Phyllis Booth is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a registered play therapist and supervisor, and Clinical Director Emeritus of the Theraplay Institute in Evanston, Illinois. Her professional career includes training in clinical psychology at what is now University of Chicago Medicine, teaching…

Any activity that involves learning, whether it is for therapeutic purposes, traditional education, or outdoor education, is experiential education. In particular, outdoor educators allow participants to experiment with their behaviour in the form of play, for the most part out-of-doors. Many in the industry refer to play as adventure. Those who…

The author's doctoral work involved relating abilities in play to the results of a developmental assessment. She found them to be highly correlated, which should have made her happy. Instead she was troubled by the results. The skills that children use in play are important. Given materials that appeal to them and that "pull for" the desired skill…

Play therapists are increasingly being employed in schools, yet there is confusion among many health, education and social care practitioners about the role of play therapists. This paper explains how play therapists position themselves and what they do through an examination of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and child. It…

Describes the three major approaches to play therapy: psychoanalytic, structured, and relationship approaches. Discussion focuses on problems of interpretation in the psychoanalytic approach, release of pent-up emotions in the structured approach, and phases of play and therapist guidelines in nondirective, relationship therapy. (RH)

Examines value of using play in counseling. Explores pragmatic ways play is used across life span and in different counseling settings. Discusses limitations of including play in counseling. Reviews premises on which play in counseling is based and some uses of play as therapeutic instrument with children, adolescents, and adults in individual,…

Following the work of Vygotsky, this paper explores three dimensions of change in play therapy: linear, additive, and emergent pivotal structures. In therapeutic play, the child expresses actions and initiates movements, sounds, and gestures. Then, seemingly "out of the blue," the child shifts such gestures to an episode containing…

Presents an interview with Eliana Gil, the current director of the Starbright Training Institute for child abuse and neglect, play therapy, and family play therapy in Springfield, Virginia. Gil's publications and experiences have spoken to coconstructing family therapy sessions that effectively integrate the paradigms of play and family therapy.…

Internationally known counselor educator and author Garry Landreth has a passion for filial therapy. In this interview article, Landreth discusses the basic principles and procedures of filial therapy, the 10-week Filial Therapy Training Model he has developed, and the research that he and his colleagues and students are doing on filial therapy.…

Four developmental outcomes of children's play were identified as acquaintance with the environment and the development of cognitive activity, verification of incidental learning, the development through sensory and motoric activities of relationships with objects and persons, and experience with roles and rules. A child developing atypically may…

Notes that stresses of adult life are now much more commonplace among children. Provides a rationale for viewing play as an important vehicle for uncovering childhood stressors and describes both theory and practice that reinforces the value of play in relieving stress. (HTH)

Explores the role of symbolic play in the cognitive and psychic development of the normal child and describes the autistic child. Reviews a model treatment program for autism developed at the City College of New York, discussing the therapeutic role of symbolic play in that model. (Author/MJL)

Explores three dimensions of change in play therapy. Actual case material is used to examine the role of pivots as windows of change in the helping process. Argues that the pivoting function may serve as a universe for change which allows us to focus more intently on therapeutic events. (Author/ABB)

Presents a case where psychiatry and family therapy were used concurrently to treat a family disorder. The use of two modalities allowed the therapists to see the distress their prescriptions inflicted on the child. Concluded that family therapists should consider how their interventions affect young, vulnerable family members. (BH)

Presents Adlerian play therapy as workable tool for school counselors. Contends that school counselors can use Adlerian therapy to build relationships with children; explore how children view themselves, others, and the world; help children understand how they gain significance in their families and school; and help children explore new ways of…