Play Therapy
A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice
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This authoritative work brings together leading play therapists to describe state-of-the-art clinical approaches and applications. The book explains major theoretical frameworks and summarizes the contemporary play therapy research base, including compelling findings from neuroscience. Contributors present effective strategies for treating children struggling with such problems as trauma, maltreatment, attachment difficulties, bullying, rage, grief, and autism spectrum disorder. Practice principles are brought to life in vivid case illustrations throughout the volume. Special topics include treatment of military families and play therapy interventions for adolescents and adults.
This title is part of the Creative Arts and Play Therapy series, edited by Cathy A. Malchiodi and David A. Crenshaw.
“Crenshaw and Stewart have created the seminal anthology of play therapy. Covering theory and approaches, clinical applications, practice guidelines, and research, this volume is the ultimate resource for students, as well as experienced practitioners. Taken in its entirety, the book goes further than any other work I know of in defining the breadth and scope of play therapy and its contribution to growth, development, education, and healing in children. I offer my sincere thanks to the editors for providing this indispensable resource!”
—Richard L. Gaskill, EdD, LCP, RPT-S, Sumner Mental Health Center, Wellington, Kansas
“Everything you always wanted to know about play therapy can be found in this comprehensive 36-chapter volume. The wide scope makes the book ideal for graduate play therapy training programs and for clinicians who work with children in a variety of settings. The chapter authors present not only their theoretical bases but also rich clinical case examples that demonstrate the unique power of play therapy. This impressive book will prove invaluable for educating professionals for years to come.”
—Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, LICSW, RPT-S, University Distinguished Professor of Social Work Emerita, Fordham University
“This book offers a unique, much-needed contribution to the field. Crenshaw and Stewart have brought together an outstanding group of contributors. The impressive breadth and depth of coverage ranges from theoretical underpinnings, to clinical applications across a wide range of client problems, to research and ethical bases for practice. I recommend the book heartily as a text for graduate training programs, and for the library of any professional who wishes to engage in the informed practice of play therapy.”
—Ronald E. Reeve, PhD, NCSP, Director, Curry Program in Clinical and School Psychology, University of Virginia
“Accessing the richness of
Play Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice allows the reader-practitioner to dive deeply into the transformative power of play itself. Each chapter acknowledges play as a force of nature, captured in its essence and refined through the comprehensive skill, broad scholarship, and multiple foci of accomplished authors and editors. The result of this immersion is inspiration and deepened professional identity for the practitioner, and healing mercies for those who become safe and playful through its applications. Guided, chapter by chapter, through this volume’s varied and verdant landscapes, the reader emerges with a treasure of theoretical and philosophical grounding plus solid clinical guidance for greater professional excellence. No small accomplishment....There is plenty of nourishment in this volume to establish it as a fresh and necessary revelatory ‘bible’ of play therapy, guiding the therapist to new and more effective personal and professional rewards.”
