Play Therapy Today ― Contemporary Practice With Individuals, Groups and Carers

"Play Therapy Today brings together the work of renowned practitioners and academics currently working and researching in play therapy, presenting a range of groundbreaking methods for practising with groups, individuals, and parents and carers. Providing an overview of new or revitalised topics in play therapy, each chapter presents the relevant theoretical underpinnings and principles of practice, case vignettes and further relevant reading. The three sections include chapters on: Jennings developmental playtherapy model and its implementation in groupwork, the practical use of puppets in educational and therapeutic settings, the use of play in groups for children with a variety of sensory, intellectual and physical disability and the therapeutic valueof working with groups in the outdoors. the Therapeutic Touchstone model and the development of the therapeutic relationship, an overview of the use of individual play therapy techniques in a hospital setting, particularly in relation to preparing children and an overview of Yasenik and Gardner's Play Therapy Dimensions Model. Stagnittais adaptation of the Learn to Play programme for parent/carer use, Group Theraplay with parent/child client and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics which makes crucial links between neuroscientific research and play interventions. The book provides play therapists with practical information they can put into immediate use in their clinical work with children and their families. It is an important resource for trainee, newly qualified and seasoned play therapists, play therapy supervisors and trainers. It will also be of interest to social workers, teachers, psychologists, child psychotherapists and other health professionals"--Provided by publisher.

Eileen Prendiville is a Course Director at the Children’s Therapy Centre in Co Westmeath, Ireland. Eileen has worked with children for over thirty-five years and now specialises in the field of play therapy training. She was a founder member of the Children at Risk in Ireland Foundation and was their National Clinical Director until 2004. She is the current Chairperson of the Irish Association of Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy.

Justine Howard is an Associate Professor and Postgraduate Programme Manager at the Centre for Children and Young People’s Health and Wellbeing at Swansea University, UK. She is a Chartered Psychologist and specialist in Developmental and Therapeutic Play.