A brightly lit playroom with children's toys and books on shelves in the background, and a colorful rug with wooden toys in the foreground, features the text "GENDER DIVERSITY IN PLAY THERAPY" prominently displayed on the wall.

Georgia Association for Play Therapy

### Context Profile for Georgia Association for Play Therapy (GAPT)

#### 1. Organization Mission & Cause
The Georgia Association for Play Therapy (GAPT) is dedicated to promoting the value of play therapy and supporting the professionals who practice it. Their mission is to enhance the quality of life for children and families through the use of play therapy, providing resources, education, and advocacy for practitioners and the community. They aim to foster a greater understanding of play therapy's benefits in mental health treatment.

#### 2. Type of Activities
GAPT engages in a variety of activities, including:
- **Educational Workshops and Conferences**: They host annual conferences and workshops to provide training and resources for play therapy practitioners.
- **Advocacy**: GAPT advocates for the recognition and integration of play therapy in mental health practices.
- **Community Programs**: They offer resources and support for families and children in need of mental health services through play therapy.
- **Fundraising Campaigns**: Recent campaigns include the "GAPT 30th Birthday," which encourages donations in exchange for promotional items like coloring books.

#### 3. Tone of Voice
The tone of voice used by GAPT is:
- **Friendly and Supportive**: Communications are warm and welcoming, aiming to create a sense of community among practitioners and families.
- **Professional**: While maintaining a friendly demeanor, the language reflects professionalism and expertise in the field of play therapy.
- **Inspiring**: Content often emphasizes the positive impact of play therapy, motivating practitioners and supporters to engage and contribute.

#### 4. Emoji Usage
GAPT does not prominently use emojis in their communications. Their content is primarily text-based, focusing on clear and professional language without the casualness that emojis bring.

#### 5. Key Facts
- **Founding**: GAPT was established to support the practice of play therapy in Georgia.
- **Scale**: The organization has a network of professionals and conducts multiple events annually, including conferences and workshops.
- **Impact Metrics**: Specific metrics regarding the impact of their programs are not detailed on the website, but they emphasize community outreach and education.
- **Volunteer Information**: Opportunities for volunteering are likely available, although specific details were not found on the website.

#### 6. Writing Guidelines
- **Clarity and Conciseness**: Communications should be straightforward, avoiding jargon where possible to ensure accessibility for all audiences.
- **Engagement**: Use a friendly and inviting tone to encourage participation and support from the community.
- **Call to Action**: Include clear calls to action in fundraising and event promotions, motivating readers to contribute or participate.
- **Consistency**: Maintain a consistent format in emails and promotional materials, reflecting the professional nature of the organization while being approachable.

This context profile serves as a foundational guide for creating personalized and effective content for the Georgia Association for Play Therapy, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and activities.

LXCL:To qualify for the GAPT member rate, you must be a member of the Georgia APT chapter.

