Child-centered Play Therapy Research Articles

Play Therapy Informed Skateboarding

ABSTRACT In an attempt to discover a more suitable and culturally relevant form of therapy for children and adolescents, the principal investigator of this study proposed a framework for therapy by adapting child-centered play therapy and key concepts of Terry Kottman’s approach to Adlerian play therapy within a skateboarding context. Five children whom the principal investigator had not previously known participated in this six-week-long case study. Each child attended five one-hour-long play therapy-informed skateboarding sessions and an exit interview. Before the therapeutically informed skateboarding sessions, parents were provided with questionnaires adapted from Terry Kottman’s questionnaires for Adlerian play therapy, inquiring about each child’s sense of connection, capability, courage, and feelings that they count. Parents received a similar follow-up questionnaire after their child attended five therapeutically informed skateboarding sessions. On the final questionnaires, parents reported an increase in their child’s confidence, capability within relationships, connection, and task initiation.

The Effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Increasing Assertiveness and Social Skills of Preschool Children of a Divorced Family

The Effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Increasing Assertiveness and Social Skills of Preschool Children of a Divorced Family

Impact of child-centered play therapy on the mindful expressions and social–emotional competencies of Head Start preschoolers.

Impact of child-centered play therapy on the mindful expressions and social–emotional competencies of Head Start preschoolers.

“Mommy, stay here." Treatment of Separation Anxiety Disorder Case with Child-Centered Play Therapy (Case Report)

İnsan yaşamının her döneminde ayrılıklar önemli bir yer edinmiştir. Diğer türlere göre dünyaya daha hazırlıksız bir şe- kilde gelen insan türü için bu çaresizlik durumuna çare annenin varlığıdır. Bu yüzden anneden ayrılma çocuğun sos- yoduygusal gelişiminde karşılaşılan en büyük sorunlardan biri olmuştur. Ayrılma kaygısı bozukluğu çocuk ruh sağlığı alanında en sık karşılaşılan bozukluklardandır. Evden veya bağlı olduğu kişilerden ayrılmakta zorlanan çocuk için bu duruma yönelik tedavilerden biri oyun terapisidir. Oyun çocuğun kendisini ifade etmenin en doğal aracı olduğu için çocuk gerginlik, hayal kırıklığı, güvensizlik, saldırganlık, korku, kafa karışıklığı ve şaşkınlık gibi birikmiş duygularını dışa vurma imkanına erişmiş olur. Oyun terapisinin terapötik bir araç olarak çocuk ruh sağlığı alanında kullanımı giderek artmaktadır. Okul öncesi psikolojik sorunlara yönelik geliştirilen tedavi yöntemlerinden biri olan oyun terapisi, kaygı bozukluklarında ve depresyon belirtilerinin azaltılmasında etkili yöntemlerden biridir. Bu çalışmada ayrılma kaygısı bozukluğu tanısı alan 6 yaşında bir çocukla yürütülen 24 çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi seanslarından oluşan bir uygu- lamanın sonuçları sunulmaktadır. Terapistin gözlemleri, çocuğun oyun davranışlarındaki değişim, ailenin ve psikiyatri uzmanının geri bildirimleri doğrultusunda sürecin sonunda çocuğun kaygılarında önemli düzeyde azalma olduğu ve günlük işlevselliğinin arttığı belirlenmiştir.

The relational change mechanisms of child‐centered play therapy with children exposed to adverse childhood experiences

AbstractThe researchers examined the relational mechanisms and coregulatory change mechanisms of child‐centered play therapy (CCPT) with children (ages 5–8) who endured multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The researchers computed surrogate synchrony analyses to measure heart rate synchrony between counselor and child participants during CCPT treatment. Child participants received between 10 and 14 CCPT sessions in the elementary school setting. Participants and counselor wore Empatica© E4 wristbands during sessions to collect heart rate data continuously during play therapy sessions. The researchers found consistent, large child‐counselor heart rate synchrony levels across play therapy sessions. The researchers discuss the implications of this research for counselors and play therapists working with children impacted by ACEs.

Teacher professional development training: Utilizing child-centered play therapy skills in the classroom.

Teacher professional development training: Utilizing child-centered play therapy skills in the classroom.

Outdoor child-centered play therapy: A pilot study on outcomes.

Outdoor child-centered play therapy: A pilot study on outcomes.

