Child-Centered Play Therapy Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT): Theory, Research, and Practice Sue C. Bratton, Dee C. Ray, Natalya A. Edwards and Garry Landreth University of North Texas, USA Abstract. Beginning with the groundbreaking work of Virginia Axline in the 1940s, nondirective/child- centered/person-centered play therapy has been recognized as a developmentally responsive therapeutic intervention for children that utilizes play, children’s natural means of expression. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT), the term used in North America, is founded on the belief that, just as adults, children possess within themselves the ability to make meaning of their experiences and solve their own problems. This article provides an overview of the theory and practice of child-centered play therapy (CCPT), including research to support its effectiveness. Keywords: play therapy, child-centered, nondirective, person-centered theory, child therapy Kindzentrierte Spieltherapie (CCPT): Theorie, Forschung, Praxis Seit der bahnbrechenden Arbeit von Virginia Axline in den 1940-er Jahren ist die nicht-direktive/ kindzentrierte/personzentrierte Spieltherapie als ein therapeutisches Verfahren anerkannt, das bei Kindern die Entwicklung fördert. Es ist ein Verfahren, welches das Spiel, das natürliche Ausdrucksmittel von Kindern, nutzt. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT), der in Amerika verwendete Begriff, beruht auf der Überzeugung, dass Kinder genau wie Erwachsene die Fähigkeit besitzen, ihren Erfahrungen Bedeutung zu geben und ihre eigenen Probleme zu lösen. Dieser Artikel liefert einen Überblick zur Theorie und Praxis Kindzentrierter Spieltherapie einschliesslich der Forschung, die ihre Effektivität aufzeigt. Terapia de Juego Centrada en el Niño (TJCN): Teoría, Investigación y Práctica Comenzando con el trabajo innovador de Virginia Axline en los años 40, la terapia de juego no directiva/ centrada en el niño/centrada en la persona, ha sido reconocida como una intervención terapéutica para Author Note. Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), based on person-centered theory, is the term used in North America. The terms nondirective play therapy, client-centered play therapy, person-centered child therapy are used elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Europe to describe this approach. Because the authors practice in the USA following the principles and procedures of CCPT (Landreth, 2002), the term CCPT will be used throughout. Literature reviewed was limited to English language publications. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sue C. Bratton, Center for Play Therapy, Department of Counseling and Higher Education, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #310829, Denton, TX 76203, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 266 Person-Centered and Experiential© Psychotherapies, Bratton, Ray, Edwards, Volume & 8, Landreth Number 1477-9757/09/04266-16 4 Bratton, Ray, Edwards, and Landreth niños que responde al desarrollo y utiliza el juego, medio natural de expresión de los niños. La terapia de juego centrada en el niño (TJCN), el término utilizado en América del Norte, se basa en la creencia de que, al igual que los adultos, los niños poseen dentro de ellos mismos la capacidad de extraer significado de sus experiencias y resolver sus propios problemas. Este artículo brinda una visión general de la teoría y práctica de la terapia de juego centrada en el niño (TJCN), e incluye investigaciones que apoyan su eficacia. La Thérapie par le Jeu Centrée sur l’Enfant : Théorie, Recherche et Pratique Depuis le travail fondamental de Virginia Axline dans les années 1940, la thérapie par le jeu non-directive/ centrée sur l’enfant/centrée sur la personne est reconnue comme un type d’intervention thérapeutique qui utilise le jeu, en tenant compte du développement de l’enfant, et comme moyen d’expression naturel pour les enfants. La thérapie par le jeu centrée sur l’enfant, (child-centered play therapy, CCPT), terme utilisé en Amérique du Nord, est fondée sur la croyance suivante. Comme pour l’adulte, l’enfant possède en lui-même la capacité de donner sens à ses expériences et de résoudre ses propres problèmes. Cet article fournit une vision de l’ensemble de la théorie et de la pratique de la thérapie par le jeu centrée sur l’enfant, ainsi que la recherche qui prouve son efficacité. Ludoterapia Centrada na Criança (LTCC): Teoria, Investigação e Prática Tendo tido início com o trabalho inovador de Virginia Axline na década de 1940, a ludoterapia não directiva centrada na criança/na pessoa foi reconhecida como uma intervenção terapêutica responsiva em termos do desenvolvimento da criança, recorrendo ao jogo, o seu meio natural de expressão. A Ludoterapia centrada na criança (LTCC), designação usada na América