Ohio Association for Play Therapy Awards
We have amazing play therapist in Ohio!
At our Spring Conference, we honor those who have made a remarkable impact on our play therapy field.
Ohio APT members can nominate other Ohio APT members for the awards.
Ohio APT has various awards that Ohio APT members can be nominated for. Awards are rotated each year. The nominees and winner and celebrated each year at our Spring Conference.
Rotating Awards
Service: Acknowledges outstanding organizational and long-term service to Ohio APT and/or national APT. Service involves significant development, promotion and/or advancement of the value of play, play therapy, and credentialed play therapists.
Innovation: Recognizes creative and innovative play therapists. This is someone who:
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Introduces new play therapy methods and ideas, regularly
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Provides play therapy trainings or presentations on new and developing topics
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Supervises play therapists with playful supervision incorporated
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Comes up with novel ideas to promote play therapy in the community
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Published play therapy related materials
Spirit: Recognizes someone who promotes & grows play therapy within Ohio
Tami Langen Lifetime Achievement Award: Tami Langen was Ohio APT's Founder. This award acknowledges outstanding lifetime achievement that develops, promotes, or advances the value of play, play therapy, or credentialed play therapists.
Past Award Winners
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2024 Innovative Play Therapist Award
Alex Sorrentino LPCC-S, RPT™, Licensed Professional School Counselor
Alex serves as the Supervisor of Mental Health in Hamilton City schools. As a school counselor, she was a fierce advocate for the use of play therapy within the school based mental health counselors’ work as well as her own.
Alex now serves an entire district from her position. She regularly advocates for the importance of play for not only students, but staff as well. She has organized game nights for the school community, where families can come to play and connect. Alex is overseeing the implementation of play-based regulation resources (sensory walks, regulation resources, etc.) for every elementary building in the district. Alex also arranges wellness training for staff and administrators that regularly incorporate the power of play.
2023 Tami Langen Lifetime Achievement Award and 2022 Service Award
Tami Langen LISW-S, RPT-S™
Tami helped establish the Ohio Board of Play Therapy from the beginning and works to make sure we have a great local board, most recently achieving Gold Branch Status. Tami also has served on the National Play Therapy Board driving quality practices and promoting awareness for all Play Therapists.
2023 Spirit of Play Therapy Award
Machen Champion LPCC-S, RPT-S™, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist
Machen owns her practice, Wired to Bloom Therapy and Consulting, LLC. Machen serves on the Ohio APT Board and trains practitioners and the community in Play Therapy. Machen has been traveling around Ohio to connect and introduce more colleagues and universities to Play Therapy. Machen strives to help build connections between child therapists, as she knows we do better together!
2023 Innovative Play Therapist Award
Kim Brown LISW-S, RPT-S™
Kim served many years as a Clinical Director of Community Mental Health leading the agency’s Play Therapy program and supervising many students and clinicians on their journey to earning their own RPT™. She continues as a contract therapist, practicing as a Registered Play Therapist™and EMDR Therapist. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at NKY and UC and has been finding creative ways to teach and incorporate Play Therapy into her courses. She is devoted to ensuring that Play Therapy Education and Training becomes more available at the university level.
2023 Service Award
Susan Davis LPCC, RPT™
Susan served on the Ohio APT Board since 2016 as the Assistant/Conference Director. She has devoted over 2,000 hours to ensure we are able to offer quality and fun Play Therapy trainings. She has done all of this on top of providing exceptional Play Therapy in her own practice. Susan’s energy is contagious and she embodies the spirit of a true Play Therapist.
2022 Spirit of Play Therapy Award
Candice Ulitzsch LISW-S, RPT-S™
This award is to recognize Candice’s work in organizing and providing Play Therapy trainings, co- leading 3 supervision groups, and introducing interns to Play Therapy early on in their career training.
