Professor Kristi Perryman Named to the National Association for Play Therapy Board

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Kristi Perryman, right, works with a counselor education graduate student and child in the Office of Play Therapy Research and Training at the University of Arkansas.

Kristi Perryman, associate professor of counselor education at the University of Arkansas, has been named to the National Association for Play Therapy's board of directors for a three-year term.

Perryman, director and founder of the Office of Play Therapy Research and Training at the U of A, has been an active member of the association since 1997.  She has served on multiple APT committees and task forces during that time, including the university education committee, conference program committee and the International Journal of Play Therapy's editorial board.

She also served as president of the Missouri Play Therapy Association and founded the Missouri State University Center for Play Therapy.

Kathryn Lebby, president of the association, said Perryman continually demonstrates her commitment to the association and the field of play therapy through hands-on involvement.

"Kristi has served as a mentor to students, and has engaged in a number of research projects and publications that have significantly impacted the field," Lebby said. "She'll be an asset to the APT board because of her many professional qualities as well as her friendly and collaborative demeanor."

The association, established in 1982, is a national professional society promoting the value of play, play therapy, and credentialed play therapists.

Play therapy involves the therapeutic powers of play to help children prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties.

"Children's cognitive development supersedes their verbal development, therefore they play out their feelings and experiences, whereas adults talk about theirs," Perryman said.

Garry Landreth, internationally recognized for his writings and work in promoting the development of child-centered play therapy, describes play as a child's language and toys as their words, Perryman noted.

"The role of the play therapist is not to direct the child but to create a safe environment for them to process their thoughts and feelings through play," she said. "They can make meaning of the child's play in a way that allows them to help the adults in the child's world better understand and facilitate healing."

Perryman has over 20 years of experience in the field of play therapy as a professional school counselor and licensed professional counselor. Her experience includes working as a special education teacher, elementary counselor, middle school counselor, as well as a private practice practitioner and counselor educator.

She also has published chapters in School Based Play Therapy and The Handbook of Play Therapy, as well as numerous articles in the International Journal of Play Therapy and conducts training on play therapy, sand tray therapy, expressive arts therapy and supervision.

The U of A Office of Play Therapy Research and Training offers graduate level coursework to students enrolled in the Counselor Education and Supervision Program, enabling them to become registered play therapists. Students have the opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art playroom as well as have opportunities to conduct research in the field of play therapy as they work with children in schools and community agencies. The U of A Office of Research and Training, part of the College of Education and Health Professions, also offers an annual conference with nationally-recognized speakers in the field for students and mental health professionals in Arkansas as well as surrounding states.