101 Favorite Play Therapy Techniques

Building on children's natural inclinations to pretend and reenact, play therapy is widely used in the treatment of psychological problems in childhood. 101 Favorite Play Therapy Techniques incorporates methods developed to elicit the best responses from children by therapists representing cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and other orientations, and selected for their practicality, specificity, and originality. Arranged for easy reference, each bearing a succinct description and targeted application, the interventions illustrated_including Fantasy, Storytelling, Expressive Arts, Game Play, Puppet Play, Play Toys and Objects, and Group Play_have been used with success to address such common problems as low self-esteem and unresolved fear and anger, as well as more serious difficulties arising from loss, abuse, and sexual trauma. All the contributors share the enthusiasm and respect of editors Kaduson and Schaefer for the special value of play therapy in reaching and healing young patients. Together, they have created an eclectic, accessible, and comprehensive resource for students and professionals that will also support parents seeking to open new lines of communication with their children.

Heidi Gerard Kaduson, PhD, RPT-S, specializes in evaluation and intervention services for children with a variety of behavioral, emotional, and learning problems. She is past president of the Association for Play Therapy and co-director of the Play Therapy Training Institute. Kaduson has co-edited many books and maintains a private practice in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Charles E. Schaefer, PhD, RPT-S, is professor emeritus of psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hackensack, New Jersey. Schaefer is cofounder and director emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy and a fellow of the American Psychological Association. Among Schaefer's sixty-five books are the outstanding Handbook of Play Therapy and The Therapeutic Use of Child's Play, both of which have become classics in the field. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice for children and their families in Hackensack, New Jersey.