Axline v 1969 play therapy

Summarize the book.

1. Play Therapy Summarize

2. give your reaction.

3. What are the implications for treatment in a therapeutic relationship?

Book- Axline, V. (1978). Play therapy. NY: Ballantine Book.

Play Therapy Ivo Peixoto, Elona Dashi, Asilay Şeker

Published on: Jul 09, 2019

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Brief historic overview Historically, Play Therapy (PT) has emerged from the conceptual understandings found in

psychoanalytic and humanistic psychology, psychotherapy and child development literature. In Europe

in the early 1900s, Melanie Klein and Anna Freud (the daughter of Sigmund Freud) included play in

their psychoanalytic treatment of children.

In 1935, Margaret Lowenfeld first published Play in Childhood documenting her in-depth observations

of children whilst working at the ‘Clinic for nervous and difficult children’ in London. In the United

States, Virginia Axline focused her work on conceptualising and documenting Non Directive Play

Therapy (NDPT) by drawing from the humanistic and relational perspective of her teacher and

colleague Carl Rogers (Axline, 1969). Rogers (1951) was instrumental in establishing treatment plans

based on necessary and sufficient conditions for growth. These included therapeutic congruence,

unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding and acceptance.

From these beginnings, several different theoretical models of PT have emerged. Based on Axline’s

principles, the most well-known is Non-Directive or Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT) which has

been further developed by Garry Landreth and colleagues and integrated into teaching parents or

guardians the principles found in CCPT, known as Filial Play.

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Description PT is an effective means of responding to the mental health needs of young children and is widely

accepted as a valuable and developmentally appropriate intervention.

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Play is the natural world of the child. Children learn about themselves, others, and their world

through play. Play is also considered a right for all children, everywhere, to achieve optimal

development. The therapeutic potential of play has been extensively reviewed by Charles E. Schaefer

He states that play helps overcome resistance to therapy through the creation of a nonthreatening

environment, while serving as a developmentally appropriate means of communication for children.

Play assists the child in a multitude of developmental tasks: it enhances the child’s ability to develop

mastery that leads to a sense of efficacy and competence; it stimulates creative thinking and problem-

solving skills; it offers a means to express and reenact strong emotions, making them more

manageable and integrated; it allows role-playing and fantasy play, promoting empathy, affect

regulation, curiosity and sense of agency. Developing themes and metaphors in play gives meaning to

life by shaping the child’s belief systems. By the same token, the use of toys allows for creative and

emotional expression, testing of limits, and role-playing reality. Play therapists have a sound

theoretical rationale for selecting and placing toys and materials in a play therapy playroom. Types of

toys include, but are not limited to, dolls and dollhouses, play kitchens, building blocks, farm and wild

animals, toy knives and swords, dress-up costumes, art supplies, musical instruments, and puppets

(Landreth 2002). Each play therapist’s theoretical orientation dictates whether play with the toys and

games is child directed or directed by the professional.

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In this context, PT can be used when working with children who have shyness, peer relationship

problems, poor stress tolerance or inadequate communication/social skills. It can also be used during

times of grief or loss and for children with chronic illnesses.

PT can also help children with aggression, poor motor co-ordination and self-harming behavior.

Responses to family and relationship

problems, such as family violence, parental

separation, attachment problems, trauma and

abuse can also benefit from PT.

Children who struggle with educational issues

such as poor organizational skills, poor

planning and execution of tasks, poor story

comprehension can resort to PT, and there is

evidence that CCPT has a significant positive

impact on academic achievement and

moderate to large treatment effect on second graders’ reading achievement scores and 4- to 6-year-

olds’ receptive and expressive language skills.

PT also makes it possible to work with children who have learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

Other than Play Therapy’s individual application, it can also be used as a facilitator of other therapy

techniques to help smaller children. Systematic desensitization techniques can be presented through

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All in all, thorough review (meta-analyses and systematic review), rigorous controlled research

designs (RCT), quantitative and experimental explorations (SCED, quasi-experimental, and cohort),

and qualitative studies support the use of play therapy with children ages 3 to 12 years old. Research

signifies that PT is an effective intervention for children who present with externalizing and

internalizing problems, self-concept issues, reactions to traumatic events and complexities,

developmental delays, social-emotional challenges, and relationship difficulties. Research studies

thematically support the use of play as the primary communication tool for young children. Last but

not least, research supports the implementation of PT by well-trained and knowledgeable play

therapists that have been educated and supervised in the practice of PT for results closer to optimal.

Bibliography

Axline,V.M (1969) Play Therapy, New York, Ballantine Books

Landreth, G. L. (2002) Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. 2 nd ed. NY:Brunner-Routledge

O’Connor, K. J., Schaefer C., Braverman L.D (2016) Handbook of Play therapy, John Wiley& Sons, Inc.

Rogers. C (1951) Client Centered Therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. London

Schaefer, C.E. (2011) Integrative Play Therapy. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Thomas J. (2011) Play Therapy in the UK

Comment from an expert and/or quote from a famous psychotherapist:

Play is a child’s work and this is not a trivial pursuit

Alfred Adler

Play bridges the gap between concrete experience and abstract thought

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published online courses or international association

Certified Courses There are Certificate, diploma and master courses in play therapy with international accreditation:

Books

Play Therapy International http://playtherapy.org/Training-Careers/Accredited-

Courses/Certificate-Courses

APAC, PTUK, PTC & PTirl have permanent training centres in Canada, France, Ireland and the United

Kingdom.

