A Therapist's Guide to Child Development gives therapists and counselors the basics they need to understand their clients in the context of development and to explain development to parents. The chapters take the reader through the various physical, social, and identity developments occurring at each age, explaining how each stage of development is closely linked to mental health and how that is revealed in therapy. This ideal guide for students, as well as early and experienced professionals, will also give readers the tools to communicate successfully with the child’s guardians or teachers, including easy-to-read handouts that detail what kind of behaviors are not cause for concern and which behaviors mean it’s time to seek help. As an aid to practitioners, this book matches developmental ages with appropriate, evidence-based mental health interventions.
"The authors . . . make child-centered play therapy readily understandable to those who wish to take advantage of its long history of helping children overcome problems and grow emotionally to a level of maturity difficult to achieve by any other approach." —From the Foreword, by Louise F. Guerney, PhD, RPT-S A comprehensive resource that thoroughly teaches the theory, methods, and practice of child-centered play therapy Child-Centered Play Therapy: A Practical Guide to Developing Therapeutic Relationships with Children offers how-to direction and practical advice for conducting child-centered play therapy. Filled with case studies, learning activities, and classroom exercises, this book presents extensive coverage of play therapy applications such as setting goals and treatment planning, as well as recommendations for family and systemic services that can be provided along with play therapy. This rich resource provides: A thorough introduction to the theory and guiding principles underlying child-centered play therapy Skill guidance including structuring sessions, tracking, empathy, responding to children's questions, and role-play Effective ways of determining what limits to set in the playroom and how to set them in a therapeutically effective manner Clear methods for monitoring children's progress through stages as well as external measures of progress Practical guidance in adjunct therapist tasks such as playroom set-up, documentation, ending therapy, and working with parents, teachers, and principals Endorsed by Louise Guerney—a founding child-centered play therapy figure who developed the skills-based methods covered in this book—Child-Centered Play Therapy comprehensively and realistically introduces practitioners to the child-centered approach to play therapy and addresses how to incorporate the approach into schools, agencies, or private practice.
The purpose of this text is to present a resource to students and practitioners of play therapy that addresses topics beyond the training level. It provides advanced knowledge on the three main areas of play, child development, and play therapy and integrates them to help the play therapist gain a holistic understanding of how play therapy works.
Modeled on the author's bestselling Therapist's Guide to Clinical Intervention, this new book on child clinical intervention presents much of the material in outline or bullet point format, allowing easy understanding of complex material for the busy therapist. This clinician's guide to diagnosing and treating disorders in children includes definitions of the disorder, diagnostic criteria, the neurobiology of the disorder, information on functional impairment, treatment planning, and evidence-based interventions. The book additionally offers adjunctive skill building resources to supplement traditional therapy choices as well as forms for use in clinical practice. - Outlines treatment goals and objectives for diagnosis - Discusses interventions and the evidence basis for each - Offers skill building resources to supplement treatment - Provides business and clinical forms for use with child patients
Even in the face of challenging conditions, art therapy treatment offers meaningful opportunities for growth. It’s not always easy, though, to navigate the complex interplay of art processes, relational states, and developmental theories. For any clinician looking for guidance on the ins and outs of using art therapy with children, there is no better resource than The Practitioner’s Guide to Child Art Therapy. Both graduate students and professionals will find its pages replete with strategies for developing engaging and effective tools for understanding children’s creative expression and applying this understanding toward treatment. Clinically relevant and theoretically sound, this book synthesizes the best of the literature on art development, art therapy and child development, while emphasizing the powerful role of art media in fostering creativity and relational growth. Compelling case material and numerous art examples illustrate psychosocial, neurobiological, and attachment theories as well as practical applications, including working with attachment disruptions, anxiety, grief, parental conflict, economic poverty, chemical dependency, child abuse, and autism spectrum disorder.
This book addresses a key need for child therapists--how to actively involve parents in treatment and give them tools to support their child's healthy development. Known for her innovative, creative therapeutic approach, Paris Goodyear-Brown weaves together knowledge about play therapy, trauma, attachment theory, and neurobiology. She presents step-by-step strategies to help parents understand their child's needs, reflect on their own emotional triggers, set healthy boundaries, make time together more fun, and respond effectively to challenging behavior. Filled with rich clinical illustrations, the volume features 52 reproducible handouts and worksheets. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.
