

Sandra Boyle, Training and Education Chair

Sandra qualified as a BAPT Registered Play Therapist in 2009 trained at the Notre Dame Centre in Glasgow and graduated from the University of Strathclyde.  She is also a BAPT Approved Supervisor and has 30yrs previous experience of working across a range of multi-agency settings including Social Work Services, Health, Education and 3rd Sector Orgs.

She is the Founder and CEO of a Registered charity in Inverclyde Scotland in an area of high poverty and deprivation where she leads a busy Play Therapy practice that includes Play Therapists, CBT Therapists,  Person Centred Counsellors, and Intensive Family Workers seeing children and young people age 3-18yrs and their parents referred for trauma and a range of complex life difficulties.

In her spare time and for relaxation Sandra is an avid knitter and patchwork quilter and takes great delight in watching her 2 little Grandsons age 3yrs and 7months play and grow!

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Training and Education Sub-committee

Maggie Fearn, Overseas Ambassador

Maggie Fearn SFHEA; MA DATP; MA HIPPT is an Integrative Child Psychotherapist (ECIP), a BAPT Registered Play Therapist®, a Filial Therapist and a Clinical Supervisor (ECIP and BAPT approved). She was a play worker for 30 years and a Forest School practitioner (2001- 2018). She is a Senior Practitioner with The Windfall Centre in South and West Wales. She is a retired Senior Lecturer MSc Play Therapy at University of South Wales (2017 – 2022). She has also contributed chapters and articles to several publications since 2010.

She is BAPTs Overseas Ambassador on the BAPT Board and she is a founding member and BAPT International Representative on the Board of the International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations (IC-PTA).

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Overeseas Ambassador

Tracey Lanigan, Scotland Representative

My name is Tracy Lanigan and I am the Scottish BAPT Representative. Many years ago, while working as a Community Nursery Nurse in a Social Work/Health early intervention team I was privileged to attend some training facilitated by a BAPT registered Play Therapist. The child centered approach really resonated with me, that was when the seed was planted that one day I could possibly retrain as a Play Therapist. I just needed a course in Scotland.

Fast forward to 2016 and I was successful in gaining a place on The BAPT accredited MSc Play Therapy course. This course is a collaboration between With Kids (a Scottish children’s mental health charity) and Queen Margaret University (QMU) Edinburgh. The course is a 3-year part-time course delivered from the With Kids premises in Glasgow. I was one of the first cohort of students on the course. I graduated as a Play Therapist in 2019 and joined the Board in 2022. I am currently work in two primary schools in deprived areas of Glasgow. As part of the Scottish Representative role, I organise play therapy forums 4 times a year. This is a great way to connect with other Play Therapists from all over Scotland and I also feedback relevant information in relation to play therapy in Scotland to the Board. 

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Scotland Representative.

Alex Machon, Membership Secretary

Alex has been a BAPT registered play therapist for 16 years after qualifying from York University.   Initially trained as a social worker she was lucky enough to be sponsored by her then employer to do the Masters and has never looked back!

Alex now runs her own private practice in Buckinghamshire supporting children and families.  Alex has been a member of the BAPT board of directors since 2022 and is currently Membership Secretary which involves approving all new applications and renewals for members.

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Memebership Sub-committee

Jeanne McLaughlin, Supervisors Chair

Jeanne McLaughlin is a BAPT Registered Play Therapist® and Clinical Supervisor working at a community-based children's mental health charity in Scotland, for 12 years. Jeanne has thirty years of experience working with infant, children and teenagers and their families. Her research on Play Therapy has been published in UK and international academic journals. 

Jeanne is the Chair of the Supervision subcommittee as part of the BAPT Board.  The subcommittee oversees all things related to Play Therapy Clinical Supervision, reviews Supervisor applications, and connects Clinical Supervisors through forums or CPD training.

