Play Therapy Theory, Research, and Practice

Now in a significantly revised second edition featuring 85% new material, this authoritative play therapy reference and text comprehensively reviews the current state of the field. Expert contributors describe theoretical foundations, showcase widely used clinical approaches, and explore challenging and timely professional issues. The book presents vivid case illustrations and synthesizes the play therapy research base. Chapters on specific populations (such as neurodivergent children, culturally diverse children, adolescents) and clinical problems (such as trauma, disrupted attachment, anxiety) provide engaging course content and the knowledge therapists need to tailor interventions effectively. 

New to This Edition
*Chapters on Gestalt play therapy, prescriptive play therapy, group play therapy, and nature-based play therapy.
*Chapters on racial trauma, chronic illness, depression and suicidality, and attachment trauma.
*Chapters on working with infants and parents, immigrant children and families, and LGBTQIA+ youth.
*Chapters on telemental health, resilience, parent consultation, and working within child protection and legal systems. 
*Enhanced focus on research, with new coeditor Dee C. Ray bringing particular expertise.

David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, is Chief of Clinical Services (Emeritus) at the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie in Poughkeepsie, New York. Dr. Crenshaw is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology, and the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. He has taught play therapy at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University, is a past president of the New York Association for Play Therapy, and supervised over 100 doctoral- and master’s-level interns over a 55-year career. Dr. Crenshaw is author or editor of 21 professional books, three books of poetry, and more than 100 articles and chapters on child and adolescent therapy, child trauma and abuse, resilience, play therapy, and family therapy. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the Hudson Valley Psychological Association, the New York Association for Play Therapy, and the United States Association for Play Therapy. 

Anne L. Stewart, PhD, RPT-S, a playful practitioner of play therapy, is Professor of Clinical Psychology at James Madison University, where she teaches, supervises, and conducts play and family therapy each week. Dr. Stewart has written and presented worldwide on attachment, crisis intervention, supervision, nature and play therapy, military families, and resilience, and has partnered with colleagues in government organizations, universities, and nongovernmental organizations on countless teaching, research, and service projects. She is founder of the Virginia Association for Play Therapy and served as board chair of the Association for Play Therapy and the Foundation for Play Therapy. Dr. Stewart is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Play Therapy and the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 

Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, is Regents Professor and Elaine Millikan Mathes Professor in Early Childhood Education in the Counseling Program and Co-Director of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. Dr. Ray has published over 150 articles, chapters, and books in the field of play therapy, specializing in the process and effects of child-centered play therapy. She is a founding board member and past president of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, as well as past board chair of the Association for Play Therapy (APT). Dr. Ray is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association and a two-time recipient of the Outstanding Research Award from the APT, among other honors. She operates the counseling practice EmpathyWell, in Highland Village, Texas, where she facilitates play therapy, training, and supervision.

Foreword, Stuart Brown
I. Seminal Theories of Play Therapy 
1. Child-Centered Play Therapy, Dee Ray & Garry Landreth
2. Theraplay®: An Attachment Theory-Based Treatment for Relational and Developmental Healing, Phyllis Booth, Sandra Lindaman, & Fiona Peacock
3. Adlerian Play Therapy, Terry Kottman & Jeff Ashby
4. Psychodynamic Play Therapy, John B. Mordock
5. Gestalt Play Therapy: Shared Journey toward Integration, Felicia Carroll
6. Jungian Analytical Play Therapy, John Paul “JP” Lilly
7. Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy, Susan Knell
8. Filial Therapy: The 10-Session Child−Parent Relationship Therapy Model, Sue Bratton, Alyssa Swan, Kristie Opiola, & Garry Landreth
II. Approaches to Play Therapy 
9. Prescriptive Play Therapy, Athena Drewes
10. Animal-Assisted Play Therapy, Risë VanFleet & Tracie Faa-Thompson
11. Family Play Therapy: Engaging Families in Novel Ways, Eliana Gil & Tim Baima
12. Sand Therapy as a Play Therapy Experience, Linda Homeyer & Marshall Lyles
13. Group Play Therapy, Yi-Ju Cheng & Dee C. Ray
14. Nature-Based Play Therapy: A Trauma-Informed Approach, Anne Stewart, Julia Linger, Jennifer Nelson-Faulconer, & Hannah Jarrett
III. Cogent Issues in Play Therapy 
15. Multiculturalism and Cultural Humility in Play Therapy, LaKaavia Taylor & Krystal K. Turner
16. Play Therapy Supervision, Natalya Ann Lindo & Stephanie Carr
17. Research in Play Therapy, Dee C. Ray
18. Neuroscience Informs Play Therapy Theory and Practice, Richard L. Gaskill & Jeanne Brown
19. Ethics in Play Therapy: Considerations for Clinical Practice, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Kathleen McKinney Clark, & Marieke van Nuenen
20. Telemental Health Play Therapy: A Multidimensional Exploration, Jessica Stone & Rachel Altvater
21. Resilience in Trauma-Informed Play Therapy, David A. Crenshaw & Amanda Asam
22. Using Play Therapy to Heal the Hidden Wounds of Racial Trauma, Ariel Marrero
23. Parent Consultation and Paradigm Shifts in Play Therapy, Paris Goodyear-Brown
24. Play Therapy Practice in the Schools, Ryan Holliman & Pedro J. Blanco
25. Systemic Applications: The Play Therapist, Child Protection, and the Legal System, Sueann Kenney-Noziska
26. Play Therapy for Children with Chronic Illnesses, Sara Loftin & Kristie Opiola
27. The Practice of Being Present: Cultivating a Space for Play to Emerge, Bonnie Badenoch
IV. Play Therapy with Special Populations  
28. Facilitating Parental Attunement in Infant Play Therapy, Janet Courtney
29. Play Therapy with Adolescents, Brijin Gardner
30. Play Therapy with Adults, Denis Thomas
31. Play Therapy and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Neurodiversity-Affirming Considerations, Sarah Tucker
32. Using Play Therapy for Children’s Anxiety, Fear, and Phobias, Angela Cavett
33. Play Therapy and Depression and Suicidality in Children and Adolescents, Elizabeth Burgin
34. Implementing Play Therapy with Neurodivergent Children, Robert Jason Grant & Kevin Hull
35. Play Therapy with Disruptive Behavior in Children and Adolescents, David A. Crenshaw and Courtney Doyle
36. Play Therapy with Immigrant Children and Families, Peggy Ceballos & Elizabeth V. Aguilar
37. Healing Attachment Trauma in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Alyssa Swan & Sue Bratton
38. Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse: A Practical Guide for Play Therapists, Janine Shelby
39. Working with LGBTQIA+ Youth in the Playroom, Quinn K. Smelser
Index