Play Therapy for Improving Interaction and Communication in Autism: Systematic Review

Early childhood children use a play-based approach to learning, which includes elements of communication and interaction with the environment. Unfortunately, autistic children experience problems interacting and require special treatment. This research is a literature review and uses descriptive analysis techniques. Data was taken based on journals published in 2013–2023. The aim of writing this article is to identify play therapy methods applied by teachers and therapists to improve the development of interaction and communication in autistic children. The research results show that there are eight play therapy types that are applied to young autistic children. Play therapy consists of associative games, games with squishy media, Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), Short Play and Communication Evaluation (SPCE), games with flashcard media, group play, and symbolic games.

The Use of Child-Centered Play Therapy for Children Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse

The Use of Child-Centered Play Therapy for Children Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse

The effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. In this quasi-experimental study, using a randomized pretest, posttest, follow-up (RPPF) design with a control group, 24 children in the age range of 5-7 years were selected based on the cut off point of CSI-4 and were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control (n = 12 each). The experimental group underwent CCPT intervention for 12 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA. The results showed a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the symptoms of ODD (P < 0.05), so that CCPT intervention could reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Comparison of the scores of the evaluation stages showed that the symptoms were continuously decreasing in the experimental group in the 6-month follow-up. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that CCPT is an effective method to reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Therefore, it is recommended that this method be used for preschool children with ODD in educational institutions and psychological clinics.

The effectiveness of child-centered play therapy on behavior problems of children

This study aims to examine Child-Centered Play Therapy's effect on reducing behavioral problems in five- and six-year-old children living in Istanbul. The study was conducted with 20 children from socio-economically disadvantaged families. Families applied for support to a play therapy room established in a primary school. A pre-test and post-test control group design is used. Child-Centered Play Therapy sessions were implemented in the experimental group for eight weeks as individual sessions. Data due to the children's behavior problems were collected from parents via the “Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale” and the family pre-interview form. Mann Whitney-U Test and Wilcoxon Test analyzed data. Results of the experimental group (ingroup analyses) show a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of social competence, anger aggression, and anxiety withdrawal subscales, as hypothesized. However, analyses of between groups’ post-test comparisons show significant differences only in the social competence subscale. Between groups, post-test scores, comparisons of anger-aggression, and anxiety withdrawal subscales showed no significant differences. The results are discussed; additionally, observations of the researcher as a play therapist are presented.

Evaluation of a person‐centred psychotherapy programme for children with developmental disabilities and parents in disadvantaged families

AbstractBackgroundThe needs of parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) in disadvantaged families are frequently unmet by service providers. This service gap likely diminishes the therapeutic gains of children's treatment. Catering to the psychological needs of both children and parents is important. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of a person‐centred psychotherapy programme for children with DD and parents in disadvantaged families in reducing parenting stress and promoting positive children's behaviours.MethodFifteen parent–child dyads participated in a person‐centred psychotherapy programme consisting of eight 1‐hr child‐centred play therapy (CCPT) sessions and four 1‐hr person‐centred therapy (PCT) sessions. The parents completed a quantitative questionnaire before and after the programme.ResultsThe results indicated a significant reduction in children's conduct problems, with a large effect size, and in the levels of parental distress, parent–child dysfunctional interaction and difficulty in controlling their child's behaviours, with large effect sizes after the interventions.ConclusionsThis study provides positive evidence for the effectiveness of the person‐centred intervention programme. The results imply that individual humanistic therapy sessions are essential and effective to cater to parents' needs. Service providers can provide PCT to parents when delivering child services.

A Case Study of Child-centered Play Therapy for a Four-Year-Old Child with Circular Alopecia

This study is a case study of child-centered play therapy for a four-year-old child suffering from circular alopecia. It aims to analyze the play theme, and verify changes in psychological evaluation. The child received one year of hospital treatment for circular alopecia, which was relieved but recurred. In order to resolve the child’s psychosocial difficulties due to the recurrence, this case was referred to play therapy. In this study has found first, the themes of play manifested in the early stages were relationship, dependence, parenting, and mastery. In the 1st middle stage, the themes were relationship, dependence, mastery, parenting and anxiety appeared. Also in the 2nd middle stage, the themes of relationship, power and control, dependence, revenge, safety and security, mastery, parenting, protection were found. In the later stage, the themes of relationship, safety and security, mastery, parenting, integration, self-sufficiency, and resilience appeared. Second, child-centered play therapy was confirmed to provide positive changes as a result of psychological evaluations conducted before and after. The significance of this study is that after child-centered play therapy was performed on a four-year-old child suffering from circular alopecia, the play themes were analyzed and changes in psychological evaluation were confirmed.

