Introduction to play therapy research theme issue.

Play therapy is at a point in its history where outside forces are demanding that we look at ourselves and demonstrate that what we do has empirical value. Many of these outside forces have either ignored play therapy or have questioned, even denied, the capacity of play therapy to produce positive outcomes in therapy and counseling of children. It is from this perspective that the need for a special research theme issue was born. Detractors and supporters of play therapy need to know what the state of the art is in play therapy research, along with ways we can help move play therapy research exposure and credibility forward. Sandra Frick-Helms was invited to guest edit this first in a series of theme issues for the International Journal of Play Therapy. She in turn asked Athena Drewes to join her in coediting this issue because of her wide range of knowledge, skill, and contacts in the therapy and counseling fields. Together, they have compiled an impressive grouping of authors and researchers who offer the reader food for thought and practical tips for research application. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the editor...

Introduces this special issue of the International Journal of Play Therapy, which was designed to present a number of the theoretical approaches to play therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Special section: Professional issues.

The editor of the International Journal of Play Therapy describes new types of columns to be included in upcoming volumes: a "Professional Issues" section; a "Case Studies" section; a "Techniques that Work" section; and a "Personal Perspectives" section. The inaugural column, in this issue deals with starting a play therapy course or program in a university or college. Since there is such a strong need for training in play therapy, this topic seemed to be an appropriate beginning for the "Professional Issues" column. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the editor.

Introduces this special issue of the International Journal of Play Therapy, which is divided into three sections. The first presents a view of the future of play therapy; that is, what the profession of play therapy will become in the next century. The second section is intended to provide a context for the research award article. The third section is the 1998 Student Research Award. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

This issue of the International Journal of Play Therapy provides useful information for both practitioners and academics. It has articles discussing: child–parent relationship therapy; influence of gender in play therapy; child-centered play therapy; and the importance for play therapists to explore their values and how those values may relate to their clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the editor...

Introduces the articles appearing in this issue of the International Journal of Play Therapy. Of the five articles in this issue, three provide a quantitative analysis of the outcomes of play therapy/filial therapy and two present a qualitative approach through case study and model building. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Efficacy of Play Therapy With Children: A Meta-Analytic Review of Treatment Outcomes.

The efficacy of psychological interventions for children has long been debated among mental health professionals; however, only recently has this issue received national attention, with the U.S. Public Health Service (2000) emphasizing the critical need for early intervention and empirically validated treatments tailored to children's maturational needs. Play therapy is a developmentally responsive intervention widely used by child therapists but often criticized for lacking an adequate research base to support its growing practice. A meta-analysis of 93 controlled outcome studies (published 1953-2000) was conducted to assess the overall efficacy of play therapy and to determine factors that might impact its effectiveness. The overall treatment effect for play therapy interventions was 0.80 standard deviations. Further analysis revealed that effects were more positive for humanistic than for nonhumanistic treatments and that using parents in play therapy produced the largest effects. Play therapy appeared equally effective across age, gender, and presenting issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

In this article, the editor presents the current issue of the International Journal of Play Therapy. This issue provides a good mix of theory and research, that will hopefully provide something for everyone. Topics included are: child-teacher relationship training; the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment; application of Jungian principles to play therapy; and the use of congruence with nondirective and filial therapy in England. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of the Trauma Play Scale: Comparison of children manifesting a history of interpersonal trauma with a normative sample.

The purpose of this study was the continuation in the development of the Trauma Play Scale through the addition of a normative sample. The scale is an observation-based assessment designed to be used by raters to detect differences in play therapy behaviors of children who have a history of trauma versus children with no known history of trauma. The scale is used to measure posttraumatic play behaviors (intense play, repetitive play, play disruptions, avoidant play, and negative affect) of children, via video-recorded play therapy sessions, at 5-min intervals. Percentage agreement and correlation estimates of interrater reliability suggested that raters were able to achieve consensus and consistency in their ratings. Statistical analyses indicated the Trauma Play Scale has a high degree of discriminant validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child-Centered Play Therapy with Children who are Homeless: Perspective and Procedures.

Children who are homeless are one of the fastest growing populations. However, the literature on play therapy with children who are homeless is sparse. This article provides play therapists with needed perspective of prevalence, causes, and mental health impact of homelessness. A Child-Centered Play Therapy approach, which emphasizes a safe relationship based on the core conditions, is recommended. Procedures to meet the needs of children who are homeless and to enlarge the meaning of their unique play themes, such as eviction and "I'm rich," are discussed. Play therapists are encouraged to fulfill their social responsibility by providing play therapy for children who are homeless. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical practices reported by play therapists: An outcome study.

Examined the responses of 240 members (aged 27–77 yrs) of the Association of Play Therapy to a questionnaire identifying ethical practices in play therapy treatment. The following areas were explored: nature of treatment, confidentiality, informed consent, treatment adequacy, referral, and training. Results indicate most play therapists are consistent in both their ethical beliefs and reported therapy practices. Noted areas of concern are who the actual client is and what topics should be addressed during treatment (i.e., discussion of fees, theoretical orientation, goals for treatment, confidentiality, and a child's need for treatment). Results and implications for the Association of Play Therapy Practice Guidelines are discussed. The ethical guidelines questionnaire to individual play therapy with children is appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the Editor.