This handbook presents the latest theories and findings on parenting, from the evolving roles and tasks of childrearing to insights from neuroscience, prevention science, and genetics. Chapters explore the various processes through which parents influence the lives of their children, as well as the effects of parenting on specific areas of child development, such as language, communication, cognition, emotion, sibling and peer relationships, schooling, and health. Chapters also explore the determinants of parenting, including consideration of biological factors, parental self-regulation and mental health, cultural and religious factors, and stressful and complex social conditions such as poverty, work-related separation, and divorce. In addition, the handbook provides evidence supporting the implementation of parenting programs such as prevention/early intervention and treatments for established issues. The handbook addresses the complementary role of universal and targeted parenting programs, the economic benefits of investment in parenting programs, and concludes with future directions for research and practice. Topics featured in the Handbook include: · The role of fathers in supporting children’s development. · Developmental disabilities and their effect on parenting and child development. · Child characteristics and their reciprocal effects on parenting. · Long-distance parenting and its impact on families. · The shifting dynamic of parenting and adult-child relationships. · The effects of trauma, such as natural disasters, war exposure, and forced displacement on parenting. The Handbook of Parenting and Child Development Across the Lifespan is an essential reference for researchers, graduate students, clinicians, and therapists and professionals in clinical child and school psychology, social work, pediatrics, developmental psychology, family studies, child and adolescent psychiatry, and special education.
A brain-based approach to helping kids stay focused and achieve. Poor executive function (EF) in the brain can mean behavioral and attentional problems in school. This book explains to professionals and parents how EF develops in kids, what EF difficulties look like, and what creative and effective interventions can meet their needs. Executive functions involve mental processes such as: Working memory–holding several pieces of information in mind while we try to do something with them–for example, understand and solve a problem or carry out a task. Response inhibition–inhibiting actions that interfere with our intentions or goals. Shifting focus–interrupting an ongoing response in order to direct attention to other aspects of a situation that are important for goal attainment. Cognitive flexibility–generating alternative methods of solving a problem or reaching a goal. Self-monitoring–checking on one's own cognitions and actions to assure that they are in line with one's intentions. Goal Orientation–creating and carrying out a multi-step plan for achieving a goal in a timely fashion, keeping the "big picture" in mind.
An integrative approach for child therapists of all disciplines and at all levels of training and experience. How to Be a Better Child Therapist is an innovative contribution to the theory and practice of child therapy. Drawing on several decades of experience, Kenneth Barish presents a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to therapeutic work with children and families, based on a contemporary understanding of children’s emotions and emotional needs. This book offers a new theoretical integration, an in-depth discussion of the essential processes of child therapy, and a wealth of practical recommendations to help child therapists solve the varied problems presented to us in daily clinical work. Part 1 provides a theoretical foundation. Barish demonstrates how emotional and behavioral problems of childhood are most often caused by vicious cycles of painful emotions and pathogenic family interactions. Successful therapy arrests this malignant development and sets in motion positive cycles of healthy emotional and interpersonal experiences—increased confidence and engagement in life and more affirming interactions between parents and children. Over time, children and adolescents develop a less critical inner voice and more positive expectations for their future—a new sense of what is possible in their lives. Part 2 describes 10 principles that guide our efforts toward this overarching therapeutic goal. Barish offers advice on how we can improve all aspects of clinical work with children: How can we engage more children in treatment? Why is empathy essential to children’s emotional health and effective therapy? How do children learn to regulate their emotions? What is the role of play in contemporary child therapy? How can we combat a child’s discouragement and self-doubt? How can we overcome children’s resistance to talking about bad feelings? Part 3 presents a framework for therapeutic work with parents. Barish describes general principles for strengthening family relationships as well as practical plans for solving many common problems of their daily family life. He offers strategies for helping children who have difficulty with separations, doing homework, getting ready in the morning, or going to sleep at night; children with tantrums and uncooperativeness, rudeness and disrespect, sibling conflicts, and addiction to video games—problems for which parents, often urgently, ask our help. How to Be a Better Child Therapist is both inspiring and practical, essential reading for therapists of all theoretical orientations who work with children and families.
