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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 ϭ 32). Teachers reported that both groups significantly improved over time (N ϭ 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.

Using a mixed methodological approach, we examined the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) training on graduate counseling students' play therapy attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Thirteen students voluntarily participated in the study. We conducted paired-sample t tests to evaluate the impact of an introductory play therapy course on students' scores on the revised Play Therapy Attitude-Knowledge-Skills Survey. From pretest to posttest, there were statistically significant improvements and a large effect size on students' scores in all three subscales: attitude, knowledge, and skills. Through individual interviews, we also explored students' perceptions of the content and structure of the introductory play therapy course. Emerging themes revealed that the students perceived the course to be acceptable (i.e., useful, informative, well organized) and effective (i.e., facilitated insight/awareness, self-growth, knowledge and skill acquisition). Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

This study reviewed 4,457 articles from 1998 to 2007 in American Counseling Association division‐affiliated journals to identify research articles published in counseling; 1,139 articles (25.6%) were quantitatively research based. The authors provide details related to quantitative research publications, including individual journal contribution to the research base, focus areas for research, and independent and dependent variables highlighted by researchers. One summary finding was that only 6% of counseling research articles explored effectiveness of counseling interventions.