Addressing Emotion Regulation with Children: Play, Verbalization of Feelings, and Reappraisal

ABSTRACT Emotion regulation difficulties are a central component of distress in childhood. The challenges children face in managing, understanding, and expressing difficult emotions can be addressed through a range of treatment approaches designed for school-aged children. Four therapies commonly used today – Child Centered Play Therapy, Mentalization Based Therapy for Children, Regulation Focused Therapy for Children, and Dialectic Behavior Therapy for Children – recognize the connection between behavior and emotion and the need to promote the child’s emotion regulation. In this paper we present a brief overview of each treatment and compare the ways in which they utilize play and employ reappraisal, a specific type of emotion regulation. Additionally, we highlight the centrality of verbalization of feelings across each of the four treatments. We propose that play, verbalization of feelings, and explicit and/or implicit reappraisal are common factors that promote emotion regulation in a wide range of psychotherapeutic approaches for children.

What works in the psychological treatment of child conduct problems? An umbrella review of meta-analytic studies

Conduct problems (CP) constitute a major field for child clinical psychology, in terms of not only prevalence, but also developmental, social, and clinical relevance. This study carried out an umbrella review of meta-analyses on the efficacy of treatment/indicated prevention of child CP (mean age range up to 12 years). Following a registered protocol, several databases (i.e., Web of Science, PsycINFO, PROSPERO, and The Cochrane Library) were searched for meta-analyses published from January 2002 to March 2022. Nine meta-analytic publications met the required criteria, and the main characteristics and findings of the studies were systematically described. Weighted effect sizes (ESs) were calculated through RStudio program. Analyses of heterogeneity, publication bias, quality (AMSTAR-2), and credibility were also conducted. Results indicate that parent training has been the most studied intervention, with a weighted ES of d = -0.49 (95% CI -.67 to -.32). The reviewed studies identified several moderators for the efficacy of parent training, including individual (severity of CP), family (financial disadvantage), and intervention (delivery format) characteristics. Results from child-centered play therapy were also analyzed, d = -.34 (95% CI -.40 to -.28), but the reduced number of meta-analyses and the weakness detected by quality assessment suggest the need of cautiously considering the pooled effects. In general, evidence seems to be suggestive of the efficacy of treatment of CP, particularly for parent training. Nevertheless, efficacy seems to be moderate, heterogeneity indexes are high, and quality assessments of meta-analyses are often suboptimal. This study suggests several avenues to strengthen knowledge in this field

Short-term child-centered play therapy for school-aged Filipino boys with externalizing problem behaviors.

Short-term child-centered play therapy for school-aged Filipino boys with externalizing problem behaviors.

Child-Centered Play Therapy and Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Single-Case Research Design

ABSTRACT Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to have long-term negative health impacts for adults and an increase in maladaptive behaviors in children exposed to ACEs. There are limited studies that explore effective interventions to support children exposed to ACEs. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) could be an appropriate intervention to assist children exposed to ACEs but needs more research. This study utilized an A-B-A single case research design with five participants. Participants completed 16 30-min CCPT sessions through the course of the study. Participants showed a decrease in externalized behaviors throughout the study that carried over after the intervention stopped. This study provides evidence that CCPT could be an effective intervention for counselors to utilize with children exposed to ACEs.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Psychosocial Interventions For 6-12-Year-Old Children Who Have Been Forcibly Displaced

<h3>Objective(s)</h3> To identify: 1)psychosocial interventions conducted in middle childhood with forcibly displaced children; 2) the methodological quality of included studies; 3)intervention effectiveness and 4)characteristics of the included interventions. <h3>Data Sources</h3> CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, and supplementary literature. Limitations were age, English language, and human participants. <h3>Study Selection</h3> Inclusion criteria: 1)mean age of participants was 5 years -12 years 11 months; 2)forced displacement of the participants due to war/persecution; 3)the study included a psychosocial intervention; 4)psychosocial outcome measures used. No restrictions on study design. Two reviewers assessed the abstracts. Nineteen studies were included. <h3>Data Extraction</h3> Forms were created, piloted, and modified. One author completed extraction. A second author was consulted over uncertainties until consensus was reached. Study designs were classified using the National Health and Medical Research Council Hierarchy of Evidence. Methodological quality was determined using the QualSyst appraisal checklist. Intervention approaches were categorised using ‘Who is Where When doing What' (4Ws) tool. Intervention effects were explored through meta-analysis. <h3>Data Synthesis</h3> Schools were the most common intervention setting, and teachers the most common intervention provider. Meta-analysis showed promising interventions were Narrative Exposure Therapy (moderate effect), and large effect sizes were found for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Child-Centred Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, creative interventions. Unstructured play or education alone produced negligible effects. Combined within-group intervention effect for all studies was moderate (z(17)= 5.89, p < .000, Hedge's g = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.50–1.00). Prediction interval mean effect size was 0.75 (95% CI=0.50–1.00). The combined between-group intervention effect for all studies was negligible, and not statistically significant (Z(5)= 1.32, p = .19, Hedge's g = 0.15, 95%CI = −0.07–0.37). The prediction interval mean effect size was 0.15 (95% CI=0.07-0.37). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Psychological-based activities demonstrated effectiveness for symptom reduction. Future interventions should include strengths-based approaches. Further research is required using randomised control designs, greater sample sizes, and longitudinal data. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

