A practical look at how play therapy can promote mental health wellness in children and adolescents Revised and expanded, The Therapeutic Powers of Play, Second Edition explores the powerful effects that play therapy has on different areas within a child or adolescent's life: communication, emotion regulation, relationship enhancement, and personal strengths. Editors Charles Schaefer and Athena Drewes—renowned experts in the field of play therapy—discuss the different interventions and components of treatment that can move clients to change. Leading play therapists contributed to this volume, supplying a wide repertoire of practical techniques and applications in each chapter for use in clinical practice, including: Direct teaching Indirect teaching Self-expression Relationship enhancement Attachment formation Catharsis Stress inoculation Creative problem solving Self-esteem Filled with clinical case vignettes from various theoretical viewpoints, the second edition is an invaluable resource for play and child therapists of all levels of experience and theoretical orientations.

Clinical Applications of the Therapeutic Powers of Play provides a way to link abstract theory with practice-based knowledge and vice versa, navigating the complexities of clinical reasoning associated with age-sensitive, and most often non-verbal psychotherapies. The book invites readers into the world of child psychotherapy and into the play therapy room. It equips them to explore, discover and identify the therapeutic powers of play in action, within traditional and nature-based therapeutic environments. Using embodiment-projective-role, it navigates the developmental stages linking play and the achievement of physical, emotional, and social identity. With captivating stories of hope and repair, the book deconstructs the therapy process to better understand how play facilitates communication, fosters emotional wellness, increases personal strengths, and enhances social relationships. This comprehensive text will help the therapist navigate through the world of child and adolescent psychotherapy and explain the therapeutic powers of play through relevant clinical case studies.

In the decade since its publication, Handbook of Play Therapy has attained the status of a classic in the field. Writing in the most glowing terms, enthusiastic reviewers in North America and abroad hailed that book as "an excellent resource for workers in all disciplines concerned with children's mental health" (Contemporary Psychology). Now, in this companion volume, editors Kevin O'Connor and Charles Schaefer continue the important work they began in their 1984 classic, bringing readers an in-depth look at state-of-the-art play therapy practices and principles. While it updates readers on significant advances in sand play diagnosis, theraplay, group play, and other well-known approaches, Volume Two also covers important adaptations of play therapy to client populations such as the elderly, and new applications of play therapeutic methods such as in the assessment of sexually abused children. Featuring contributions by twenty leading authorities from psychology, social work, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and other related disciplines, Handbook of Play Therapy, Volume two draws on clinical and research material previously scattered throughout the professional literature and organizes it into four main sections for easy reference: Theoretical approaches— including Adlerian, cognitive, behavioral, gestalt, and control theory approaches as well as family, ecosystem, and others Developmental adaptations— covers ground-breaking new adaptations for adolescents, adults, and the elderly Methods and techniques— explores advances in traditional techniques such as sand play, Jungian play therapy, and art therapy, and examines other new, high-tech play therapies Applications— reports on therapeutic applications for psychic trauma, sex abuse, cancer patients, psychotics, and many others The companion volume to the celebrated classic in the field, Handbook of Play Therapy, Volume Two is an indispensable resource for play therapists, child psychologists and psychiatrists, school counselors and psychologists, and all mental health professionals. HANDBOOK OF PLAY THERAPY Edited by Charles E. Schaefer and Kevin J. O'Connor ". . . an excellent primary text for upper level students, and a valuable resource for practitioners in the field of child psychotherapy."— American Journal of Mental Deficiency ". . . a thorough, thoughtful, and theoretically sound compilation of much of the accumulated knowledge. . . . Like a well-executed stained-glass window that yields beauty and many shades of light through an integrated whole, so too this book synthesizes and reveals many creative facets of this important area of practice."— Social Work in Education 1983 (0-471-09462-5) 489 pp. THE PLAY THERAPY PRIMER Kevin J. O'Connor The Play Therapy Primer covers the impact of personal values and beliefs on therapeutic work, and provides a detailed description of the process preceding the beginning of therapy. It then offers guidelines and strategies for developing treatment plans respective of the various phases of therapy, including specific in-session techniques, modifications for different ages, transference considerations, and the termination and follow-up of clinical cases. 1991 (0-471-52543-X) 371 pp. PLAY DIAGNOSIS AND ASSESSMENT Edited by Charles E. Schaefer, Karen Gitlin, and Alice Sandgrund The first and only book to fully explore the assessment potential of play evaluation, this book offers an impressive array of papers by nearly fifty authorities in the field. Following a logical progression, it is divided into six parts covering the full range of practical and theoretical concerns, including developmental play scales for normal children from preschool to adolescence; diagnostic play scales including those for the evaluation of children with a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and/or emotional disorders; parent/child interaction play scales; projective play techniques; and scales for assessing a child's behavior during play therapy. 1991 (0-471-62166-8) 718 pp. GAME PLAY Edited by Charles E. Schaefer and Steven E. Reid This important work highlights the psychological significance of using games to assess and treat various childhood disorders. In chapters written by leading authorities, it examines the content of various types of games and provides theoretical approaches, techniques, and practical guidelines for applying games to play therapy with children. Case histories demonstrate the use of game play with childhood problems ranging from hyperactivity to divorce counseling and juvenile delinquency. 1986 (0-471-81972-7) 349 pp.