do Norte, encontra sustentação na crença de que, tal como os adultos, também as crianças possuem no seu interior a capacidade para atribuirem significado às suas experiências e para resolverem os seus problemas. Este artigo fornece uma visão geral da teoria e da prática da Ludoterapia centrada na criança (LTCC), incluindo investigação que suporta a sua eficácia. ሶߤ߽ਛᔃㆆᚨ≮ᴺ &&37 ߦ㑐ߔࠆ⎇ⓥޔℂ⺰ޔታ〣ߩ⚫੺ ᐕઍߩࠕࠢࠬ࡜ࠗࡦߩ⚛᥍ࠄߒ޿ታ〣ࠍ⊹ಾࠅߦޔ㕖ᜰ␜⊛㧛ሶߤ߽ਛᔃ㧛ੱ㑆ਛᔃߩㆆᚨ≮ᴺ ߇ሶߤ߽ߦኻߔࠆᴦ≮⊛ߥ੺౉ᣇᴺߣߒߡ⹺߼ࠄࠇߡ߈ߚޕߘࠇߪޔሶߤ߽ߩ⊒㆐ߦᔕߓߚ੺౉ᣇᴺߢ ޽ࠅޔㆆ߮ߣ޿߁ሶߤ߽ߦߣߞߡ⥄ὼߥ⥄Ꮖ⴫⃻ߩᣇᴺࠍᵴ↪ߔࠆ≮ᴺߢ޽ࠆޕሶߤ߽ਛᔃㆆᚨ≮ᴺ &&37 ߣߪޔਥߦർ☨ߦ߅޿ߡ૶↪ߐࠇߡ޿ࠆ↪⺆ߢ޽ࠅޔሶߤ߽߽ᄢੱߣห᭽ߦޔ⥄りߩ⚻㛎ࠍᗧ๧ࠍ ⚜߉಴ߒޔ໧㗴ࠍ⸃᳿ߢ߈ࠆജࠍ᦭ߒߡ޿ࠆߣ޿߁ା᧦ߦၮߠ޿ߡ޿ࠆޕߎߩ⺰ᢥߢߪޔሶߤ߽ਛᔃㆆᚨ ≮ᴺ &&37 ߩℂ⺰߅ࠃ߮ታ〣ࠍ᭎ⷰߒޔߎߩࠕࡊࡠ࡯࠴ߩ᦭ലᕈࠍ␜ߔ⎇ⓥࠍ⚫੺ߔࠆޕ Identifying early mental health interventions tailored to the unique maturational needs of children is a growing concern in the United States (New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003; U.S. Public Health Service, 2000) and in other countries (Wilson & Ryan, 2002). For over six decades play therapy has been in use as a developmentally responsive approach to treating a wide range of children’s presenting concerns (Bratton & Ray, 2000) and more recently, acknowledged as an effective treatment modality (Bratton, Ray, Rhine, & Jones, 2005). The use of play in therapy is based on the principle that children are best understood from a developmental perspective (Wilson & Ryan, 2005), and from a CCPT perspective, is necessary in order for the therapist to create optimal therapeutic conditions for the child. Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, Volume 8, Number 4 267 Child-Centered Play Therapy RATIONALE FOR PLAY THERAPY Play is fundamental to children’s emotional, social and cognitive growth (Piaget, 1962) by offering the ability to fully express concrete and symbolic experiences encountered by the child. Uniquely human, the pretend play of children represents their efforts to make sense of their experiences (Irwin, 1983). Landreth (2002) further emphasized that children use play as their natural form of communication with fellow children and adults. Within the context of play, children are able to express themselves, using the play materials, much in the same way adults use words (Landreth, 2002). Play allows children to communicate to self and others, learn, master new tasks, practice adult responsibilities, make meaning of their experiences, and possibly work through traumatic events (Gil & Drewes, 2005). Through play therapy, the therapist is allowed the opportunity to enter into the child’s experience as it is played out. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT Historical use of play therapy was rooted in psychoanalytic schools of thought. Anna Freud (1928) and Melanie Klein (1932) have been traditionally acknowledged as the developers of play therapy. In order to apply analytical approaches to their work with children, they used play to replace verbalized free association. In David Levy’s (1939) ‘Release Therapy’ and Gove Hambidge’s (1955) structured techniques, the therapist took a more directive role, using the toys and play materials to stimulate catharsis. However, child-centered play therapy (CCPT) emerged from the person-centered philosophy of Carl Rogers (1942). Rogers’ belief that each person’s drive for self-actualization gives the capacity for positive self-growth extended not only to adults, but to children. Virginia Axline (1947), a student of Rogers, used her belief in children’s ability to self-heal and solve their own problems to apply nondirective techniques to play therapy. Her research and writing in the 1940s and 1950s positioned play therapy as a viable treatment modality for children and paved the way for additional developments in the field. Clark Moustakas (1953), Haim Ginott (1961), Louise Guerney (2000) and Garry Landreth (2002) built on Axline’s (1947) work and popularized what has come to be known as child-centered play therapy (CCPT) in North America. The terms “nondirective play therapy” or “person- centered/client-centered play therapy” are more commonly used in the United Kingdom, Germany and other parts of Europe (Goetze & Jaede, 1974; West, 1996; Wilson & Ryan, 2005) and are used to explain the same underlying belief systems and basic procedures used in CCPT. Another major development in the field of CCPT was training parents and other significant caregivers in the principles and procedures of CCPT to use with their own children (Guerney, 1964). Bernard and Louise Guerney developed this innovative approach in the early 1960s based on their belief that by training and supervising parents to use CCPT skills in special play times with their children, the potential for long-term change was enhanced. The use of filial 268 Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, Volume 8, Number 4 Bratton, Ray, Edwards, and Landreth therapy approaches by clinicians