Play therapy is the oldest and most popular form of child therapy in clinical practice and is widely considered by practitioners to be uniquely responsive to children's developmental needs. This book describes a range of play interventions that feature flexibility in service delivery and across settings, child populations and age groups.

This updated edition presents new research that establishes the effectiveness of play therapy in promoting healthy development in children with emotional or behavioral difficulties. Innovative interventions are presented in detail with vivid case examples to illustrate their implementation in clinical practice.

"Play is a universal form of communication for children that promotes healthy cognitive, language, physical, and social development. Incorporating play into child therapy can therefore help children who are having difficulties in one or more of these developmental areas. For more than 70 years, play therapy has been recognized as an effective method for targeting specific behaviors and competencies to help children communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and to refine their current skills and learn new ones. This book is a comprehensive reference for clinicians and researchers that provides well-established, theoretically-based, and flexible interventions--both directive and nondirective--to meet the growing and diverse needs of today's children and families. This updated edition presents new research on play therapy treatment models and agents that have shown significant promise in treating a variety of child disorders--including autism. Authors also consider implementation issues arising from new mental health policies and initiatives, including integrated health care systems and the Affordable Care Act. Each chapter is carefully organized to include the theoretical basis and objectives of various innovative play interventions, key treatment ingredients and processes, and recommendations for replication and transportability to other settings. Detailed vignettes illustrate how these interventions can be used in clinical practice"--Publicity materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Play Therapy for Very Young Children presents the major models of play interventions with very young children, primarily ages zero to three, and their families. The editors have compiled essays by child development experts to create a comprehensive guide of the most beneficial...

Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy (CBPT) incorporates cognitive and behavioral interventions within a play therapy paradigm. It provides a theoretical framework based on cognitive-behavioral principles and integrates these in a developmentally sensitive way. Thus, play as well as verbal and nonverbal approaches are used in resolving problems. CBPT differs from nondirective play therapy, which avoids any direct discussion of the child's difficulties. A specific problem-solving approach is utilized, which helps the child develop more adaptive thoughts and behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapies are based on the premise that cognitions determine how people feel and act, and that faulty cognitions can contribute to psychological disturbance. Cognitive-behavioral therapies focus on identifying maladaptive thoughts, understanding the assumptions behind the thoughts, and learning to correct or counter the irrational ideas that interfere with healthy functioning. Since their development approximately twenty-five years ago, such therapies have traditionally been used with adults and only more recently with adolescents and children. It has commonly been thought that preschool-age and school-age children are too young to understand or correct distortions in their thinking. However, the recent development of CBPT reveals that cognitive strategies can be used effectively with young children if treatments are adapted in order to be developmentally sensitive and attuned to the child's needs. For example, while the methods of cognitive therapy can be communicated to adults directly, these may need to be conveyed to children indirectly, through play activities. In particular, puppets and stuffed animals can be very helpful in modeling the use of cognitive strategies such as countering irrational beliefs and making positive self-statements. CBPT is structured and goal oriented and intervention is directive in nature.

Structured Play-Based Interventions for Engaging Children and Adolescents in Therapy is a compilation of playful interventions for use by mental health professionals treating children and adolescents with emotional or behavioral problems.

Through careful integratation of theory with real-world clinical case application, each chapter in Play-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders shows clinicians how to make a diverse array of treatment approaches viable and effective.