Essential Play Therapy Techniques

Highly practical and user friendly, this book presents 58 play therapy techniques that belong in every child clinician's toolbox. The expert authors draw from multiple theoretical orientations to showcase powerful, well-established approaches applicable to a broad range of childhood problems. Activities, needed materials, and variations of each technique are succinctly described. Of critical importance for today's evidence-based practitioner, each chapter also includes a historical perspective on the technique at hand, a rationale explaining its therapeutic power, and a review of relevant empirical findings. The book enables readers to determine which strategies are appropriate for a particular child or group and rapidly incorporate them into practice.

The second edition of Play Therapy Techniques includes seven new chapters in addition to the original twenty-four. These lively chapters expand the comprehensive scope of the book by describing issues involved in beginning and ending therapy, using metaphors, playing music and ball, and applying the renowned "Color Your Life" technique. The extensive selection of play techniques described in this book will add to the clinical repertoire of students and practitioners of child therapy and counseling. When used in combination with formal education and clinical supervision, Play Therapy Techniques, Second Edition, can be especially useful for developing treatment plans to address the specific needs of various clinical populations. Students and practitioners of child therapy and counseling, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and child life specialists will find this second of Play Therapy Techniques informative and clinically useful.

Current play therapy resources offer details on how to conduct play therapy, but are limited in addressing the challenges that develop when therapists conduct play therapy with real-life clients. Using the Child-Centered Play Therapy Approach, Ray has written the first book to address these complex play therapy subjects. Topics covered include: integrating field knowledge of play, development, and theory into the advanced play therapist’s knowledge base; working with difficult situations, such as limit-setting, aggression, and parents; addressing modern work concerns like measuring progress, data accountability, and treatment planning; differentiating play therapy practice in school and community settings; and addressing complicated skills, such as theme work, group play therapy, and supervision. Ray also includes her Child Centered Play Therapy Treatment Manual, an invaluable tool for any play therapist accountable for evidence-based practice. This manual can also be found on the accompanying downloadable resources, along with treatment plan, session summary, and progress-tracking worksheets.

Highly practical, instructive, and authoritative, this book vividly describes how to conduct child-centered play therapy. The authors are master clinicians who explain core therapeutic principles and techniques, using rich case material to illustrate treatment of a wide range of difficulties. The focus is on nondirective interventions that allow children to freely express their feelings and take the lead in solving their own problems. Flexible yet systematic guidelines are provided for setting up a playroom; structuring sessions; understanding and responding empathically to children's play themes, including how to handle challenging behaviors; and collaborating effectively with parents.

Linking Parents to Play Therapy is a practical guide containing essential information for play therapists. It includes coverage of legal and medical issues, pragmatic assignments for parents, guidelines for working with angry and resistant parents, a listing of state protective and advocacy agencies, and tips for working with managed care. Combining theoretical understanding with a variety of techniques, this book makes working with parents possible, practical, and productive.

Building on children's natural inclinations to pretend and reenact, play therapy is widely used in the treatment of psychological problems in childhood. 101 Favorite Play Therapy Techniques incorporates methods developed to elicit the best responses from children by therapists representing cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and other orientations, and selected for their practicality, specificity, and originality. Arranged for easy reference, each bearing a succinct description and targeted application, the interventions illustrated—including Fantasy, Storytelling, Expressive Arts, Game Play, Puppet Play, Play Toys and Objects, and Group Play—have been used with success to address such common problems as low self-esteem and unresolved fear and anger, as well as more serious difficulties arising from loss, abuse, and sexual trauma. All the contributors share the enthusiasm and respect of editors Kaduson and Schaefer for the special value of play therapy in reaching and healing young patients. Together, they have created an eclectic, accessible, and comprehensive resource for students and professionals that will also support parents seeking to open new lines of communication with their children. A Jason Aronson Book

A thorough revision of the essential guide to using play therapy in schools Fully updated and revised, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition presents an A-to-Z guide for using play therapy in preschool and elementary school settings. Coedited by noted experts in the field, Athena Drewes and Charles Schaefer, the Second Edition offers school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and teachers the latest techniques in developing creative approaches to utilize the therapeutic powers of play in schools. The Second Edition includes coverage on how to implement a play therapy program in school settings; play-based prevention programs; individual play therapy approaches as well as group play; and play therapywith special populations, such as selectively mute, homeless, and autistic children. In addition, nine new chapters have been added with new material covering: Cognitive-behavioral play therapy Trauma-focused group work Training teachers to use play therapy Filled with illustrative case studies and ready-to-use practical techniques and suggestions, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition is an essential resource for all mental health professionals working in schools.

This book is an amazing resource for play therapy techniques. The contributors come from a diverse group including child-centered, cognitive-behavioral, gestalt, Jungian, psychodynamic, and prescriptive play therapy.