The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2007 The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse Mary J. Roehrig Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Other Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Roehrig, Mary J., "The Use of Play Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse" (2007). Dissertations. 666. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/666 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. Andrews University School of Education THE USE OF PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Mary J. Roehrig April 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3261213 Copyright 2007 by Roehrig, Mary J. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3261213 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Mary J. Roehrig 2007 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE USE OF PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Mary J. Roehrig APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Chair: Nancy J. Carbonell Dean, School of Education James Jeffery Member: Jerome Member: Curtis VanderWaal fWA IS , £-007 Date approvedExternal Examiner: Susan Carter Date approvedExternal Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT THE USE OF PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE by Mary J. Roehrig Chair: Nancy J. Carbonell Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: THE USE OF PLAY THERAPY WITH ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE Name of researcher: Mary J. Roehrig Name and degree of faculty chair: Nancy J. Carbonell, Ph.D. Date completed: April 2007 Problem A growing trend among therapists is the use of play therapy interventions with adult clients to facilitate resolution of early childhood trauma and to promote emotional and spiritual growth. The purpose of this study was to explore the use and effectiveness of play therapy techniques with adult survivors of childhood abuse. Method In an exploratory approach, therapists were invited to participate in an online survey. Of the participating therapists, 21 agreed to a subsequent in-depth interview. The Theme Analysis for Word-Rich Data was used to identify themes from the interviews. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Results Play therapy with adult survivors of childhood abuse was used by 64.9% of the participating therapists in this study. Common techniques used in treating adult survivors were: (a) journaling, (b) sand tray, (c) art, (d) anger management, (e) imagery, (f) role play, and (g) humor. A categorization according to intent or goal of therapy was noted. When the intent was to express feelings, the art and sandplay techniques predominated. When the purpose was to manage anger, more physical activities were suggested. Therapists were asked to rate the effectiveness of play therapy with adult survivors. On a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 - Very effective and 1 =Ineffective, 81% of the participants selected either a 4 or 5, with the mode and median both being 5Very = effective. In a process called Theme Analysis for Word-Rich Data, six themes emerged from analysis of the qualitative interviews. These were: (a) non-threatening, therapeutic environment, (b) therapist characteristics, (c) successful techniques, (d) developmental perspective, (e) justification for using play therapy, and (f) spirituality. These six themes became the building blocks for the proposed therapy model presented in this study. Conclusions Results from this study suggest that play therapy is an effective approach in treating adult survivors. Further exploration is needed to formalize this approach and to empirically test its effectiveness. A conceptual model for practice is presented within this study to include (a) suggestions for therapist academic and practicum preparation; (b) suggested techniques; and (c) guidelines for theory development. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................. viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem........................................................................ 4 Purpose of the Study............................................................................... 5 Research Questions................................................................................. 5 Significance of the Study........................................................................ 6 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................. 7 Psychoanalytical Theory ...................................................................... 7 The Work of Virginia Axline................................................................ 9 Cognitive-Behavioral Theory................................................................ 10 Definition of Terms................................................................................... 11 Delimitations.............................................................................................. 16 Limitations................................................................................................ 17 Organization of the Dissertation.............................................................. 17 Summary of Chapter 1 ............................................................................. 18 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE...................................................................... 19 Play Therapy With Children.................................................................... 19 Historical Perspective............................................................................. 19 Play Therapy Guidelines and Techniques............................................. 23 Biological.............................................................................................. 24 Intrapersonal......................................................................................... 25 Interpersonal......................................................................................... 25 Sociocultural......................................................................................... 25 Directive vs. Non-Directive Play Therapy........................................... 26 Related Play Therapy Modalities............................................................ 27 Play Therapy With Adults.......................................................................... 28 Long-term Effects of Sexual Abuse......................................................... 31 Current Treatment Modalities.................................................................... 32 Research on Adult Survivors.................................................................... 34 Summary of Chapter 2 ............................................................................... 37 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................... 39 Introduction................................................................................................ 39 Design.........................................................................................................

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