Countertranferance Among Play Therapists: Implications for Therapist Development and Supervision.

This study examined countertransference management among play therapists. Registered Play Therapist Supervisors (N=154) completed the Countertransference Factors Inventory-Revised and a demographic survey regarding a recent supervisee. The areas explored included countertransference management with regard to therapist gender, academic degree, license, theoretical orientation, type of supervision, population served, practice setting, play therapy training, and experience. A moderate positive correlation of 53% was found between play therapy training and countertransference management. A low positive correlation of 27% was found between years of experience and countertransference management. Differences were found among groups in the areas of degree, license, and practice setting. No significant findings were obtained for gender, theoretical orientation, population served, and type of supervision. The study provides recommendations and implications for supervision of developing play therapists, and suggestions for future research in the area of countertransference among play therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bobo revisited: What the research says.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 17(2) of International Journal of Play Therapy (see record 2008-14897-001). A reference was incomplete. The correct reference is Trotter, K., Eshelman, D., & Landreth, G. (2003). A place for Bobo in play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 12, 117-139.] There has been some discussion in the play therapy literature regarding whether to use a Bobo doll (bop bag) in the play therapy room. The following article reviews research studies from the fields of personality, learning, and social psychology, and underlying theories to help inform and assist play therapists in their decision-making regarding Bobo. Suggestions are offered regarding future empirical research in play therapy outcomes and the choices of play materials in the playroom. (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)     

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)     

Congruence in nondirective play and filial therapy: Response to Ryan and Courtney.

Differences in the training of nondirective play therapists between University of York (U.K.) approach and the Guerney and Landreth approaches (U.S.) has been raised by Ryan and Courtney (2009). York-trained therapists are encouraged to initiate expression of their own feelings at selective times to assure that therapists are congruent in their relationship with children in nondirective play-therapy. Congruence, an important component of the necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic personality change (Rogers, 1957), is based on the importance of therapist genuineness to maintain a trustful and safe therapeutic relationship. This article compliments Ryan and Courtney (2009) for introducing the importance of congruence in play therapy. The assumptions of nondirective play therapy in the Guerney approach was influenced significantly by their development of filial therapy and to the training of parents and therapists, This article asserts that congruence, in the Guerney approach, is incorporated by therapists expressing their own feelings only when this is initiated overtly or covertly by the child. Responding to a child in this way is dependent on the empathic attunement to a child's emotional motivation by a skillful parent or therapist. This raises questions about whether a nondirective stance is maintained in the York approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 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)     

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)     

"Bobo revisited: What the research says": Correction to Drewes (2008).

Reports an error in "Bobo revisited: What the research says" by Athena A. Drewes (International Journal of Play Therapy, 2008[Sum], Vol 17[1], 52-65). A reference was incomplete. The correct reference is Trotter, K., Eshelman, D., & Landreth, G. (2003). A place for Bobo in play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 12, 117-139. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-04333-005.) There has been some discussion in the play therapy literature regarding whether to use a Bobo doll (bop bag) in the play therapy room. The following article reviews research studies from the fields of personality, learning, and social psychology, and underlying theories to help inform and assist play therapists in their decision-making regarding Bobo. Suggestions are offered regarding future empirical research in play therapy outcomes and the choices of play materials in the playroom. (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)     

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)     

Principles, principals, and process (P3): A model for play therapy ethics problem solving.

Little has been written about ethical issues faced by those providing play therapy. Play therapists working in a variety of settings need specific guidance on professional ethical issues relating to privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, therapist competence, multiple relationships, and treatment outcome. Basic ethical principles of child psychotherapy are reviewed for application to play therapy. An ethical decision making model, the Principles, Principals, Process Model (P3 Model) is proposed for applying historical ethical principles to clinical situations. Specific clinical examples illustrate the application of the P3 Model for play therapists. (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)     

Look, up in the sky! Using superheroes in play therapy.

Fantasy and fantasy play are key elements in healthy child development, and as such, are potentially important resources for play therapy. The multi-media genre of superhero mythology has long provided children (and adults) with rich fantasies serving a number of important developmental functions, including emotional release, a sense of power, instillation of hope, a resource for problem solving and identity formation. Whether Captain America, Superman, Spiderman, the Justice League of America, X-Men, or Powerpuff Girls, these mythological figures have flown from the pages of comics, television and the silver screen into the imaginations and play of generations of children. Considering their ubiquity in popular children's culture, a paucity of research or clinical literature has addressed the incorporation of superheroes into child counseling and play therapy. The purpose of this article is to first describe the relationship between fantasy, superhero mythology, and play therapy, and to then provide examples from clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 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)     

Preparing play therapists for disaster response: Principles and procedures.

In the wake of numerous recent natural disasters such as the 2004 tsunami and 2005 hurricanes, play therapists have been asked to provide disaster response. However, the role of disaster response interventionists is vastly different from the typical role of play therapists. In order for play therapists to be prepared for disaster response, an explanation of disaster response principles and procedures is needed. This article will help educate play therapists about how to use their play therapy skills and knowledge in a disaster response environment. Specifically, this article will (a) explain basic principles such as following the Incident Command Structure; (b) discuss the play therapist's role in disaster response in light of the phase of disaster; and (c) recommend disaster response procedures. Examples from APT members' response to the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Play therapists' self-perceived multicultural competence and adequacy of training.

Explored the self-perceived multicultural competencies and adequacy of multicultural training of play therapists across the United States. Registered play therapists belonging to the Association for Play Therapy (N=134) completed the Multicultural Counseling Survey (MMCTS) (C. C. Holcomb-McCoy & J. E. Myers, 1999). Results indicate that play therapists perceive themselves as competent on Multicultural counseling competence. The results also suggest that play therapists perceived their multicultural training as less than adequate. Although results indicate no difference between play therapists' competence and training based on years of experience, there was a difference in multicultural competence and training based on coursework in multicultural counseling. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)