—from the Foreword by Stuart Brown, MD
Table of Contents
Foreword by Stuart Brown
I. Play Therapy Theories and Approaches
1. Child-Centered Play Therapy, Dee C. Ray & Garry L. Landreth
2. Object Relations and Attachment-Based Play Therapy, Sarah C. Patton & Helen E. Benedict
3. Adlerian Play Therapy, Terry Kottman & Jeffrey S. Ashby
4. Jungian Analytical Play Therapy, J. P. Lilly
5. Psychodynamic Play Therapy, John B. Mordock
6. Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, Angela M. Cavett
7. Integrative Approach to Play Therapy, Eliana Gil, Elizabeth Konrath, Jennifer Shaw, Myriam Goldin, & Heather McTaggart Bryan
8. Attachment Security as a Framework in Play Therapy, William Whelan & Anne L. Stewart
9. Child-Parent Relationship Therapy: A 10-Session Filial Therapy Model, Sue C. Bratton, Kristie Opiola, & Eric Dafoe
10. Theraplay: Repairing Relationships, Helping Families Heal, Phyllis B. Booth & Marlo L.-R. Winstead
11. Sandtray and Storytelling in Play Therapy, Theresa Kestly
12. StoryPlay: A Narrative Play Therapy Approach, Joyce C. Mills
13. Family Play Therapy: Practical Techniques, Greg Czyszczon, Scott Riviere, Dianne Lowman, & Anne L. Stewart
14. Animal-Assisted Play Therapy, Risë VanFleet & Tracie Faa-Thompson
II. Clinical Applications of Play Therapy
15. Play Therapy with “Children of Fury”: Treating the Myriad Forms of Betrayal, David A. Crenshaw
16. Play Therapy with the Spectrum of Bullying Behavior, Steven Baron
17. Child-Centered Play Therapy and School-Based Problems, Angela I. Sheely-Moore & Peggy L. Ceballos
18. Trauma Narratives with Children in Foster Care: Individual and Group Play Therapy, David A. Crenshaw & Kathleen S. Tillman
19. Play Therapy with Children Experiencing Homelessness, Deborah C. Sturm & Christopher Hill
20. Play Therapy with Children of Divorce: A Prescriptive Approach, Sueann Kenney-Noziska & Liana Lowenstein
21. Play Therapy for Children Experiencing Grief and Traumatic Loss: What Matters Most, William Steele
22. Jungian Analytical Play Therapy with a Sexually Abused Child, J. P. Lilly
23. Child Maltreatment: Safety-Based Clinical Strategies for Play Therapists, Janine Shelby & Lauren E. Maltby
24. Reunifying Families after Critical Separations: An Integrated Play Therapy Approach to Building and Strengthening Family Ties, Eliana Gil
25. Play-Based Disaster and Crisis Intervention: Roles of Play Therapists in Promoting Recovery, Anne L. Stewart, Lennis G. Echterling, & Claudio Mochi
26. Play Therapy with Military-Connected Children and Families, Jessica Anne Umhoefer, Mary Anne Peabody, & Anne L. Stewart
27. Play Therapy with Children on the Autism Spectrum, Kevin B. Hull
28. Play Therapy with Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Heidi Gerard Kaduson
29. Filial Therapy for Children with Anxiety Disorders, Louise F. Guerney
30. Play Therapy with Adolescents, Brijin Johnson Gardner
31. Play Therapy Interventions for Adults, Diane Frey
III. Research and Practice Guidelines in Play Therapy
32. Research in Play Therapy: Empirical Support for Practice, Dee C. Ray
33. Reflective Practice in Play Therapy and Supervision, John W. Seymour & David A. Crenshaw
34. Cultural Issues in Play Therapy, Phyllis Post & Kathleen S. Tillman
35. Ethics in Play Therapy, Jeffrey S. Ashby & Kathleen McKinney Clark
36. Exploring the Neuroscience of Healing Play at Every Age, Bonnie Badenoch & Theresa Kestly
About the Editors
David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, is Clinical Director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, New York, and Adjunct Faculty at Marist College. He has taught graduate courses in play therapy at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University and has published widely on child and adolescent therapy, child abuse and trauma, and resilience in children. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of its Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Dr. Crenshaw has received lifetime achievement awards from the New York Association for Play Therapy and the Hudson Valley Psychological Association. He is a past chair of the board of directors of the Coalition against Sexual and Domestic Abuse and a member of the professional advisory board of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation and of the Dutchess County Task Force against Human Trafficking.
