International Journal of Play Therapy

Editorial.
As the editor for the past few years, I want to share some brief insights on what types of manuscripts are selected for publication and how to increase your chances of being published in the IJPT. First, I am highly interested in receiving manuscripts that advance play therapy as an evidence-based practice (EBP). I believe this is necessary to establish the legitimacy of play therapy to many who currently question the efficacy of play therapy. This requires randomized designs that are carefully analyzed. Of course, we want and will continue to publish other high quality manuscripts that are not designed to establish play therapy as an EBP, but we will give priority to those that do. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Two case studies of child-centered play therapy for children referred with highly disruptive behavior.
This article presents two cases with strong evidence measures in which child-centered play therapy (CCPT) was provided for children referred for highly disruptive behavior, including attention problems and aggression. Apparent progress was evidenced on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). One client had a waiting period equal to his treatment period in which ratings were stable before change across his treatment period. The cases provide opportunities to consider how CCPT may work differently for similar behavioral difficulties in individual children. Researchers conceptualized each client's areas of difficulty and apparent treatment effects as an expert panel, aided by indications from the TRF. Individual discussions are provided regarding rationales for apparent progress and why CCPT seemed to have been effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
An examination of empirically informed practice within case reports of play therapy with aggressive and oppositional children.
Play therapists often work with children described as oppositional and aggressive. Numerous models of play therapy have been put forth for working with children in this population; however, the current state of empirical literature examining play therapy does not allow for conclusions about which approach is most appropriate in which circumstances. Therefore, play therapy practices should be informed by empirical research in other fields that contribute to an understanding of factors that have been linked to the development and maintenance of behavior problems in children. The authors of the present study examined case examples of play therapy with aggressive or oppositional children given in play therapy literature in order to describe the therapeutic approaches utilized and the extent to which these approaches are consistent with empirical research. Descriptions of play therapy approaches within the case examples were found to be widely varied, both in the case conceptualizations and interventions as well as the extent to which clinical work appeared to be informed by relevant empirical research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Child parent relationship training: Parents' perceptions of process and outcome.
Child Parent Relationship Training (CPRT) is a play-based parent consultation model designed for children (ages 3–10) who may be struggling emotionally or behaviorally. CPRT aims to help parents develop empathy and appreciation for their children, increase parenting ability and confidence, and strengthen parent–child relationships. To date, the majority of CPRT studies have been quantitative in nature. There has been limited research on the effectiveness of CPRT using qualitative methodologies, but existing qualitative studies show promising results. The current study utilized an ethnographic approach to examine the acceptability and perceived effectiveness of CPRT. Findings indicated that the parents perceived the CPRT model to be both acceptable and effective (e.g., increased knowledge and confidence in parenting, enhanced parent–child communication, strengthened parent–child relationships, and reduced behavioral problems among child participants). Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
An exploration of experiences and preferences in clinical supervision with play therapists.
Clinical supervision plays a significant role in the counseling profession. Understanding and refining the supervisory process can foster development in the training of therapists in general and play therapists in particular, ultimately resulting in better mental health services for children. This study was designed to explore the experiences and preferences of play therapists in clinical supervision. Participants (N = 559) completed a Web-hosted survey that included items related to their current and preferred supervision experiences as well as a demographic questionnaire. A subset of the respondents (N = 238) completed questions related to their current supervision experiences. Findings suggest that: (a) a substantial number of participants were not receiving supervision for their work in play therapy, (b) supervisees prefer a combination of group and individual supervision, (c) supervisor professional identity as a play therapist and credential are salient supervisee preferences, and (d) compared to current supervision experiences, supervisee preferences had a noteworthy impact on practical significance demonstrated through large, moderate, and small effect sizes. Results from the study offer an opportunity for professionals to consider changes in how supervision is provided to therapists who work with children in play settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

International Journal of Play Therapy - Vol 19, Iss 3