Play Therapy in Portugal http://fa.ispa.pt/formacao/play-therapy-com-criancas-e-adolescentes

Axline, V. (1984) Dibs In Search of Self: The moving story of an emotionally lost child who found his

way back. Penguin Books: Buckinghamshire.

Axline, V. M. (1989) Play Therapy. Churchill Livingstone: London

Cattanach, A. (2003) Introduction to Play Therapy. Hove: Brunner-Routledge

Clinics of Turkey - Psychotherapy Issue (2017) , Play Therapy Chapter

Gaskill, R. L. (2010). Neurobiology of play therapy. Play Therapy, 5(4). CA, USA:Association for Play

Therapy.

Giordano, M., Landreth, G. & Jones, L. (2005) A Practical handbook for Building the Play Therapy

Relationship. New Jersey: Jason Aronson

Josefi, O., & Ryan, V. (2004). Non-directive play therapy for young children with autism: A case study.

Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 9(4), 533 – 551.

Kevin J. O’Connor, Charles E.Schaefer, Lisa D.Braverman, Handbook of Play Therapy (2016) John

Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA

McCarthy, D. (2012) A Manual of Dynamic Play Therapy: Helping Things Fall Apart, the Paradox of

Play. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers

McMahon, L. (2009) 2nd Ed. The Handbook of Play Therapy. East Sussex: Routledge

Melanie Klein (1975) The Psychoanalysis of Children

Oaklander, V. (2007) Hidden treasure: A map to the child’s inner self. Bungay, Suffolk: Catch Limited.

Oaklander, V. (2007) Windows to Our Children A Gestalt Therapy Approach to Children and

Adolescents. Gouldsboro, Maine: The Gestalt Journal Press. First published 1978

Sunderland, M. (2000) Using Story telling as a Therapeutic Tool with Children. Oxon: Winslow Press.

http://playtherapy.org/Training-Careers/Accredited-Courses/Certificate-Courses
http://www.apac.org.uk/
http://www.playtherapy.org.uk/
http://www.playtherapy.ca/
http://www.playtherapy.ie/
http://fa.ispa.pt/formacao/play-therapy-com-criancas-e-adolescentes
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Resources

The International Journal of Play Creative Art Therapies - This Journal will be published in

addition to Play for Life, which is a practitioners' publication, published by PTUK and PTI, where

articles may be written in a more informal style.

Popular Play Therapy Books - Books on this list may be purchased through PTUK either from

Amazon or directly from us.

Play Therapy - Publications and Books - Play Therapy UK (PTUK) publications.

PTUK Members' Site Links - Below is a list of links to PTUK members' websites.

Professional Support Services - A range of management consultancy services to support other

professionals and organisations who work with children are available from PTUK

West, J. (1996) Child Centred Play Therapy. London: Arnold

Association for Play Therapy website https://www.a4pt.org/page/TrainingDirectory has

recommendations of workshops, books and audio programs.

Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center http://www.play-therapy.com/

The Play Therapy UK (PTUK) website has useful resource links: Conferences & Events - View a

list of upcoming conferences and events.

https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/Publications/IntJournal
https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/Publications/BooksandAmazon
https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/Publications/PublicationsandBooks
https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/Links/MembersSitesLinks
https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/ConsultancyServices/ProfessionalServices
https://www.a4pt.org/page/TrainingDirectory
http://www.play-therapy.com/
https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/ResourcesConferencesEvents/ConferencesAndEvents/Conference-2019
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Research Possibilities Studies suggest that many and various research designs are contributory to the understanding of play

therapy. RCTs and the replication of RCTs (meta-analyses and systematic reviews) for specific

presenting problems and issues serve as the most credible evidence supporting the use of play

therapy. However, RCTs are only one source of information on the process and outcome of play

therapy. Small-group experimental, correlational, single-case experimental, and qualitative designs

offer substantial information on the format and process of play therapy. In using these methods, play

therapists benefit from conducting research through rigorous design implementation and staying

within the confines of the design limitation when stating conclusions about their findings. Research

studies conducted with detail and integrity offer valuable information to the field, even if they are

limited in addressing the overall effectiveness of play therapy

Links to Societies The accreditation of the Play Therapy United Kingdom (PTUK) Register was the first recognition of

Play Therapy as a distinct professional at national government level in the world Play Therapy

International (PTI) and its affiliated professional organisations administer these standards outside the

UK, on behalf of PTUK, to ensure that practitioners of therapeutic play, play therapy and filial play

coaching meet the standards required by the Register.

In order to become Certified Play Therapist it is necessary to follow certain qualification standards

that follow a four stage training model

Links Association for Play Therapy, (APT) USA: https://www.a4pt.org/

British Association of Play Therapy (BAPT): http://www.bapt.info/

Other Societies around the world:

https://playtherapy.org.uk/CareersInPlayTherapy/CareerDevelopment/CareersInPlayTherapy4LevelTModel
https://www.a4pt.org/
http://www.bapt.info/
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Affiliation: Asilay Şeker

Elona Dashi

Ivo Peixoto