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“I have used this book with my graduate-level play therapy students for many years because of its comprehensive nature, and welcome the release of the second edition. Once again, the editors have gathered insightful clinicians to tackle a central question in the field of play therapy: How can theory, research, and practice come together to drive effective treatment? The second edition covers an extensive range of contemporary topics that are crucial for making informed treatment decisions and shaping the future of play therapy.”

—Mary Anne Peabody, EdD, LCSW, RPT-S, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern Maine


“Play is nature’s balm—it heals, builds, produces insights, and is the foundation for psychological resilience. Here we have an extraordinarily comprehensive, wonderfully written compendium of theory, practice, and research on the therapeutic uses of play.”

—Peter Gray, PhD, Research Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College


“An indispensable guide to the rapidly evolving field of play therapy for both new and experienced therapists. Each chapter presents innovative approaches that address the diverse spectrum of issues bringing children, adolescents, and families into therapy. The book demonstrates best practices in the field with engaging case studies, and provides fresh perspectives on foundational techniques. Readers will be inspired to learn more about play therapy and to practice what they find in this rich source.”

—Karen Fried, PsyD, LMFT, private practice, Santa Monica, California; President, Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation


“The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on their achievements in this second edition. It is a comprehensive guide to a great multitude of aspects of play therapy, all essential to practicing well as a play therapist. I recommend it to play therapy teachers, students, and practitioners, both in the United States and worldwide.”

—Virginia Ryan, PhD, child psychologist and play therapist, University of York (retired), United Kingdom

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Table of Contents

Foreword, Stuart Brown

I. Seminal Theories of Play Therapy

1. Child-Centered Play Therapy, Dee Ray & Garry Landreth

2. Theraplay®: An Attachment Theory-Based Treatment for Relational and Developmental Healing, Phyllis Booth, Sandra Lindaman, & Fiona Peacock

3. Adlerian Play Therapy, Terry Kottman & Jeff Ashby

4. Psychodynamic Play Therapy, John B. Mordock

5. Gestalt Play Therapy: Shared Journey toward Integration, Felicia Carroll

6. Jungian Analytical Play Therapy, John Paul “JP” Lilly

7. Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, Susan Knell

8. Filial Therapy: The 10-Session Child-Parent Relationship Therapy Model, Sue Bratton, Alyssa Swan, Kristie Opiola, & Garry Landreth

II. Approaches to Play Therapy

9. Prescriptive Play Therapy, Athena Drewes

10. Animal-Assisted Play Therapy, Risë VanFleet & Tracie Faa-Thompson

11. Family Play Therapy: Engaging Families in Novel Ways, Eliana Gil & Tim Baima

12. Sand Therapy as a Play Therapy Experience, Linda Homeyer & Marshall Lyles

13. Group Play Therapy, Yi-Ju Cheng & Dee C. Ray

14. Nature-Based Play Therapy: A Trauma-Informed Approach, Anne Stewart, Julia Linger, Jennifer Nelson-Faulconer, & Hannah Pellegrino Jarrett

III. Cogent Issues in Play Therapy

15. Multiculturalism and Cultural Humility in Play Therapy, LaKaavia Taylor & Krystal K. Turner

16. Play Therapy Supervision, Natalya Ann Lindo & Stephanie Carr

17. Research in Play Therapy, Dee C. Ray

18. Neuroscience Informs Play Therapy Theory and Practice, Richard L. Gaskill & Jeanne Brown

19. Ethics in Play Therapy: Considerations for Clinical Practice, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Kathleen McKinney Clark, & Marieke van Nuenen

20. Telemental Health Play Therapy: A Multidimensional Exploration, Jessica Stone & Rachel Altvater

21. Resilience in Trauma-Informed Play Therapy, David A. Crenshaw & Amanda Asam

22. Using Play Therapy to Heal the Hidden Wounds of Racial Trauma, Ariel Marrero

23. Parent Consultation and Paradigm Shifts in Play Therapy, Paris Goodyear-Brown

24. Play Therapy Practice in the Schools, Pedro J. Blanco & Ryan Holliman

25. Systemic Applications: The Play Therapist, Child Protection, and the Legal System, Sueann Kenney-Noziska

26. Play Therapy for Children with Chronic Illnesses, Sara M. Loftin & Kristie Opiola

27. The Practice of Being Present: Cultivating a Space for Play to Emerge, Bonnie Badenoch

IV. Play Therapy with Special Populations

28. Facilitating Parental Attunement in Infant Play Therapy, Janet Courtney

29. Play Therapy with Adolescents, Brijin Gardner

30. Play Therapy with Adults, Denis Thomas

31. Play Therapy and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Neurodiversity-Affirming Considerations, Sarah Tucker

