Pair counseling: The effects of a dyadic developmental play therapy on interpersonal understanding and externalizing behaviors.

Play therapy has long viewed the promotion of development as a central goal, and the integration of developmental principles into play therapy also has a long history. Pair counseling is a structured form of dyadic play therapy in which two children's play interactions are guided developmentally by the counselor toward greater social maturity. The current pilot study examined the effects of pair counseling with 20 hospitalized children (9 males & 11 females). The boys ranged in age from 8-12 yrs, and the girls from 9-17 yrs. Results demonstrated that reductions in problem behaviors following pair counseling were greatest for behaviorally disordered children and that the effects of pair counseling on reductions in delinquent behaviors were partially mediated by changes in interpersonal understanding. The results suggest pair counseling is a particularly appropriate play therapy modality for aggressive, delinquent, and externalizing children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)