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Supervisors Sub-committee

Sonia Murray, Conference, Finance and Resources Chair

Sonia Murray is a BAPT registered Play Therapist® and Approved Supervisor®.  She trained on the second course in the UK in 1993 and has been a full BAPT member since 1998. I became a play therapist because, during my NNEB training at 17, I read "Dibs in Search of Self," which profoundly inspired me. Witnessing children experiencing trauma without adequate support, I realised that play and play therapy was the most appropriate and effective way to help them heal and express themselves.

Sonia joined the Board in 2000 and served in multiple key roles, including Treasurer, Chair of the Business and Research Sub-Committees, and Lead on the Portfolio team. She also worked alongside the chair to gain charity status for BAPT.  Following her return to the Board in 2022 after a few years break, Sonia rejoined the Board in 2022 and has immersed herself in BAPT’s strategic plan.  

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Conference Sub-committee and the Finance and Resources Sub-committee

Andrew O’Mahony, Lay Director 

Andrew O’Mahony joined the BAPT board as its first Lay Director in October 2014. His commitment to Play Therapy came as a result of seeing first-hand the impact it can have when a member of his family was provided with a Play Therapist by his school after a family tragedy.

He currently teaches English as an additional language to immigrants and refugees in a West London secondary school.

Click here to find out more about the remit of a Lay Members role

Esther Schencks, Communication and Public Relations Chair

Esther has been a BAPT Registered Play Therapist® since 2020 after qualifying from University of Roehampton.  She initially trained as a Nursery Nurse working in Primary Education.  Esther runs her own private practice in Buckinghamshire and also works for behaviour support company in Northamptonshire as a play therapist.

Esther has been a member of the BAPT board of directors since 2022 and is currently the Chair of Communications and Public Relations which involves increasing public awareness and engagement in themes relating to play therapy, child mental health and child development issues.  

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Communications and Public Relations Sub-committee

Linda St Louis, Professional Conduct Panel

Linda St Louis qualified as a play therapist in 2010 and is currently in role as the Chair of Professional Conduct for BAPT. Linda retired from full-time employment in April 2024 where she worked in a multi-disciplinary early intervention team, providing interventions for families who were living with domestic abuse. Her chapter published on ‘Being an Ethical Play Therapist’ was based on her experiences of working in the field systemically with families.

Linda has supervised play therapy students for the past three years and was a visiting lecturer at the University of Roehampton, presenting on working with trauma in play therapy.  

Click here to find out more about the remit of the Professional Conduct Panel

Chair of Directors

Provides leadership for the board as it fulfills its governance duties and responsibilities toward the organisation by setting vision, values, mission, strategy and high-level policy with charity regulations.  The Chair is responsible for monitoring BAPT’s performance against established targets, securing financial stability for the organisation, protecting and managing organisational property and investments, safeguarding BAPT’s reputation and values, ensuring all organisational activities comply with regulations and the law. 

In addition, reviewing major risks and making provisions for BAPT to respond appropriately, organising and leading board development activities and delegating duties appropriately.  Acting as a spokesperson for the organisation: The Chair speaks for and represents the organisation when authorised.

Vice Chair

To support the BAPT Chair of Directors in their role encompassing all governance duties and responsibilities toward the organisation as above.  The Vice Chair shares the leadership of the board and makes the role of Chair of Directors more manageable, deputising as required. 

Treasurer

Maintains an overview of BAPT’s affairs ensuring its financial viability and that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.  The Treasurer also ensures that BAPT complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations, contributes actively to the board of trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to BAPT, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.

In addition, safeguards the good name and values of BAPT, whilst ensuring the financial stability, protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds. 

Trustees

The trustees will ensure that BAPT complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations, contributes actively to the board of trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to BAPT, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.  In addition, safeguards the good name and values of BAPT, ensures the effective and efficient administration of BAPT, financial stability whilst protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of BAPT’s funds.

