PLAY THERAPISTS REPORT THEIR MOST USEFUL PUPPETS
CHARLES E. SCHAEFER, PH.D., RPT-S Top Ten Puppets
The respondents most often reported the following puppets to be especially useful in their practice. The top ten puppets are listed in descending order, along with the views of the respondents about why these puppets have proved so popular.
10. Wizard (8%)
“It lets them play out wish fulfillment fantasies and master things in fantasy that they cannot do in reality, but feel some success and resolution in doing so.”
“Children use his magical powers to make things better in their life.”
“For its magical ability.” 9. Snake (12%)
What puppet(s) have you found most useful in play therapy, and why?
I recently sought the answer to this question by surveying 100 experienced play therapists across the country. All respondents were members of the Association for Play Therapy and almost all had Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) or Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credentials. The 50 respondents to the survey (40 females; 10 males) were from 20 different states and represented the following disciplines: Counseling - 34%, Social Work - 26%, Psychology - 24%, Marriage & Family Therapy - 14%, and Psychiatry - 2%. A total of 48% of the respondents had doctorate degrees.
“Helps children address issues of anger, danger, and even feelings of safety since as a snake one can easily hide and sneak around others.” “To express having power in a situation.” “Perfect for aggressive play.”
“I had a girl who used the snake as a central part of sexual abuse disclosure
8. Alligator (16%)
“Helps children who are anxious or cautious express their aggression by telling a story with the alligator.”
“I really love the alligator puppet with a mouth that zips and unzips… it is a powerful tool for children with selective mutism, as well as being a tool for helping children begin to externalize heavy thoughts and feelings they carry - including unsafe secrets.”
COMMENTS BY CLINICAL EDITOR: A list of play therapists’ top 10 most useful puppets
25 PLAYTHERAPY | September 2017 |
www.a4pt.org
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