Play Janeece Warfield, Psy.D., RPT-S

PLAY
Janeece Warfield, Psy.D., RPT-S

According to Bergen (1998)
Play is….
1. Natural and important to growing up.
2. Something people do all their lives.
3. Something fun, where new things are learned,
experiences shared, and there is make believe
and learning.
According to Bergen (1998).
Play ….
1. Provides an opportunity for the person to take
charge and make their own decisions and rules.
2. Provides an opportunity to understand an
experience.
3. Is a need which also facilitates emotional control.
According to Bergen (1998)
PLAY IS NOT… PLAY IS….

• A waste of time • A basic skill that
• A babyish activity helps children’s
• Something done knowledge grow
only with toys • A natural part of
• Something to do everyone’s life
when there’s • A chance to make
nothing important to believe
do
Play
• Serves as a
medium for
children’s
expression of
emotions.
Play
• Builds trust and mastery

• Fosters learning and acceptable
behaviors
• Regulates emotions
• Reduces stress
• Encourages open and voluntary
communication
• Promotes creative problem-solving
• Elevates spirit
-The Association of Play Therapy
Play Therapy
• Is an approach to counseling
young children in which the
therapist uses toys, art
supplies, games and other
play media to communicate
with clients using the
language of children.
Definition of Play Therapy
“The systematic use of a theoretical

model to establish an
interpersonal process wherein
trained play therapists use the
therapeutic powers of play to help
clients prevent or resolve
psychosocial difficulties and
achieve optimal growth and
development.“
(Association of Play Therapy, 2008)
So What Can Play Therapy
Achieve?
-Establish rapport with children
-Help the therapist to understand children
and their interactions and relationships
-Help children reveal feelings they have
not been able to verbalize
-Help children constructively act out
feelings
-Provide an environment to test limits, and
gain insight about their behavior
Curative Factors of Play
Therapy
• Relationship building/attachment
• Catharsis/Self-expression
• Trauma processing
• Skill building (direct learning, modeling,
and reinforcement of healthy behaviors)
• Helps develop problem-solving skills
• Identity development (safe place to
develop)
• Positive activities (especially helpful for
depression)
(Schaefer & Drewes, 2009)

Who is Play Therapy For?
• Infants
• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults
• Couples
• Families
• Elderly
Effectiveness of Play Therapy
Interventions
Play therapy interventions have
demonstrated effectiveness in
treating and/or addressing:
• Anger Management (McGuire, 2001; Ogawa, 2004).
• Grief and Loss (LeVieux, 1994; Webb, 2003).
• Divorce and Family Dissolution (Pedro-Carroll & Reddy, 2005).
• Crisis and Trauma (Ogawa, 2004; Tyndall-Lind, 2001).
• ODD and CD
• Depression
• Anxiety
• ADHD
• PDD/ASD
• Emotional competence (feelings identification, expression, and
regulation)
(Bratton, Ray, Rhine,& Jones, 2005)
Types of Play Therapy Materials
• Dolls, puppets, plastic

figurines
• Sensory-Based items
• Table games
• Blocks, puzzles
• Paints, Play-Doh
• Pretend play materials
Play Therapy Materials
• Purposefully selected
• Should include both
structured and unstructured
materials.
• Should include items that
facilitate the child and parent
to reconstruct reality from
their perspective.
A Few Types of Play Therapy
• Non-Directive/Client-
Centered
• Directive
Child-Centered Play Therapy
• Immediate and present experience

with the child
• The therapeutic process is lead by
the child
• Through a shared relationship the
therapist conveys acceptance of
the child which frees them to
develop confidence and self-
awareness
Child-Centered Approach
• The child selects the theme,

content, and process of play.
• The focus is on the child and
not the problem
• Goal is to generate the
process of change and growth
in the child.
Directive Play Therapy
• The clinician provides

structure and guidance to the
session using play-based
approaches.
Play Therapy
• For more information on play

therapy visit the Association
of Play Therapy
website:www.a4pt.org
References:
Association of Play Therapy (2008) Association of play therapy. Clovis, CA.
Schaefer, C.,& Drewes, A. (2009). Therapeutic powers of play. New York, NY: John
Wiley and Sons.
Bratton, S., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & L. Jones ( 2005). The efficacy of play therapy with
children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes. 36, 376-390.
Bergen, D.B. (1998). Play as a medium for learning and development: A handbook of
theory and practice. Olney , MD: Association for Child and Education
International.

Play Janeece Warfield, Psy.D., RPT-S

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Play Janeece Warfield, Psy.D., RPT-S

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PLAY

Janeece Warfield, Psy.D., RPT-S

PLAY IS NOT… PLAY IS….

• Builds trust and mastery

“The systematic use of a theoretical

(Schaefer & Drewes, 2009)

• Dolls, puppets, plastic

• Immediate and present experience

• The child selects the theme,

• The clinician provides

• For more information on play

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