UNT Center for Play Therapy

What UNT Center for Play Therapy does

The UNT Center for Play Therapy is a non-profit academic department within the University of North Texas's College of Education, founded in 1973 in Denton, Texas. It is the originator and steward of the Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) methodologies developed by Dr. Garry Landreth, and operates the only graduate program in the world offering multiple degree specialties and courses in CCPT. The Center delivers training, certification, and continuing education programs (CCPT 101/102, CPRT 101/102, CPT Intensive Supervision, and an annual four-day Summer Institute), publishes proprietary books, manuals, and DVDs (including the 4th Edition of 'Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship'), runs on-campus clinical services for families, and maintains the Play Therapy Outcome Research Database — a searchable evidence repository of over 100 play therapy studies since 1995 that supports CCPT and CPRT's evidence-based designation by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse and the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare.

The Center's business model is a multi-stream operation built on training and certification fees, publication and merchandise sales, and grant-funded research rather than commercial software or licensing. Revenue is generated through high-volume, low-ticket transactions: 2- to 3-day workshops priced at $320–$720, online CE exams at $19–$179, books and manuals at $35–$80, DVDs at $50–$295, play therapy toys and materials at $10–$182, branded merchandise at $21–$42, and certification application/renewal fees at $95. Distribution combines direct e-commerce (cpt.unt.edu store), on-campus clinical delivery, a Canvas-based streaming video platform, and a network of certified trainers authorized to deliver CCPT/CPRT programs across US locations including Colorado, Tennessee, and Texas. Customer segments span parents and families, mental health professionals, counseling students, schools and educators, and international practitioners (with international and Simplified Chinese certification tracks).

The Center's organizational assets include a renowned faculty (notably Dr. Dee Ray with 150+ publications and Dr. Dalena Dillman Taylor, Director of the P.L.A.Y. Lab, which has secured over $17.1 million in external grant funding over the last decade), Association for Play Therapy (APT) Approved Provider status (#95-004), and an ecosystem of proprietary methodologies, evidence-based designations, and recurring certification renewal mechanics that anchor practitioner dependency.

Name

UNT Center for Play Therapy

Legal name

University of North Texas - Center for Play Therapy

Website

https://cpt.unt.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UNT Center for Play Therapy is a non-profit university department that develops the Child-Centered Play Therapy methodology, offering training, certification, continuing education, publications, on-campus clinical services, and an evidence-based research database to mental health professionals, parents, students, and international practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Professional Training & Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Occupational Therapy & Fine-Motor / Sensory Integration Instructional Materials (EDAGAMAG), Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL), Direct School-Based PT Treatment (Individual & Group) (EDAKAGAC)

Keywords

• Play therapy training
• Child-centered therapy
• Mental health certification
• Continuing education
• Professional publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Denton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from hosting certification training workshops including CCPT 101, CCPT 102, CPRT 101, CPRT 102, and CPT Intensive Supervision. Trainings are priced at $320-$720 per participant and held at the Denton campus and through certified trainers at various locations.
2. Continuing Education (CE) Exams: Online non-contact CE exams ranging from 2-18 units, priced from $19-$179, allowing mental health professionals to earn continuing education credits through self-study assessments.
3. Publications Sales: Sale of books and manuals on play therapy including titles like 'Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship' (4th Ed.), 'Advanced Play Therapy', 'Child-Parent Relationship Therapy' materials, and 'Multicultural Play Therapy'. Prices range from $35-$80.
4. DVD/Media Sales: Sale of instructional DVDs covering various play therapy topics including clinical sessions, training materials, and cultural applications. Prices range from $50-$295.
5. Toys and Materials: Sale of play therapy supplies including Brandy's BOA punching bags ($182), Mini Toy Tote Bags ($40), Panic Pete toys, and magnets ($10).
6. Merchandise: Sale of branded apparel including shirts, sweatshirts, and merchandise with slogans like 'Our Work is Child's Play' and 'Language of Play' ranging from $21-$42.
7. Certification Application Fees: Application and renewal fees for CCPT, CCGPT, and CPRT certifications at various levels, priced at $95 per application.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The UNT Center for Play Therapy is a non-profit academic department within the University of North Texas that develops and disseminates evidence-based play therapy methodologies. It sells professional training workshops (CCPT 101/102, CPRT 101/102, CPT Intensive Supervision, Summer Institute), international certification programs for practitioners, clinical play therapy services through on-campus clinics, proprietary publications, instructional DVDs/streaming videos, online continuing education exams, and play therapy supplies and merchandise.