The research in social sciences has continued to evolve in order to strengthen fields of study that are not typically associated with "hard science." Play therapy is one such field in which research explores variables that are difficult to identify, label, control, and measure. However, emerging professional standards dictate that mental health research will be encouraged to follow stricter guidelines. The field of play therapy is being called on to conduct and provide research that meets prevailing mental health investigation criteria set in the last decade. The "International Journal of Play Therapy," (IJPT) has responded to the field by strengthening requirements for the reporting of play therapy research. The journal seeks to integrate two goals offer research that will ensure the continuation of play therapy as an accepted mental health practice, and offer explanation of play therapy practices to ensure the continued education of our play therapy practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the premiere edition.

Play therapists are an extremely diverse lot. We come most often from the disciplines of psychology, psychiatry, social work, and education and adhere to theoretical points of view ranging from Jungian to ecosystemic to behavioral. When the creation of The International Journal of Play Therapy and a call for papers was announced in three different professional newsletters, authors from all of the above mentioned fields responded. Choosing which articles to include in this, the premiere issue, was difficult. The final selection is as representative of the entire spectrum of thought and practice current in our community as could be. We wish to offer this work as a new source of useful information and ideas about the broad field of play therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing Diversity Issues in Play Therapy.

Globalization is upon us, resulting in almost daily exposure to and interaction with highly diverse populations. To practice ethical play therapy, play therapists must become culturally competent. Play therapists are called on both to address cultural issues in therapy and to facilitate children's pride in, and preservation of, their culture. Despite this, the existing literature on cultural competence in psychotherapy has rarely been applied to play therapy practice. The author's goal is to do just that so as to provide play therapists with a model relevant to their work. Play therapists must first fully understand the concept of culture and its potential impact on their own lives, the lives of their clients, and the play therapy process. Second, play therapists need to develop adequate levels of culturally related awareness, skills, and knowledge. Last, they can ensure the work they do is more culturally sensitive and competent by following basic guidelines. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pretend play and social play: The concurrent validity of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

In play therapy, assessment is more often of children’s behavioral or social issues than children’s play ability. However, understanding children’s play ability by using a reliable and valid play assessment can add to a therapist’s understanding of the child. The aim of this study was to investigate how a child’s performance on a play assessment was related to social peer play. Children’s pretend play was assessed using the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment. Social peer play was assessed by preschool teachers completing the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale. Fifty-three typically developing preschool children were assessed. A significant positive correlation was found between the level of a child’s elaborateness of play scores and peer play interaction. A significant negative relationship was found between a child’s ability to substitute objects and play disruption. A significant negative relationship was also found between a child’s ability to elaborate play and substitute objects with play disconnection. The results suggest that children’s social competence can be inferred from their play scores on the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multicultural trends and toys in play therapy.

Because culture plays an increasingly important role in play therapy, the purpose of this article is to review existing literature on multicultural issues in play therapy and to discuss current trends and toys in play therapy reported from a group of play therapists. A group of play therapists (N = 505) registered with the Association for Play Therapy were asked to respond to two open-ended questions: What trends, if any, do you see in play therapy with your culturally diverse clients? What items do you include in your playroom to specifically represent culturally diverse populations? Responses to these open-ended questions were analyzed using open and axial coping as part of the inductive process. Results of the first question were grouped into five main categories and responses to the second question were categorized based on area and type of play. Based on the results of this study, implications for multicultural play therapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An editor's last word.

This is my last issue as editor of International Journal of Play Therapy (IJPT). I experienced a great honor serving in this role over the last four years. Dr. Stephen Armstrong has graciously agreed to serve as the new editor of IJPT. The members of Association for Play Therapy (APT) are consummate professionals who share a vision for mental health intervention for all children. Although it can clearly be seen through my editorship and my research focus in APT that I am a proponent of evidence-based practice research, I am also dedicated to the idea that there are many parts of what play therapists do that simply cannot be measured. Consequently, it appears that the field of play therapy will continue to debate the need for and process of conducting research. However, it also appears that in order for play therapy to grow in credibility, research and the publication of research is necessary and vital. I conclude my final editorial by thanking all of the authors who have submitted to IJPT over the last four years. Their contributions to the field are unparalleled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling children with preverbal trauma.

This article is written to argue, based upon analytical premises, that play therapy holds promise as a means of addressing preverbal trauma. Gaensbauer (2002) indicated that the capacity to encode and retain meaningful internal representations of the salient pieces of a traumatic event may be available to children as early as 6 months of age. Play therapy encourages children to symbolically express their feelings through play and create a coherent trauma narrative as a means of gaining mastery over difficult and often disturbing thoughts and feelings. This article's purpose is to educate play therapists about the complexities of preverbal trauma and promising treatment interventions that can be used in play therapy with this population. (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)