Membership Overview

Membership Benefits

  • A standard of practice that is in keeping with international requirements
  • Training, supervision, and preparation for certification or for practitioner status
  • Conferences for professional development and networking
  • A website to provide information about our practice, and to provide links on topics of interest to our members
  • A professional listing on the Find A Therapist page for licensed or registered professionals who have achieved certification or practitioner status, or who are advanced training interns
  • A professional network and a welcoming community
  • The opportunity to serve on the CAST board and attend the AGM
  • Opportunities to receive discounts at conferences or workshops
  • Opportunities to attend member events or webinars free or with discounts
  • Regular newsletters with news and important updates

Yearly Membership Fees

  • Regular Membership = $150
  • Student Membership (with proof of student status) = $75
  • Supporting Membership = $150
  • Retired Membership (no longer in active practice) = $35
  • Inactive Membership = $35

Please see below for details about the membership categories and their associated benefits and requirements.

Membership Categories

  • Active Member
    • Professional Members include ISST/CAST Certified Sandplay Therapists, CAST Sandplay Practitioners and Training Interns
  • Student Member
    • Full-time students are also Professional Members and enjoy a reduced membership fee while enrolled in their program of study
  • Supporting Member
    • International sandplay therapists and practitioners, as well as those who wish support the sandplay community but are not accredited to practice therapy in Canada
  • Retired Member
    • Members who are no longer in active practice or members of a regulatory body can continue to be engaged with the sandplay community
  • Inactive Member
    • Members who are taking a leave from practice for a period of time but plan to return

Requirements of Membership

  • Membership renewal runs every calendar year and is required to continue to receive the benefits of membership.
  • Training Interns, Level II onward, must maintain their membership in CAST in good standing in order to receive credit for training or supervision hours acquired in any calendar year.
  • Certified members are required to maintain their membership in ISST as well as CAST in order to maintain their professional status both internationally and nationally in CAST and ISST. Certified members must also adhere to provincial regulations on licensure to practice psychotherapy.
  • Professional members are required to become familiar with and agree to abide by the CAST Guidelines for Professional Practice and the ISST Statutes and Rules of Procedure, both available here.
  • Professional members are also required to familiarize themselves with the Levels of CAST Training and CAST policies and procedures, to assist them in working through their certification or practitioner status process, or to achieve advanced status as teaching members.

Student Membership

Student membership (or registration) status is intended for members who are taking time away from professional practice to pursue their education. Student members have the same privileges as Active members, but pay a reduced annual fee.

In order to claim student status, students must provide annual proof of their full-time student status. After submitting your membership renewal form please forward proof of student status via email to: treasurer@sandplaycanada.ca

Supporting Member

Supporting Memberships are intended for sandplay therapists and practitioners who do not reside in Canada. As well, people with an interest in being involved with the sandplay community without certification or regulatory requirements can apply as a Supporting member.

Privileges of Supporting Member

  • Member will receive notices and newsletters
  • Member discounts as other members receive
  • Member can login to the Member area on the website
  • Member can be part of LinkedIn and Facebook groups as other members
  • Volunteer non-voting sub-committee opportunities
  • Option to contribute submissions to quarterly newsletters

Restrictions of Supporting Member

  • No voting rights at AGM
  • No use of title in Canada

Retired Membership

​​Conditions for Retired membership

  • No longer an active member of a regulatory body that allowed them to practice independently; or retired from employment in an agency or institution where they practiced sandplay;
  • No plan to return to practice of psychotherapy or sandplay in any setting;
  • Having been a member of CAST for at least five years
  • Application form completed and sent to the CAST Administrator

Privileges of Retired membership

  • Receive CAST Newsletters
  • Receive discounts at CAST conferences or events
  • Attend CAST AGM, but not allowed voting privileges
  • Maintain access to the General Members area of the website only
  • Volunteer non-voting sub-committee opportunities
  • Option to contribute submissions to quarterly newsletters

Restrictions of Retired membership

  • Not permitted to use earned titles from CAST and/or ISST, without the qualification after it “(Retired)”
  • Not entitled to present at CAST conferences or events. This is applicable generally, in keeping with requirements of most regulatory bodies.
  • Exceptions may be considered in special circumstances.*
  • Not allowed to attend any certification trainings nor participate in any supervision activities

*CAST board members, teaching members, and members of the committees hosting events make decisions for Retired Member participation based on their awareness of the professional ethics in this circumstance; and reserve the right to review eligibility for retired members as appropriate.

Inactive Member

Inactive member status is intended for members who wish to suspend their CAST membership for a period of time. It is assumed that the member is not actively practicing sandplay during this time, and that the member maintains their provincial regulatory requirements.

There is no reinstatement fee to return to an Active membership; to be reinstated as a full professional member the inactive member is required to submit an application and pay full dues for the current year.

Privileges during Inactive status:

  • Name can be listed on CAST website, with status as Inactive
  • Member can login to the Member area on the website
  • Member can be part of LinkedIn and Facebook groups as other members
  • Member will receive notices and newsletters
  • Member discounts as other members receive

Loss of privileges during Inactive status

  • Use of title
  • Not able to accumulate training nor supervision hours

Lapsed Member

Lapsed members are those who did not renew their CAST membership. Lapsed members cannot claim credentials, cannot be listed on the website, do not receive newsletters, conference or training information, or reduced rates for training and/or conferences; they do not have any membership privileges.

Lapsed members can be reinstated as a full professional member; the lapsed member is required to submit an application and pay full dues for the current year.

When lapsed members return to sandplay practice and training, they can apply to claim supervision and/or training hours for years in which they were not full members by paying the full membership fee for that year(s), retroactively, plus a $50 reinstatement fee.

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