Product overview

The UNT Center for Play Therapy operates as an educational and training organization within the University of North Texas, offering a comprehensive portfolio of play therapy products and services. The core offerings include: (1) Professional Publications - books and manuals on Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), and multicultural play therapy; (2) Training DVDs and Streaming Videos - instructional media demonstrating play therapy techniques across diverse populations; (3) Online CE Exams - self-study continuing education assessments tied to publications and videos; (4) Training/Workshops - in-person programs including CCPT 101/102, CPRT 101/102, CPT Intensive Supervision, and annual Summer Institute; (5) Certifications - CCPT, CCGPT, and CPRT certification programs with multiple levels; (6) Clinical Services - on-campus play therapy services and clinics; (7) Research Platforms - searchable outcome research database and university graduate degree programs in counseling with play therapy specialty tracks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• P.L.A.Y. Lab: UNT P.L.A.Y. (Play Leaders Advocating for Youth) Research Lab - dedicated to developing mutually beneficial community partnerships and securing grant funding to serve children and the local community through quality research, service-learning activities, and evidence-based training opportunities.

Products and services

• CCPT 101: Basics in Child-Centered Play Therapy
• CCPT 102: Child-Centered Play Therapy Practice and Application
• CPRT 101: Foundations in Child-Parent Relationship Therapy
• CPRT 102: Advanced CPRT Practice and Application
• CPT Intensive Supervision
• Summer Institute Annual Conference
• Play Therapy Clinical Services
• CCPT Certification Program
• CCGPT Certification Program
• CPRT Certification Program
• Play Therapy Publications (Books and Manuals)
• Instructional DVDs and Streaming Videos
• Online Non-Contact CE Exams
• Play Therapy Toys and Materials
• Play Therapy Spirit Gear (Branded Merchandise)
• Play Therapy Outcome Research Database

Quantifiable outcome

• CPRT effectiveness research shows reduction in children's behavior problems and decreased parental stress (Bratton et al., 2010)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Association for Play Therapy (APT): The primary professional membership organization for play therapists; comparable as both serve the same population of mental health professionals seeking play therapy credentials, continuing education, and conferences, and CPT is an APT Approved Provider.
• Caldwell University - Play Therapy Certificate Program: Offers play therapy certificate and continuing education programs for mental health professionals, with similar target audience and curricular focus on child-centered methods.
• Emporia State University - The Help Center / Play Therapy Training: Hosts play therapy training events and supervision programs for mental health professionals, with a similar university-clinic hybrid model (clinical services + training/certification).
• Texas State University - Play Therapy Certificate Program: Another major U.S. university-based play therapy training and certificate program offering similar CCPT/CPRT-style coursework, certifications, and continuing education for the same licensed-therapist customer base.
• Appalachian State University - Play Therapy Program: University-based play therapy training program offering certifications and continuing education for licensed counselors, sharing the same training/certification/edtech catalog structure as CPT.
• National Louis University - Play Therapy Programs: University-based provider of play therapy training and CE-based programming aimed at licensed counselors and school personnel, comparable on training format and customer segment.
• University of Georgia - Play Therapy Certificate Program: University-based play therapy training program offering graduate certificates and continuing education to mental health professionals, with comparable methodologies and a similar academic-department delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors): National credentialing body that approves CE providers and influences certification standards in counseling; comparable as a stakeholder in the counselor certification ecosystem that CPT's products operate within.
• PESI - Professional Education Systems Institute: Large-scale continuing education provider for mental health professionals offering CE courses across modalities (including play therapy); broader catalog but overlaps as an alternative channel for play therapy CE.

Others

• Coursera: Adjacent online education platform that hosts counseling and child therapy courses; while not a direct play therapy peer, it represents an alternative distribution/e-commerce model for professional education content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@centerforplaytherapy8983
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unt-center-for-play-therapy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNT Center for Play Therapy