The 2025 NEAPT Award Nominations are open!
Student Award - This award is for an undergraduate or graduate student who has shown commitment to play therapy through service, research, practice, or scholarly writing.
Play Therapy Supervisor Award - This award is given to the registered play therapy supervisor™ who has shown commitment to promoting play therapy via training, research, and mentorship of new or current play therapy professionals.
Innovation in Play Therapy Award - The Innovation Award is awarded to an NEAPT member who has shown creativity, persistence, and dynamic ideas to advance the field of play therapy.
Leader in Play Therapy - This awards recognizes those in the NEAPT community who have shown excellence in play therapy research or education.
Distinguished Member - Commitment to play therapy in New England demonstrated by a member with longstanding membership in NEAPT.
Service Award - Please see criteria below.
Email your nomination with a paragraph on why the nominee fits the criteria for the award at neapt@newenglandplaytherapy.org
NEAPT Service Award
The NEAPT Service Award is presented annually to a NEAPT member who has obtained the Registered Play Therapist (RPT), Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), or School Based-Registered Play Therapist (SB-RPT) credential and who has a significant history of supporting and promoting the field and value of play therapy through one or more of the following ways:
- Supporting NEAPT through volunteer efforts
- Teaching courses or providing continuing education related to play therapy
- Publishing articles or book chapters or books specific to play therapy
- Providing supervision or mentorship to newer play therapists or those seeking credentials
Please email your nomination and include the nominee and nominator names, contact information for both, and a brief description of why your nominee is deserving.
Past Recipients
2024 | Laura Langston, PhD, LMFT, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (outstanding contributions to NEAPT, teaches, offers supervision, a wonderful asset to our community, and a role model and great example for others regarding the work we do)
2023 | Julie Nash, PhD, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (advocated for continuing education and online trainings, successfully led the branch through Covid, provided the constant and needed support to transition the role of president)
2022 | Kay Edwards, MEd, LCMHC, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ and Laura Langston, PhD, LMFT, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™
2021 | Holly Pierce, MEd, LCMHC, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (outstanding contributions to NEAPT, exemplary Chapter Liaison representation, volunteer services)
2020 | Jennifer Lefebre, PsyD, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (outstanding contributions to NEAPT and to the board, involvement with APT, volunteer services)
2019 | Susan Gestal, MA, LPC, LMHC, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (significant contribution to the board of NEAPT, trainings, involvement on national committees, and in other countries!)
2018 | Barb van Hoff, MFT, LMFT, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (tireless support and leadership of NEAPT, trainings, involvement on national committees, and bringing play to other countries!)
2017 | Denise Galford-Koeppel, MSEd, MS, PMC, CMHC (significant contribution to NEAPT with her development and maintenance of the Facebook page and community)
2017 | Dee Dee Nold, MSW, LICSW, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (her ongoing teaching, training, and mentoring of many play therapists throughout New England as well as volunteer service to the board and development of networking in NH)
2016 | Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, LICSW, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (significant contributions to the field of play therapy through teaching and writing especially)