The effectiveness of child-centered play therapy for executive functions in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a practical and recommended non-medication intervention for children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but the mechanism in between is unclear. This study proposed to examine the effectiveness of CCPT on neuropsychological deficits and behavioral symptoms in ADHD. Participants with ADHD diagnosis were referred from senior child and adolescent psychiatrists, and typical developmental children (TD) were recruited from community as a control group. All participants' executive functions were evaluated using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. First of all, the participants were evaluated using Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by their parents. The ADHD participants were assigned into CCPT (ADHDc) and waitlist (ADHDw) group; and the ADHDc group then received CCPT weekly for 12 sessions, while the ADHDw continuously received their regular treatment (i.e., medication treatment or other alternative treatments) as usual. Total 52 participants were recruited (17 with ADHD and 35 typically developed children, TD). The results showed that overall the ADHD groups had worse neuropsychological performance and more behavioural disturbance than did the TD (ps < .05). After receiving the CCPT, the results showed that the ADHDc group had significant improvement in the cognitive flexibility (p < .05); while the ADHDw group had no changes.

A Case Study on Child-Centered Play Therapy in Children with Childhood Diabetes

본 연구는 소아당뇨가 있으며 가정에서 부적응적인 행동을 보이는 초등학교 2학년 여아의 놀이치료 사례연구이다. 아동은 소아당뇨로 인해 식습관 및 행동에 많은 제한을 받게 되면서 가정에서 짜증이 증가하였으며 거짓말을 자주 하고 가족의 돈을 훔치는 행동이 나타났다. 이에 따라 아동이 자신의 질병에 대한 불안감과 욕구 좌절에 따른 심리적 어려움을 표현하여 감소시키고 자기주도성을 충분히 경험하고 자신에 대한 가치감을 높일 수 있도록 비지시적인 아동중심 놀이치료를 실시하였다. 아동중심 놀이치료는 매회기 40분의 아동중심 놀이치료와 20분의 부모상담으로 구성하였으며 약 4개월 동안 주 1회, 총 15회기 실시하였다. 그리고 놀이주제의 변화를 파악해 보고 반구조화된 면담, 그림 투사검사, 모 상담의 사전사후 비교를 통해 아동의 변화를 살펴보았다. 그 결과 아동은 가정 내에서 짜증과 신경질을 부리는 횟수가 감소하였고, 돈을 훔치고 거짓말을 하는 행동이 없어지게 되었다. 또한 자신의 질병에 대한 불안감을 감소시키고 자신에 대한 긍정적 가치감을 표현하게 되었다. 본 연구는 소아당뇨로 인해 문제행동을 보이는 아동에게 아동중심 놀이치료가 실시되고 그에 따른 긍정적 변화를 다각적인 측면에서 살펴본 것에 의의가 있다.This study is a case study of play therapy for girl in the second grade of elementary school who suffer from childhood diabetes and show maladaptive behavior at home. Due to childhood diabetes, a girl has been subject to many restrictions on her diet and behaviors and has often become irritated often lied and stole family money. To improve the problem, the girl needed to express and reduce her anxiety about her illness. In addition, it was necessary to relieve stress from frustration. Therefore, a total of 15 child-centered play treatments consisting of 40 minutes of play treatment and 20 minutes of parent counseling were conducted once a week for about four months. Next, the changes in the themes of play were observed and investigated through pre-post comparisons such as semi-structured interviews, picture projection tests, and parent counseling. As a result, the girl was less annoyed at home, while stealing money and lying disappeared. The girl also reduced her anxiety about her illness and expressed positive values about herself. This study is meaningful in that child-centered play therapy is conducted on children who show problematic behavior due to childhood diabetes and the resulting positive changes were examined from various aspects.