32. Using Play Therapy for Children’s Anxiety, Fear, and Phobias, Angela Cavett

33. Play Therapy and Depression and Suicidality in Children and Adolescents, Elizabeth Burgin

34. Implementing Play Therapy with Neurodivergent Children, Robert Jason Grant & Kevin Hull

35. Play Therapy with Disruptive Behavior in Children and Adolescents, David A. Crenshaw and Courtney Doyle

36. Play Therapy with Immigrant Children and Families, Peggy Ceballos & Elizabeth V. Aguilar

37. Healing Attachment Trauma in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Alyssa Swan & Sue Bratton

38. Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse: A Practical Guide for Play Therapists, Janine Shelby

39. Working with LGBTQIA+ Youth in the Playroom, Quinn K. Smelser

Index

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About the Editors

David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, is Chief of Clinical Services (Emeritus) at the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie in Poughkeepsie, New York. Dr. Crenshaw is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology, and the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. He has taught play therapy at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University, is a past president of the New York Association for Play Therapy, and supervised over 100 doctoral- and master’s-level interns over a 55-year career. Dr. Crenshaw is author or editor of 21 professional books, three books of poetry, and more than 100 articles and chapters on child and adolescent therapy, child trauma and abuse, resilience, play therapy, and family therapy. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the Hudson Valley Psychological Association, the New York Association for Play Therapy, and the United States Association for Play Therapy.

• All titles by David A. Crenshaw

Anne L. Stewart, PhD, RPT-S, a playful practitioner of play therapy, is Professor of Clinical Psychology at James Madison University, where she teaches, supervises, and conducts play and family therapy each week. Dr. Stewart has written and presented worldwide on attachment, crisis intervention, supervision, nature and play therapy, military families, and resilience, and has partnered with colleagues in government organizations, universities, and nongovernmental organizations on countless teaching, research, and service projects. She is founder of the Virginia Association for Play Therapy and served as board chair of the Association for Play Therapy and the Foundation for Play Therapy. Dr. Stewart is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Play Therapy and the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, is Regents Professor and Elaine Millikan Mathes Professor in Early Childhood Education in the Counseling Program and Co-Director of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. Dr. Ray has published over 150 articles, chapters, and books in the field of play therapy, specializing in the process and effects of child-centered play therapy. She is a founding board member and past president of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, as well as past board chair of the Association for Play Therapy (APT). Dr. Ray is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association and a two-time recipient of the Outstanding Research Award from the APT, among other honors. She operates the counseling practice EmpathyWell, in Highland Village, Texas, where she facilitates play therapy, training, and supervision.

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Contributors

Elizabeth V. Aguilar, MS, LPC Associate, NCC, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Rachel Altvater, PsyD, RPT-S, Creative Psychological Health Services, Columbia, MD

Amanda Asam, LMHC, Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Health, Okmulgee, OK

Jeffrey S. Ashby, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, College of Education and Human Development, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT (retired), Nurturing the Heart with the Brain in Mind, Vancouver, WA

Tim Baima, PhD, LMFT, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA

Pedro J. Blanco, PhD, LPC- S, RPT-S, CHST, Department of Counseling, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX

Phyllis B. Booth, MA, LCPC, LMFT, RPT-S, The Theraplay Institute, Chicago, IL

Sue C. Bratton, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Jeanne Brown, MA, LCP, RPT-S, Sumner Mental Health Center, Wellington, KS

Elizabeth E. Burgin, PhD, NCC, LPC, RPT, CCPT-S, Department of Counselor Education, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Stephanie M. Carr, MA, LPC, LCMHC, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Felicia Carroll, MEd, MA, LMFT, RPT-S, West Coast Institute for Gestalt Therapy with Children and Adolescents, Fresno, CA

Angela M. Cavett, PhD, LP, RPT-S, Chrysalis Behavioral Health Services and Training, Fargo, ND

