Therapists’ use of congruence in nondirective play therapy and filial therapy.

Although the U.S. child-centered approaches of Garry Landreth and Louise Guerney have the same principles and practice skills as nondirective play therapy as practiced by therapists trained at the University of York, there are a few differences in their approach. Therapists’ practice of “congruence” is actively encouraged for York-trained therapists but not for Landreth and Guerney-trained therapists. The theoretical and practice rationales for expressing congruence that underlie the York approach are examined here, as well as potential pitfalls. Examples of therapists and parents verbally expressing their congruent feelings in therapy are given from both play therapy and filial therapy practice. Special attention is paid to the need for and uses of congruence when helping children and young people who were maltreated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child-centered play therapy.

Presents child centered play therapy (CCPT), including the rationale, basic tenets and effectiveness of the approach. The stages of CCPT are described. As the name suggests, CCPT focuses on the child and not on his or her problems. Most children not only thrive in the play environment, but with the therapeutic contributions of the therapist, go to reach higher levels of maturity and adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploratory study of child-centered play therapy with aggressive children.

Children exhibiting aggressive problem behaviors typically reach a peak of aggressive acts at an early age, providing evidence that early intervention for aggression is needed. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is 1 intervention that offers the child an environment in which aggression can be expressed and empathically responded to by a play therapist. Forty-one elementary school age children were assigned to a CCPT condition or a wait-list control group condition. Children who participated in 14 sessions of CCPT showed a moderate decrease in aggressive behaviors over children in the control group, according to effect sizes as reported by parents (N = 32). Teachers reported that both groups significantly improved over time (N = 41). Post hoc analysis revealed that children assigned to CCPT decreased aggressive behaviors statistically significantly and children assigned to control group demonstrated no statistically significant difference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of an advanced filial therapy model.

This article presents an advanced filial therapy model. This model was developed and implemented by the author in an effort to provide parents with ongoing support and skill development after the completion of a standardized filial model called Child–Parent Relationship Therapy. The advanced filial therapy model is described, including an exploration of how it was developed and how it compares with basic filial therapy models. Examples from the author's clinical experience are provided to illustrate various components of this approach. Finally, implications for research and practice are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating play and family therapy methods: A survey of play therapists' attitudes in the field.

The researchers surveyed 295 members of the Association for Play Therapy on their attitudes related to working with families when treating children. The results indicated the majority of play therapists held attitudes conducive to involving families in their approaches with children. However, mixed findings were found in specific areas related to the implementation of play therapy with families, suggesting barriers may exist. These mixed findings included a decreased percentage of play therapists that felt like play therapy was effective in family therapy when compared with the high level who felt that play and family therapy approaches could be integrated. Moreover, the respondents were divided on issues such as parents' willingness to be involved in therapy with their children and if parents were actually resistant to being included in sessions with their children. These mixed findings suggest that a wide range of attitudes and experiences about parental involvement exist among play therapists in the field. The authors raise key questions for the play therapy field to consider in more depth and suggest improvements that may be needed in play therapy education to increase the efficacy of play therapists' skills in working with families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repetitive symbolic play as a therapeutic process in child-centered play therapy.

Child-centered play therapy describes the therapeutic relationship between the child and play therapist as a facilitative environment that provides the child with an experience of congruence within their sense of self, promoting self-directed healing. Within this environment, the child is able to confront emotional pain imbedded in lived, relational experiences, processing and gaining mastery over it through repetitive symbolic play. However, very little research exists regarding repetitive symbolic play as a therapeutic process. This article aims to illustrate, through the use of a qualitative, interpretative case study and hermeneutic enquiry, how a 6-year-old boy's use of repetitive symbolic play assisted him toward healthier adjustment in his home and school environments. Hermeneutic analysis suggests that the child's use of repetitive symbolic play became a therapeutic process in and of itself that contributed toward self-directed change within his sense of self, which promoted healthier adjustment within his environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intensive filial therapy with child witnesses of domestic violence: A comparison with individual and sibling group play therapy.

