Play Therapy Interventions to Enhance Resilience

"What an amazing book! This book reflects the belief that all children can rebound from significant setbacks, and the best way to reach them is through their hands and their hearts, making play therapy the ideal treatment modality. Rather than seeking to ameliorate symptoms, the practitioners in this book aspire to find, nurture, and expand children‘s ‘islands of competence.‘ Even play therapists who have been practicing for years will learn a great deal from the resilience perspective. Chapter 1 alone is worth the price of the entire book."--Maurice J. Elias, PhD, Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey "A timely and impressive book that guides practitioners and students to use play as a mechanism to promote resilience in children. Helping young people develop a resilient mindset will equip them with the skills necessary to overcome bullying, grief, loss, trauma, and other adversities. The chapters are all written from a strengths-based perspective. I recommend this book for courses in school psychology, child clinical psychology, school counseling, and school social work. It is an indispensable tool for graduate students learning to conduct play therapy with children and a ‘must-have‘ addition to the bookshelf of any child clinician."--Susan M. Swearer, PhD, Willa Cather Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln "The volume provides readers an opportunity to see how expert play therapists foster hope and resilience in the lives of children who have experienced trauma and other adversities. It will appeal not only to seasoned clinicians with an interest in play therapy, but also to graduate students and interns. I am grateful to the expert editors and contributors for this valuable resource."--Mark Katz, PhD, Learning Development Services, San Diego, California "Provides unique and valuable methods to harness the protective factors so vital for resilience. The book builds an excellent bridge between theory and practice."--Jack A. Naglieri, PhD, Research Professor, University of Virginia; Senior Research Scientist, Devereux Center for Resilient Children