British Journal of Play Therapy Vol

British Journal of Play Therapy Vol. 10 (2014) ABSTRACTS pp 6-19 CHILD PARENT RELATIONSHIP THERAPY: A MODEL FOR PREADOLESCENTS Kristin K. Meany-Walen University of Northern Iowa, USA Kara Carnes Holt University of Wyoming, USA Peggy Ceballos & Emily Michero University of North Texas, USA Despite the need for independence that characterises the preadolescent stage, preadolescents’ healthy development relies strongly on the security of their relationship with their parents (Jacobs & Bleeker, 2003; Papalia, 2007). This article proposes a model of Child- Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) that can be used with parents of preadolescents, ages 9-13. The authors provide an overview of the importance of the parent-child relationship for preadolescents; key developmental components; and propose specific modifications for each of the 10 CPRT sessions. Keywords: child-parent relationship therapy, preadolescents, filial pp 20-36 FILIAL PLAY WITH SOCIALLY EXCLUDED IRISH FAMILIES: EFFICACY AND BARRIERS TO INTERVENTION Cóilín Ó Braonáin & Claire W. Lyons Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland A pilot study was conducted to ascertain if cultural differences would impede the efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) with Irish socially and economically disadvantaged parents (Landreth & Bratton, 2006). The authors hypothesised that socio-economic cultural differences might impede the training and the study sought to identify any such factors. A quasi-experimental mixed methods approach was used to ascertain the efficacy of training and subjective reasons for non-compliance respectively. Quantitative results were mixed, with the main effects non-significant, although one sub-scale concerning parental perceptions of their children as unique persons reached significance. A Pearson’s correlation indicated that those parents who completed training experienced fewer child problems and greater empathy towards their children, albeit the correlation fell just short of statistical significance (p = .07). Of eight participants only three completed the training and no participant was present for all training sessions. Qualitative data suggested that authoritarian parenting beliefs created resistance to Rogerian child-centred CPRT. Parents also demonstrated poor self-esteem and expectations of negative evaluation by other group members, possibly due to issues of self- concept. Furthermore, parents may have expected more immediate results as might be the case in a behaviourally oriented programme. Further research could explore the possibility of shame-proneness as the underlying cause of apparent esteem deficits. Keywords: CPRT, empathy, disadvantage, self-concept, shame-proneness. pp 38-50 THE ACCEPTABILITY OF ‘THE CHRONIC ILLNESS GAME’ AS A THERAPEUTIC BOARD GAME TOOL FOR USE WITH CHILDREN Marijeta Kurtin, Anna Chur-Hansen & Helen Winefield The University of Adelaide, South Australia Therapeutic board games have been utilised for the past two decades to assist children and adolescents with a range of psychosocial problems. Despite growing popularity and interest, the therapeutic value and the acceptability of board games, as perceived by psychologists, parents and children, has not been empirically evaluated. This exploratory pilot study investigates The Chronic Illness Game – a therapeutic board game designed for use with children with a history of chronic illness. Six pairs of psychologists (N =12) were invited to participate in video-recorded game-play sessions to investigate their perceived appropriateness of The Chronic Illness Game, and how effective they considered it might be in facilitating the disclosure of negative illness-related experiences. The Chronic Illness Game in its current format was deemed not appropriate or effective. A series of recommendations from psychologists about how best to modify this game are presented. Keywords: therapeutic board game, therapy tools, children, chronic illness, play therapy