GAPT Members

Non-Member

LXCL:Early Bird Special Available Until 7/13 at 11:55 pm

Early Bird Registration

Gender Diversity in Play Therapy Workshop Overview:A one hour and 15 minute virtual presentation from a Registered Play Therapist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor with lived experience about supporting gender diversity in a Play Therapy context.&nbsp; Workshop Abstract/DescriptionJoin us for this 75 minute virtual presentation with Q&amp;A discussion about Gender Diversity in Play Therapy and how to navigate supporting both clients and guardians through a harm reduction lens. We will be covering APT&rsquo;s Play Therapy Best Practices (2025) guidance and current state and ethical requirements for licensed therapists.&nbsp; You will be eligible for 1 non-contact APT CE credit for attending this presentation.&nbsp; Learning Objectives<ol fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Participants will analyze current scholarly literature to identify best practices with gender diverse youth in Play Therapy.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Participants will develop a plan for supporting both youth and guardians during the Play Therapy process.&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Participants will summarize the importance of authenticity for youth in Play Therapy in a way that is understandable to their guardians.&nbsp; </li></ol>Presenters&rsquo; Brief Bios: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1783453882/wysiwyg/oncvgygeldktzlyrohrz.jpg" style="width: 229px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; max-width: 100%; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 229px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"> Jessamy Whitsitt, LMFT, RPT&trade;&nbsp;Jessamy Whitsitt (she/they) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Play Therapist&trade;, certified AutPlay&reg; Therapist, and Approved Clinical Supervisor based in Seattle, Washington. She is the founder of Whitsitt Family Therapy, where she provides trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and LGBTQ+ affirming therapy to children, adolescents, parents, and families.&nbsp; Jessamy&#39;s clinical work centers on the intersection of neurodivergence and identity, with deep specialization in Autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), ADHD, and LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth and their families. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and parent to a neurodivergent, gender-expansive young adult, she brings authentic lived experience to both the families she serves and the professionals she trains.&nbsp; Her path to play therapy is rooted in decades of direct work with children; as a Montessori teacher, early childhood educator, foster and adoptive parent, and parent educator, giving her clinical teaching an embodied, experiential quality. She has designed and delivered continuing education training and presentations for mental health professionals on topics including PDA, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and affirming care for trans and gender-expansive youth. Jessamy currently serves as President of the Washington State Association for Play Therapy (WA4PT). She holds a Master of Arts in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University Seattle, where she also earned her Diversity Fellowship and Certificate in Play Therapy.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1783454019/wysiwyg/vzmy2jkby2ysbbuuf2vi.jpg" style="width: 229px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; max-width: 100%; position: relative; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 229px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto 5px 0px; text-align: left;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"> Dr. Kade Sharp, PhD, LICSW, CMHS, CST, RPT-S&trade; Dr. Kade Sharp (he/they) is an autistic queer trans Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Child Mental Health Specialist, and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist practicing in Washington state. He has his PhD in Clinical Sexology through Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. He specializes in supporting disabled queer trans autistic and AuDHD clients of all ages, as well as neurodivergent supervisees. His practice is Spectrum Counseling. Kade runs the Curious Cryptid Learning continuing education platform for therapists. He is also a co-host for the Aces Up Your Sleeve Podcast, where he and Sabrina Longley, LCSW, give insight to navigating autistic &amp; AuDHD life as two autistic asexuality-spectrum therapists. &nbsp;Kade loves helping people figure out they&#39;re autistic, playing board &amp; card games, roleplaying, reality TV, true crime, and his 2 adopted senior cats.&nbsp; Practice website: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.kadesharp.com" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://www.kadesharp.com</a>&nbsp;Training platform: https://www.cryptidlearns.com &nbsp;Aces Up Your Sleeve podcast: <a fr-original-style="" href="http://www.patreon.com/AcesUpYourSleevePodcast " rel="noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">http://www.patreon.com/AcesUpYourSleevePodcast&amp;nbsp</a>;&nbsp;

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 196); overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you for registering for the Gender Diversity in Play Therapy workshop!We are excited to have you join us and look forward to learning together. Workshop Details<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Date: Friday, July 17</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Time: 1:30 PM &ndash; 2:45 PM Eastern Time (ET)</li></ul>Zoom Information<i fr-original-style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" id="isPasted" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit;">Topic: Gender Diversity in Play Therapy (GA APT) Time: Jul 17, 2026 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting <a fr-original-style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89210023851?pwd=zMBgr31738UFUM2dbcq59KOtCxVa2y.1" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89210023851?pwd=zMBgr31738UFUM2dbcq59KOtCxVa2y.1</a> Meeting ID: 892 1002 3851 Passcode: 629222 Please plan to log in a few minutes early so we can begin promptly at 1:30 PM ET.If you have any questions before the workshop, please don&#39;t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to seeing you soon! <p fr-original-style="color: rgb(15, 14, 91); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.5;" id="isPasted" style="color: rgb(15, 14, 91); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">The Georgia Association for Play Therapy<p fr-original-style="color: rgb(15, 14, 91); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.5;" style="color: rgb(15, 14, 91); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Email: info@gapt.org