Anne L. Stewart, PhD, RPT-S, is Professor of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where she teaches, supervises, and conducts play therapy each week. She has written and presented internationally about crisis intervention, attachment, supervision, military families, improvisation, and resilience. She is Founder and President of the Virginia Association for Play Therapy, Chair of the National Foundation for Play Therapy, and an editorial board member of the
International Journal of Play Therapy. Dr. Stewart is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Play Therapy and the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Contributors
Jeffrey S. Ashby, PhD, ABPP, College of Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT, Nurturing the Heart, Vancouver, Washington
Steven Baron, PsyD, private practice, Bellmore, New York
Helen E. Benedict, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Phyllis B. Booth, MA, LPC, LMFT, RPT-S, The Theraplay Institute, Chicago, Illinois
Sue C. Bratton, PhD, LPC, RPT-S, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Stuart Brown, MD, National Institute for Play, Carmel Valley, California
Heather McTaggart Bryan, LPC, RPT, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, Virginia
Angela M. Cavett, PhD, LP, RPT-S, Beacon Behavioral Health Services and Training Center, West Fargo, North Dakota
Peggy L. Ceballos, PhD, LPC, RPT-S, Department of Counseling, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
Kathleen McKinney Clark, MA, LPC, private practice, Alpharetta, Georgia
David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie, New York
Greg Czyszczon, EdS, LPC, Harrisonburg Center for Relational Health, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Eric Dafoe, MA, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Lennis G. Echterling, PhD, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Tracie Faa-Thompson, MSW, Turn About Pegasus, Northumberland, United Kingdom
Diane Frey, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Counseling, Wright State University, and private practice, Dayton, Ohio
Brijin Johnson Gardner, MSW, LSCSW, RPT-S, Operation Breakthrough, Parkville, Missouri
Eliana Gil, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, ATR, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, Virginia
Myriam Goldin, LCSW, RPT-S, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, Virginia
Louise F. Guerney, PhD, RPT-S, National Institute of Relationship Enhancement, Bethesda, Maryland
Christopher Hill, MS, MA, Clinical and School Psychology Doctoral Program, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Kevin B. Hull, PhD, LPC, Hull and Associates, Lakeland, Florida
Heidi Gerard Kaduson, PhD, RPT-S, Play Therapy Training Institute, Monroe Township, New Jersey
Sueann Kenney-Noziska, MSW, LISW, LCSW, RPT-S, Play Therapy Corner, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Theresa Kestly, PhD, RPT-S, Sandtray Training Institute of New Mexico, Corrales, New Mexico
Elizabeth Konrath, LPC, RPT, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, Virginia
Terry Kottman, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, The Encouragement Zone, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Garry L. Landreth, EdD, LPC, RPT-S, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
J. P. Lilly, MS, LSCW, RPT-S, private practice, Provo, Utah
Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S, private practice, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dianne Koontz Lowman, EdD, Harrisonburg Center for Relational Health, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Lauren E. Maltby, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
Joyce C. Mills, PhD, RPT-S, The Story Play Center, Scottsdale, Arizona
Claudio Mochi, RP, RPT-S, Association of Play Therapy of Italy, Rome, Italy
John B. Mordock, PhD, ABPP, private practice, Poughkeepsie, New York
Kristie Opiola, MA, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Sarah C. Patton, PsyD, Psychology Service, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida
Mary Anne Peabody, EdD, LCSW, RPT-S, Social and Behavioral Sciences Program, Lewiston–Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Brunswick, Maine
Phyllis Post, PhD, LPC-S, NCSC, RPT-S, Department of Counseling, Special Education, and Child Development, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Department of Counseling and Higher Education, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Scott Riviere, MS, LPC, RPT-S, Kids Interactive Discovery Zone
(K.I.D.Z.), Lake Charles, Louisiana
John W. Seymour, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, Department of Counseling and Student Personnel, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato, Minnesota
Jennifer Shaw, PsyD, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, Virginia
Angela I. Sheely-Moore, PhD, NCC, Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey
Janine Shelby, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Psychiatry, Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California
William Steele, PsyD, MSW, National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children, Clinton Township, Michigan
Anne L. Stewart, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Graduate Psychology,James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Debbie C. Sturm, PhD, LPC, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Kathleen S. Tillman, PhD, Department of Counseling Psychology and Community Services, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Jessica Anne Umhoefer, PsyD, NCSP, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Fairfax County Public Schools, Alexandria, Virginia
Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, The Playful Pooch Program, Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania
William Whelan, PsyD, Virginia Child and Family Attachment Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Marlo L.-R. Winstead, LSCSW, LCSW, RPT-S, Department of Social Work, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas
Audience
Play, art, and other creative arts therapists; clinical psychologists, child psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, and family therapists.
Course Use
Serves as a text in graduate-level play therapy courses.