Game Play Therapeutic Use of Games with Children and Adolescents

The essential guide to game play therapy for mental health practitioners 

The revised and updated third edition of Game Play Therapy offers psychologists and psychiatrists a guide to game play therapy’s theoretical foundations and contains the practical applications that are appropriate for children and adolescents. Game playing has proven to invoke more goal-directed behavior, has the benefit of interpersonal interaction, and can perform a significant role in the adaptation to one's environment. With contributions from noted experts in the field, the third edition contains information on the time-tested, classic games and the most recent innovations and advances in game play approaches.

Game Play Therapy’s revised third edition (like the previous editions) continues to fill a gap in the literature by offering mental health practitioners the information needed to understand why and how to use this intervention effectively. The contributors offer advice for choosing the most useful games from the more than 700 now available and describe the fundamentals of administering the games. This important updated book:

• Contains material on the recent advances in the field including information on electronic games and disorder-specific games
• Includes illustrative case studies that explore the process of game therapy
• Reviews the basics of the underlying principles and applications of game therapy
• Offers a wide-range of games with empirical evidence of the effectiveness of game therapy 

Written for psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health clinicians, the revised third edition of Game Play Therapy offers a guide that shows how to apply game therapy techniques to promote socialization, encourage the development of identity and self-esteem, and help individuals master anxiety.

JESSICA STONE, PHD, is a licensed psychologist who has provided psychological services to children, teens, adults, families, and prospective parents since 1992. Dr. Stone specializes in Play Therapy, digital tools in therapy, and focuses on meeting the complex and specific needs of children. She is the co-creator of the Virtual Sandtray App.

CHARLES E. SCHAEFER, PHD, is Director Emeritus of Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, New Jersey. He is considered by many to be the "Father of Play Therapy" and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.

About the Authors vii

Part One Introduction

1 Game Play Therapy: Theory and Practice 3
Charles E. Schaefer and Jessica Stone

2 Parent Involvement in Children’s Game Play: Accelerating the Therapeutic Impact 9
Mary Anne Peabody

Part Two Types of Games Used for Psychotherapy

3 Games of Chance 29
Holly Willard

4 Cooperative Games 45
Jennifer Taylor

5 Strategy Games 63
Jessica Stone

6 Physical Activity Games 79
Yolanda Fountain

7 Digital Games 99
Jessica Stone

Part Three Game Play Therapy for Treating Specific Problem Behaviors of Youth

8 Therapeutic Games for Control of Anger and Aggression in Children and Adolescents 121
Gary Yorke

9 Game Play Interventions for Aggressive Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 139
Heidi Gerard Kaduson

10 Therapeutic Games to Treat Anxieties and Fears 155
Sonia Murray

11 Therapeutic Games to Treat Grief and Loss in Children 173
Gary Yorke

12 Therapeutic Games for Social Skills 189
Adam Davis

13 Therapeutic Games for Autism Spectrum Disorder 205
Robert Jason Grant

14 Utilizing Games to Build Resilience in Children Impacted by Divorce 221
Jamie Lynn Langley

15 Therapeutic Games for Sexually Abused Children 239
Sueann Kenney-Noziska

16 The Therapeutic Use of Games to Foster Attachment in Parent-Child Relationships 255
Clair Mellenthin

Author Index 273

Subject Index 281

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