| Summary: | "Here is the first book on group play-therapy. It is a practical book, giving the reader clear descriptions of play-therapy techniques and the rationales which support them. In dealing with problems, the emphasis is on concreteness; in suggesting solutions, the stress is on specificity. The book grew out of the author's years of experience as a child therapist and as a supervisor and teacher of child therapy and group therapy. The need for such a book became apparent to the author in the many courses and workshops that he conducted for psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Many of the participants revealed a sounder knowledge of theory than of practice. The participants, aware of their discrepancies, asked direct questions and insisted on direct answers. The workshops and courses were therefore practice-oriented; so also is the book. Readers will be delighted by the style and the substance of the book, by its clarity of language and wealth of specific detail. The book provides a theoretical framework for group play-therapy. It offers criteria for: the selection and grouping of children; the obtaining of differential diagnosis through play observation; and the selection of toys and materials for younger and older children. The book proposes and discusses solutions for many of the problems likely to arise during the course of play-therapy. It offers a consistent rationale for the use of limits in play-therapy. It discusses the training requirements and personality traits of the effective child therapist. It reviews the available research on play-therapy and reports on novel pre-intake screening methods designed to expedite service in mental health clinics. It describes the organization and application of child-centered group guidance for parents. Much of the subject matter has never been covered before. Many of the concepts and procedures of the book, though elucidated in terms of group therapy, apply equally well to individual therapy. While the concepts are derived from psychoanalytic theory, the procedures are designed to meet the specific needs of children"--Jacket. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
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