The rationale for utilizing filial therapy as a treatment intervention with child witnesses of domestic violence while residing with their mothers in a shelter facility is explored and the effectiveness of an intensive 12-session filial therapy parent training group, conducted within 2-3 weeks, is described (n=11; aged 4-10 yrs). Results of analysis of covariance revealed that child witnesses in the experimental group significantly reduced behavior problems prevalent in child witnesses and significantly increased their self-concept as compared to child witnesses in the non-treatment comparison group. In addition, t-test results showed that mothers who facilitated treatment of the experimental group scored significantly higher after training on both their attitudes of acceptance and their empathic behavior. Comparative analysis revealed that intensive filial therapy as facilitated by the children's mothers was as effective in reducing behavior problems as was intensive individual play therapy and intensive sibling group play therapy as facilitated by professionally trained therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effectiveness of play therapy: Responding to the critics.

Notes that play therapy has long been criticized for a lack of adequate research base to prove its efficacy. For 6 decades, while play therapists conducted small research studies, critics challenged the utility and efficacy of play therapy as a viable psychotherapy intervention. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of 94 research studies focusing on the efficacy of play therapy, filial therapy, and combined play therapy and filial therapy. The following electronic databases were used in the authors 3-yr search for studies on play therapy: PsycLit, PsycINFO, ERIC, FirstSearch, and Dissertation Abstracts. Meta-analysis revealed a large positive effect on treatment outcomes with children. Play therapy appeared effective across modality, age, gender, clinical vs nonclinical populations, setting, and theoretical schools of thought. Additionally, positive play therapy effects were found to be greatest when there was parent involvement in treatment and an optimal number of sessions provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fifth-grade students as emotional helpers with kindergartners: Using play therapy procedures and skills.

This research study investigated the effectiveness of a filial therapy training model as a method to train 5th-grade students in child-centered play therapy skills and procedures. The 5th-grade students were trained to be therapeutic change agents in weekly play sessions with kindergarten children identified as having adjustment difficulties. Skill acquisition was assessed by videotaping 5th-grade student participants playing with a kindergarten child identified as having adjustment difficulties in 20-min play sessions before and after the training. Analysis of covariance on adjusted posttest means revealed that 5th-grade children in the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant increases in empathic responses, behavioral willingness to follow the kindergarten children's lead, and involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structured play therapy: A model for choosing topics and activities.

This article presents a model to be used for structured play therapy for use with adolescents and children ages 7 yrs and older. Structured play therapy is a form of play therapy that is directive and uses planned, structured activities in almost every session. This model was developed to provide a framework for appropriate timing and sequence of structured activities. This article describes structured play therapy and how it differs from nondirective play, presents a structured play therapy model, presents specific guidelines for choosing appropriate structured activities and exercises, and presents a case study demonstrating application of the model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child-centered play therapy with a seven-year-old boy diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder.

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) has been supported as an effective method for working with children. A case study is presented that describes treatment using CCPT with a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder (IED). This case study delineates 16 sessions of play therapy with a registered play therapist. The behavioral problems the child exhibited at the onset of therapy were greatly improved at the conclusion of the sessions. The outcome of this case study supported the use of play therapy for children with IED. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Limits and relationship in child-centered play therapy: Two case studies.

This article presents case studies exploring two boys' uses of limit testing as a therapeutic tool in child-centered play therapy (CCPT). Both boys were referred for behavior that was abnormally disruptive for their age and setting, which was kindergarten in an elementary school that serves a very high poverty community and is accustomed to handling misbehavior. Data evidencing progress is provided as a reference point, while analysis is focused on conceptualization and mechanisms of change related to each child's use of limit testing in CCPT. The authors suggest that each boy used limit testing in CCPT to try out the therapeutic relationship as a stand-in for other relationships, to rethink relational expectations inside and outside of therapy, revisit unmet needs and meanings of early experiences, and change self-concept in ways that affected positive behavioral change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Helker and Ray (2009).