A thorough revision of the essential guide to using play therapy in schools Fully updated and revised, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition presents an A-to-Z guide for using play therapy in preschool and elementary school settings. Coedited by noted experts in the field, Athena Drewes and Charles Schaefer, the Second Edition offers school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and teachers the latest techniques in developing creative approaches to utilize the therapeutic powers of play in schools. The Second Edition includes coverage on how to implement a play therapy program in school settings; play-based prevention programs; individual play therapy approaches as well as group play; and play therapywith special populations, such as selectively mute, homeless, and autistic children. In addition, nine new chapters have been added with new material covering: Cognitive-behavioral play therapy Trauma-focused group work Training teachers to use play therapy Filled with illustrative case studies and ready-to-use practical techniques and suggestions, School-Based Play Therapy, Second Edition is an essential resource for all mental health professionals working in schools.

Reviews the 15 most commonly used play therapy modalities. Play therapy is the treatment of choice for children because it allows children to express their troubles through a natural healing process. This book explains why play therapy works and how to deliver it in the most direct and efficient manner. Each chapter covers a different play therapy modality, including a description of the therapeutic benefits, core techniques, empirical support, and a case study. Fifteen modalities are covered in all: sand play, doll play, block play, drawing, bibliotherapy, storytelling, puppet play, guided imagery, drama, sensory play, clay play, music and movement, board games, electronic games, and virtual reality. Edited by two acknowledged leaders in the field of play therapy, Heidi Gerard Kaduson and Charles E. Schaefer, this volume was written for front line child therapists, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other health professionals; it will be an asset to any beginning child and play therapists as well as to experienced child clinicians who wish to expand their therapeutic tool kit.

In today's managed-care environment, therapeutic techniques must be proven to be effective to be reimbursable. This comprehensive volume is written by leaders in the field and collects classic and emerging evidence-based and cognitive behavioral therapy treatments therapists can use when working with children and adolescents. Step-by-step instruction is provided for implementing the treatment protocol covered. In addition, a special section is included on therapist self-care, including empirically supported studies. For child and play therapists, as well school psychologists and school social workers.

"Focusing on the specific ingredients that activate clinical change, this book is enhanced by current research, more ample scope, and an array of contributions in contemporary and relevant topic areas. It is full of inspiration, direction, and grounding. This is a stunning contribution to the field of child therapy." —Eliana Gil, PhD, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education A practical look at how play therapy can promote mental health wellness in children and adolescents Revised and expanded, The Therapeutic Powers of Play, Second Edition explores the powerful effects that play therapy has on different areas within a child or adolescent's life: communication, emotion regulation, relationship enhancement, and personal strengths. Editors Charles Schaefer and Athena Drewes—renowned experts in the field of play therapy—discuss the different interventions and components of treatment that can move clients to change. Leading play therapists contributed to this volume, supplying a wide repertoire of practical techniques and applications in each chapter for use in clinical practice, including: Direct teaching Indirect teaching Self-expression Relationship enhancement Attachment formation Catharsis Stress inoculation Creative problem solving Self-esteem Filled with clinical case vignettes from various theoretical viewpoints, the second edition is an invaluable resource for play and child therapists of all levels of experience and theoretical orientations.