Lay Members

The Board of Directors also includes Lay members who are members of the public who bring specific knowledge, experience or expertise – for example knowledge of business practices, legal expertise, expertise from a service user or carer perspective. Lay members are recruited regularly and are appointed to service on the board as a Director for a period of three years. If you are interested in becoming a Lay member within BAPT please contact us using the feedback form.

Professional Conduct Panel

Remit:   The Professional Conduct Panel implements and co-ordinates all aspects of the complaints procedure. 

BAPT Sub-Committees

BAPT Sub-Committee members are elected each year at the BAPT Annual General Meeting. BAPT Sub-Committees undertake diverse and distinct areas of work that are allocated by the BAPT Board of Directors. BAPT Sub-Committees are accountable to the BAPT Board of Directors.

The BAPT Sub-Committees are as follows:

Training and Education Sub-Committee

Remit:    To implement, manage and co-ordinate the accreditation and re-accreditation of Play Therapy training courses. To develop and facilitate the continuing development of Play Therapy training. To manage complaints, enquires and queries concerning the accreditation and re-accreditation of Play Therapy training programmes. To develop and implement appropriate criteria for the approval of BAPT Supervisors. To co-ordinate and process BAPT full members CPD portfolios and manage and co-ordinate accreditation & re-accreditation of CPD courses.

Finance and Resources Sub-Committee

Remit: The Finance and Resources Committee oversees BAPT’s financial affairs, ensuring financial viability, accurate records, and compliance with the governing document, charity law, company law, and other regulations. The committee contributes to the board’s strategic direction, policy setting, goal definition, and performance evaluation. The committee safeguards BAPT’s reputation and values, manages income, expenditure, and funding, and organises funding applications from grants and other sources. It allocates funds to Sub-Committees for projects and running costs, and manages resources needed for BAPT’s effective functioning. Additionally, the committee protects and manages the charity’s property and ensures proper investment of its funds.

Conference Sub-Committee

Remit: To co-ordinate and manage the BAPT annual conference. To evaluate the needs of the membership and organise relevant subject areas within the BAPT Conference.

Communication and Public Relations Sub-Committee

Remit:    To develop and maintain open communication of BAPT’s aims, objectives and services to local and national communities, including both public and professional areas. To enhance the communication within the BAPT membership; disseminating information, research, professional information and opportunities. To market and raise the profile of the Play Therapy profession through the dissemination of good practice, research, theories and professional opinion.

Membership Sub-Committee

Remit:    To manage and oversee membership applications, renewals, enquires and queries. To maintain and manage the continuing professional development of BAPT full members.

Professional Practice Sub-Committee

Remit:    To develop and implement guidance and regulations relating to the effective, competent and ethical practice of Play Therapy. To consider enquiries, queries and questions relating to professional practice by BAPT members, other professionals and the general public.

Supervisors Sub-Committee

Remit: To ensure that BAPT Registered Play Therapists® receive high quality supervision as a core aspect of their therapeutic practice.

Wales Representative 

Remit:  To communicate information to the BAPT board regarding play therapy in Wales such as what the interest of play therapy is in a wider context of local government strategic planning, education sector awareness of the benefits of play therapy, the thoughts and feelings of play therapists in the current climate, the University of South Wales MSc Play Therapy course and any other things of interest.

Scotland Representative

Remit: To communicate information to the BAPT board regarding play therapy in Scotland such as what the interest of play therapy is in a wider context of local government strategic planning, education sector awareness of the benefits of play therapy, the thoughts and feelings of play therapists in the current climate, the Queen Margaret University MSc Play Therapy course and any other things of interest. Arrange quarterly Scottish forum meetings online and face to face.

Overseas Ambassador

Remit:  To communicate information to the BAPT board regarding play therapy around the world such as what the interest of play therapy is in a wider context of local government strategic planning, education sector awareness of the benefits of play therapy, the thoughts and feelings of play therapists in the current climate, Play Therapy qualifications and any other things of interest.

If you wish to contact any of the BAPT Board Members or BAPT Sub-committee members please either email: info@bapt.uk.com or use our feedback form.