Reports an error in "Impact of child teacher relationship training on teachers’ and aides’ use of relationship-building skills and the effects on student classroom behavior" by Wendy Pretz Helker and Dee C. Ray (International Journal of Play Therapy, 2009[Apr], Vol 18[2], 70-83). There was an error in the abstract. In the current abstract the fourth sentence reads: Using a repeated measures design, results revealed that children in the experimental group (n 19) demonstrated a significant decrease (p .04) in Externalizing Problems between measurements 1 and 3 compared to children in the active control group (n 13). However, the fourth sentence should have read “Results of ANCOVA revealed a statistically significant difference (p .04) with a large effect size in externalizing scores between the experimental (n 19) and active control groups (n 13) at the end of treatment but no difference at the 10-week non-intervention follow-up.” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-05645-003.) This study examined the impact of Child Teacher Relationship Training on educators’ use of relationship-building skills in the classroom and the effect on student behavior. Preschool-age children (3–4 years old) who scored in the Borderline/Clinical range on at least one scale of the Child Behavior Checklist-Caregiver/Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) qualified for the study (N = 32). In this quasi-experimental design, 12 teacher aide dyads (N = 24) were assigned to the experimental (n = 12) or active control groups (n = 12). Using a repeated measures design, results revealed that children in the experimental group (n = 19) demonstrated a significant decrease (p = .04) in Externalizing Problems between measurements 1 and 3 compared with children in the active control group (n = 13). A statistically significant relationship was found between educators’ higher use of relationship-building skills and students’ decrease in externalizing behaviors (p     

Reenvisioning Jungian analytical play therapy with child sexual assault survivors.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive, traumatic event (A. H. Heflin & E. Deblinger, 2007) affecting hundreds of thousands of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse children and families across the United States (F. W. Putnam, 2003). E. Gil (2006) and J. S. Shelby and E. D. Felix (2006) have noted that integrative therapies--those that combine directive and nondirective strategies--possess the capacity to benefit a child traumatized by sexual assault. Jungian analytical play therapy (JAPT) is a creative, integrative therapy that may be beneficial when applied to children affected by CSA (J. Allan, 1988). Within the safety of a nonjudgmental, therapeutic relationship, children affected by CSA may become consciously aware of and subsequently resolve conflicting emotions associated with sexual assault in symbolic, less-threatening ways. Through participation in JAPT, the child's psyche may begin the therapeutic process of integrating inner and outer emotional polarities in an archetypal quest for self-healing after sexual trauma (E. Green, 2005). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Play therapy outcome prediction: An exploratory study at a university-based clinic.

In this study we investigated the prediction of child centered play therapy (CCPT)/nondirective play therapy on emotional and behavioral problems using archival data from 82 child clients at a university-based counseling clinic. Statistically significant predictions were found on the Internalizing and Externalizing Problems scales on the Child Behavior Checklist. Termination and family relationship concerns variables were found to be strong contributors to predicting greater improvement. Results are discussed concerning implications for clinical practice and further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short-term filial therapy with German mothers: Findings from a controlled study.

Filial therapy has been shown to be an effective tool in improving parent-child relationships. This study represents a starting point for investigating the effectiveness of filial therapy with German mothers and their children. A brief form of the VanFleet filial training approach was used with a group of 15 mothers attending a health retreat for 2 weeks. Dependent variables included a measure of parenting styles, behavior ratings of children, and child-mother play interaction measures. Results showed an increase in acceptance, empathy, positive attention, and educational competence for mothers who received filial therapy and a decrease in ratings of their children's behavior difficulties. Control group members did not show similar gains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Filial family play therapy with an adoptive family: A response to preadoptive child maltreatment.

This article describes an in-depth case study analysis of the process of working therapeutically with a family, who adopted a young male after several child maltreatment experiences, using filial family play therapy. Psychological and behavioral assessments conducted before and after the play therapy process illustrates a varying picture of results in the scores of both parent and child functioning. In-depth narratives collected from the adoptive parents a year later reflect the positive influence the play therapy process had on long-term family dynamics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legal and ethical issues in play therapy.

Play therapists work with minor children in their practice; therefore the play therapist must be cognizant of the special circumstances under the law and major professional codes of ethics that apply to this special population. Major court cases, legislation, and critical issues are condensed in this article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Short-term child-centered play therapy training with Israeli school counselors and teachers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of short-term intensive child-centered play therapy training with school counselors and teachers in Israel. Results of the analysis of covariance revealed that trainees in the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the group’s play therapy knowledge as measured by the Play Therapy Attitude, Knowledge and Skills Survey. The experiential group did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement in their attitudes and beliefs toward children or confidence in applying play therapy skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)