Peggy L. Ceballos, PhD, NCC, CCPT-S, CPRT-S, Department of Counseling, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Yi-Ju Cheng, PhD, LPC, NCC, RPT, Department of Graduate Education, Leadership, and Counseling, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ

Janet A. Courtney, PhD, RPT-S, Developmental Play and Attachment Therapies, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Healing and Hope Fund, Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie, NY

Courtney Doyle, LMHC, Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie, NY

Athena A. Drewes, PsyD, MA, MSEd, RPT-S, New York Association for Play Therapy, Latham, NY; private practice, Ocala, FL

Tracie Faa-Thompson, MA, AASW, PG NDPT, CAEBI, Turn About Pegasus, Nurtured in Nature, Northumberland, United Kingdom

Brijin Johnson Gardner, LSCSW, Inspire Play, Overland Park, KS

Richard L. Gaskill, EdD, LCPC, RPT-S, Sumner Mental Health Center, Wellington, KS

Eliana Gil, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, ATR, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, Fairfax, VA

Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S, Nurture House, Franklin, TN

Robert Jason Grant, EdD, LPC, RPT-S, AutPlay Therapy Clinic, Springfield, MO

Ryan Holliman, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, Department of Counseling, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX

Linda E. Homeyer, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S (retired), Department of Counseling, Leadership and Adult Education, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Kevin B. Hull, PhD, LPC, Hull and Associates, Lakeland, FL

Hannah Pellegrino Jarrett, EdS, Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center, Charlottesville, VA

Sueann Kenney-Noziska, MSW, LISW, LCSW, RPT-S, Play Therapy Corner, La Mesa, NM

Susan M. Knell, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Terry Kottman, PhD, LMFT, RPT-S, League of Extraordinary Adlerian Play Therapists, Cedar Falls, IA

Garry L. Landreth, EdD, LPC, RPT-S, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

John Paul “JP” Lilly, LCSW (deceased), Sierra Counseling Associates, Provo, UT

Sandra L. Lindaman, MA, MSW, LCSW, LISW, The Theraplay Institute, Chicago, IL

Natalya A. Lindo, PhD, LPC, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Julia Linger, MA, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Sara M. Loftin, PhD, LCHMC, RPT-S, Children’s Health: Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Marshall N. Lyles, MA, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, The Workshop, Austin, TX

Ariel Marrero, PsyD, Morrissey-Compton Educational Center, Redwood City, CA

Kathleen McKinney Clark, MA, LPC, private practice, Alpharetta, GA

John B. Mordock, PhD, ABPP (retired), Poughkeepsie, NY

Jennifer Nelson-Faulconer, EdS, NCSP, Department of Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Jennifer K. Niles, PhD, NCC, NCSC, Department of Counseling and Educational Development, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Kristie K. Opiola, PhD, LCHMC, RPT, Department of Counseling, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Fiona Peacock, EdD, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Janine Shelby, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, Santa Monica, CA

Quinn K. Smelser, PhD, LCPC-S, RPT-S, NCC, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX

Anne L. Stewart, PhD, RPT-S, Department of Graduate Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Jessica Stone, PhD, RPT-S, private practice, Fruita, CO

Alyssa M. Swan, PhD, LCPC, RPT, Capella University, Minneapolis, MN

LaKaavia Taylor, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT, CCPT-S, CPRT-S, Department of Counseling, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

Denis’ A. Thomas, PhD, LPC, NCC, Center for Play Therapy and Expressive Arts, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN

Sarah Tucker, PhD, LPC (TX), NCC, RPT, Department of Counselor Education, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Krystal K. Turner, MA, LPC Associate, NCC, Department of Counseling, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

Marieke van Nuenen, MS, LPC, RPT, College of Education and Human Development, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAEBI, The International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy, Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center, Boiling Springs, PA

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Audience

Play, art, and other expressive therapists; clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors working with children, adolescents, and families.

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Course Use

May serve as a text in graduate-level play therapy courses.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2015
ISBN: 9781462526444

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New to this edition:

• Chapters on Gestalt play therapy, prescriptive play therapy, group play therapy, and nature-based play therapy.
• Chapters on racial trauma, chronic illness, depression and suicidality, and attachment trauma.
• Chapters on working with infants and parents, immigrant children and families, and LGBTQIA+ youth.
• Chapters on telemental health, resilience, parent consultation, and working within child protection and legal systems.
• Enhanced focus on research, with new coeditor Dee C. Ray bringing particular expertise.