Learning more about those who play in session: The National Play Therapy in Counseling Practices Project (Phase I).

Abstract

Through a joint research committee sponsored by the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and the American Counseling Association (ACA), The National Play Therapy in Counseling Practices Project conducted the first phase of investigation. Findings offered a snapshot of mental health providers of play therapy, regarding the nature of who they are and what they do. In terms of training, play modalities, theoretical orientation, and employment setting, comparisons were made based on membership of participants in ACA or APT. Further research was suggested to examine the effectiveness of play therapy with specific therapeutic issues.

A Meta‐Analytic Review of Child‐Centered Play Therapy Approaches

“…Child's age appears to be the most important among the three independent variables because of the theoretically developmental perspective that CCPT is an appropriate counseling intervention for young individuals (Lambert et al, ). Although the importance of both child's ethnicity and caregiver involvement has increased in recent play therapy literature (Baggerly, Ray, & Bratton, ; Landreth, ), we decided to consider child's ethnicity before caregiver involvement because the level of caregiver involvement may vary among families of different ethnicities.…”

“…Government reports over the past decade identified the critical need to identify empirically based interventions for young children (President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, ; U.S. Public Health Service, ). CCPT is a developmentally responsive intervention that is popular among child‐counseling practitioners (Lambert et al, ), with a long history of research (Landreth, ). Despite the history of examining the effectiveness of CCPT, small samples in most individual outcome studies limit the generalization of findings.…”

“…According to a survey of members of the American Counseling Association and the Association for Play Therapy, child‐centered play therapy (CCPT) was the most frequently used approach among counselors who use play therapy and adhere to a specific theoretical approach (Lambert et al, ). Based on Carl Rogers's () person‐centered theory, CCPT is differentiated from other theoretical models by the steadfast belief in children's inherent striving toward growth and maturity, in addition to their capacity for self‐directed healing.…”

Child-centered play therapy with young children who are anxious: A controlled trial

“…Children participate in CCPT in a room filled with selected toys that allow expression of diverse emotions and thoughts while a play therapist facilitates the expression of the child's beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. CCPT is identified as the most popular theoretical approach to play therapy (Lambert et al, 2005). Additionally, metaanalyses have reported positive and meaningful effects for children who participate in CCPT (Bratton, Ray, Rhine & Jones, 2005;Lin & Bratton, 2015;Ray, Armstrong, Balkin & Jayne, 2015).…”

Therapist‐Provided Conditions in Child‐Centered Play Therapy

“…Landreth () defined CCPT as a dynamic interpersonal relationship between a child and a therapist who provides selected play materials and facilitates the development of a safe relationship for the child to fully explore and express self through play. Although it is one of the most widely used approaches in the United States and has been shown to be an effective treatment for children with a variety of emotional and behavioral issues, few researchers have explored the therapeutic relationship, relational variables, and therapeutic process in CCPT (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, ; Lambert et al, ; Ray & Bratton, ; Shirk & Karver, ). Child‐centered practice is based on the conditions identified by Rogers () to facilitate client movement toward personality change.…”