Gender Diversity in Play Therapy Workshop Overview:A one hour and 15 minute virtual presentation from a Registered Play Therapist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor with lived experience about supporting gender diversity in a Play Therapy context.  Workshop Abstract/DescriptionJoin us for this 75 minute virtual presentation with Q&amp;A discussion about Gender Diversity in Play Therapy and how to navigate supporting both clients and guardians through a harm reduction lens. We will be covering APT’s Play Therapy Best Practices (2025) guidance and current state and ethical requirements for licensed therapists.  You will be eligible for 1 non-contact APT CE credit for attending this presentation.  Learning Objectives<ol><li>Participants will analyze current scholarly literature to identify best practices with gender diverse youth in Play Therapy.</li><li>Participants will develop a plan for supporting both youth and guardians during the Play Therapy process. </li><li>Participants will summarize the importance of authenticity for youth in Play Therapy in a way that is understandable to their guardians.  </li></ol>Presenters’ Brief Bios: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1783453882/wysiwyg/oncvgygeldktzlyrohrz.jpg" style="width:229px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto 5px 0px;text-align:left;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;position:relative;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" /> Jessamy Whitsitt, LMFT, RPT™ Jessamy Whitsitt (she/they) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Play Therapist™, certified AutPlay® Therapist, and Approved Clinical Supervisor based in Seattle, Washington. She is the founder of Whitsitt Family Therapy, where she provides trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and LGBTQ+ affirming therapy to children, adolescents, parents, and families.  Jessamy's clinical work centers on the intersection of neurodivergence and identity, with deep specialization in Autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), ADHD, and LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth and their families. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and parent to a neurodivergent, gender-expansive young adult, she brings authentic lived experience to both the families she serves and the professionals she trains.  Her path to play therapy is rooted in decades of direct work with children; as a Montessori teacher, early childhood educator, foster and adoptive parent, and parent educator, giving her clinical teaching an embodied, experiential quality. She has designed and delivered continuing education training and presentations for mental health professionals on topics including PDA, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and affirming care for trans and gender-expansive youth. Jessamy currently serves as President of the Washington State Association for Play Therapy (WA4PT). She holds a Master of Arts in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University Seattle, where she also earned her Diversity Fellowship and Certificate in Play Therapy.  <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1783454019/wysiwyg/vzmy2jkby2ysbbuuf2vi.jpg" style="width:229px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto 5px 0px;text-align:left;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;position:relative;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" /> Dr. Kade Sharp, PhD, LICSW, CMHS, CST, RPT-S™ Dr. Kade Sharp (he/they) is an autistic queer trans Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Child Mental Health Specialist, and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist practicing in Washington state. He has his PhD in Clinical Sexology through Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. He specializes in supporting disabled queer trans autistic and AuDHD clients of all ages, as well as neurodivergent supervisees. His practice is Spectrum Counseling. Kade runs the Curious Cryptid Learning continuing education platform for therapists. He is also a co-host for the Aces Up Your Sleeve Podcast, where he and Sabrina Longley, LCSW, give insight to navigating autistic &amp; AuDHD life as two autistic asexuality-spectrum therapists.  Kade loves helping people figure out they're autistic, playing board &amp; card games, roleplaying, reality TV, true crime, and his 2 adopted senior cats.  Practice website: <a href="https://www.kadesharp.com" target="_blank">https://www.kadesharp.com</a> Training platform: https://www.cryptidlearns.com  Aces Up Your Sleeve podcast: <a href="http://www.patreon.com/AcesUpYourSleevePodcast " target="_blank">http://www.patreon.com/AcesUpYourSleevePodcast&amp;nbsp</a>;

Georgia Association for Play Therapy

Gender Diversity in Play Therapy

Zoom

GAPT Members

$15

Non-Member

$20

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