This year’s conference, held at Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenilworth, achieved a record attendance – 620 delegate days, over the week. The plenary session, with over 200 attendees was completely sold out. We were sorry that some had to be turned away. We have now reached a size where it is difficult to find a venue that is cost effective for 300 delegates, so we are initially restricting applications for our 2016 event to PTUK registrants.

Monika’s address at this year’s PTUK conference concluded with a Play Therapy International award to Jeff Thomas for his outstanding contribution to the profession over a number of years. Previous recipients include: Violet Oaklander, the eminent child and adolescent psychotherapist and Camila Batmanghelidjh, CBE, best known as the founder and chief executive of Kids Company and Monika herself in 2001.

The Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC) is the only training provider accredited by Play Therapy UK to provide entry to the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

APAC announce two new venues for the Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills and The Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy:

• Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenilworth. Ideally placed for Birmingham, Coventry and all of the West Midlands, with easy motorway access – first course started June 2015
• Ennismore Retreat Centre, Cork, Ireland – first course started 10th of July 2015 (now Carnloch Court)

This brings the number of APAC course venues to 10 in the UK, 3 in Ireland and 6 overseas.

Monika Jephcott opened the plenary session with an inspiring address. She spoke spontaneously from her heart showing her passion for helping as many children as possible and the need for professionalism in addition to therapeutic skills. Monika outlined how Play Therapy UK had grown from an introductory course, with 12 participants, held at Fern Hill, Fairwarp in 2000, to the largest Play Therapy professional organisation with a Register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority with over 1500 registrants. She thanked all delegates for their steadfast support over the years in making PTUK’s programme of continuous innovation possible and in particular the recent raising of our standards of implementation to give the children the quality of therapy that they deserve.