The Facilitators manual sets out 12 sessions that take parents through key play skills. The Parent Learn to Play Sessions are aimed at parents who have children aged 12 months to 8 years. While the manual is for facilitators working with parents who have a child with some developmental concerns, it can also be used for any parent group who are interested in increasing their knowledge of play.
Why does your toddler get upset when his or her routine is disrupted? Why do they follow you from room to room and refuse to play on their own? Why are daily routines such as mealtimes, bath time, and bed time such a struggle? This accessible guide demystifies the difficult behaviors of anxious toddlers, offering tried-and-tested practical solutions to common parenting dilemmas. Each chapter begins with a real life example, clearly illustrating the behavior from the parent's and the toddler's perspective. Once the toddler's anxious behavior has been demystified and explained, new and effective parenting approaches are introduced to help parents tackle everyday difficulties and build up their child's resilience, independence, and coping mechanisms. Common difficulties with bath time, toileting, sleep, eating, transitions, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and sensory issues are solved, along with specific fears and phobias, and more extreme behaviors such as skin picking and hair pulling. A must-read for all parents of anxious toddlers, as well as for the professionals involved in supporting them.
Showing parents how having fun with their kids can teach values, enhance confidence, and reduce the need for discipline, Sargent guides parents in finding creative ways to play with their children and experience the benefit of good memories, closer relationships, and increased emotional stability of kids.
Play Therapy Today brings together the work of renowned practitioners and academics currently working and researching in therapeutic play and play therapy, and presents a range of ground-breaking methods for practising with groups, individuals, and parents and carers. Providing an overview of new or revitalised topics in play therapy, each chapter presents the relevant theoretical underpinnings and principles of practice, a guide to implementing the method and case study vignettes of the approach in practice. The three sections include chapters on: the Therapeutic Touchstone model and the development of the therapeutic relationship, an overview of the use of individual play therapy techniques with children in a hospital setting, and an overview of Yasenik and Gardner’s Play Therapy Dimensions Model with an in-depth exploration of the dimension of consciousness from both a theoretical and practical, play-based orientation. Jennings’ Embodiment-Project-Role model and its implementation in group work, the practical use of puppets in educational and therapeutic settings, the therapeutic value of working with groups in the outdoors, and the use of play in groups for children with a variety of sensory, intellectual and physical disabilities. Stagnitti’s adaptation of the ‘Learn to Play’ programme for parent/carer use, Group Theraplay with peer groups and parent/child dyads and how a neurosequential approach supports case conceptualization and play therapy practice with families. The book provides practitioners with up-to-date, effective and practical techniques that they can put into immediate use in their clinical work with children and their families. It is an important resource for trainee, newly qualified and seasoned play therapists, play therapy supervisors and trainers. It will also be of interest to social workers, teachers, psychologists, child psychotherapists and other health professionals.
Most parents and caregivers know playing with their child is beneficial. What can feel much less clear, however, is just how to go about engaging in playtime. Here to dispel any feelings of uncertainty and anxiety around this subject is Play Skills for Parents. This informative yet easy-to-read guide to parent-child play is based on research in developmental psychology and parent-child relationships, as well as author Kathy Eugster’s over twenty years of experience in counselling and play therapy (not to mention her experience as a parent and grandparent herself!). Play Skills for Parents goes beyond merely listing potential play activities. Instead, Eugster highlights nine essential skills for facilitating parent-child play, thoroughly explains why, when, and how to use each skill, and provides an abundance of examples showing each skill in action. In addition, Eugster guides parents and caregivers through: • How play can foster healthy child development and strengthen the parent-child relationship • How to engage in child-led and parent-led play • Why child-led play can especially enhance a child’s development • Numerous examples of types of play activities, including calming activities for emotional regulation • How to set up play areas for different types of playtime • How the playtime skills can be applied in other life activities • And more! Perfect for any parent or caregiver of children ages three to ten, Play Skills for Parents won’t just bolster your confidence and communication skills during playtime—it will give you a new appreciation for this special time spent with your child.
While many books and current research in the field of child psychotherapy focus on typical psychiatric conditions faced by children and the associated treatments for those conditions, there is a paucity of information on treating vulnerable demographics and unique child populations. These include, but are not limited to, children affected by natural disasters, complex trauma, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Play Therapy with Vulnerable Populations: No Child Forgotten provides the latest research-supported, play-based interventions for clinicians to utilize with these children. This book encourages the reader through real-world application case studies to honor the significance of the therapeutic relationship and balance humanism and therapeutic warmth with evidence-based practices.
Infant Play Therapy is a groundbreaking resource for practitioners interested in the varied play therapy theories, models, and programs available for the unique developmental needs of infants and children under the age of three. The impressive list of expert contributors in the fields of play therapy and infant mental health cover a wide range of early intervention play-based models and topics. Chapters explore areas including: neurobiology, developmental trauma, parent-infant attachment relationships, neurosensory play, affective touch, grief and loss, perinatal depression, adoption, autism, domestic violence, sociocultural factors, and more. Chapter case studies highlight leading approaches and offer techniques to provide a comprehensive understanding of both play therapy and the ways we understand and recognize the therapeutic role of play with infants. In these pages professionals and students alike will find valuable clinical resources to bring healing to family systems with young children.
A complete, comprehensive play therapy resource for mental health professionals Handbook of Play Therapy is the one-stop resource for play therapists with coverage of all major aspects written by experts in the field. This edition consolidates the coverage of both previous volumes into one book, updated to reflect the newest findings and practices of the field. Useful for new and experienced practitioners alike, this guide provides a comprehensive introduction and overview of play therapy including, theory and technique, special populations, nontraditional settings, professional and contemporary issues. Edited by the founders of the field, each chapter is written by well-known and respected academics and practitioners in each topic area and includes research, assessment, strategies, and clinical application. This guide covers all areas required for credentialing from the Association for Play Therapy, making it uniquely qualified as the one resource for certification preparation. Learn the core theories and techniques of play therapy Apply play therapy to special populations and in nontraditional settings Understand the history and emerging issues in the field Explore the research and evidence base, clinical applications, and more Psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses regularly utilize play therapy techniques to facilitate more productive sessions and promote better outcomes for patients. Handbook of Play Therapy provides the deep, practical understanding needed to incorporate these techniques into practice.
An integrative approach to play therapy blending various therapeutic treatment models and techniques Reflecting the transition in the field of play therapy from a “one size fits all” approach to a more eclectic framework that integrates more than one perspective, Integrative Play Therapy explores methods for blending the best theories and treatment techniques to resolve the most common psychological disorders of childhood. Edited by internationally renowned leaders in the field, this book is the first of its kind to look at the use of a multi-theoretical framework as a foundation for practice. With discussion of integrative play treatment of children presenting a wide variety of problems and disorders—including aggression issues, the effects of trauma, ADHD, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, social skills deficits, medical issues such as HIV/AIDS, and more—the book provides guidance on: Play and group therapy approaches Child-directed play therapy with behavior management training for parents Therapist-led and child-led play therapies Cognitive-behavioral therapy with therapeutic storytelling and play therapy Family therapy and play therapy Bibliotherapy within play therapy An essential resource for all mental health professionals looking to incorporate play therapy into treatment, Integrative Play Therapy reveals unique flexibility in integrating theory and techniques, allowing practitioners to offer their clients the best treatment for specific presenting problems.
