Biography
Garry Landreth was born on April 12, 1937 in Woodstown, Oklahoma. After graduating from Grant High School, he studied for his bachelor's degree at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. In 1958, Landreth began work as a school teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received an M.A. in counseling from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 1962, and became a school counselor. He continued studying at UNM for his Ed.D. in counseling, which he received in 1966.
Landreth then moved to Denton, Texas, to start his academic career at the University of North Texas (UNT), where he retired as Regents Professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education in 2011. His research and practice were centered on play therapy and filial therapy; he was the founder of UNT's Center for Play Therapy, and director emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy.
Landreth died on June 11, 2026.
