stepped into my own shoes as a play therapist. These shoes are such a comfortable fit; I do not ever want to take them off.

Questions for Tracking Your Path to Becoming a Play Therapist The following questions can be useful for tracking your journey to becoming a play therapist: • What was your childhood experience of play? How has your childhood play experience contributed to your practice of play therapy?

• What professional experiences preceded your work as a play therapist? What did you learn from other experiences that inform your practice of play therapy?

• What books about play therapy were of special significance? • Who were the people who inspired you?

After taking a backward look, can you identify areas for future growth?

References Axline, V. M. (1967). Dibs in search of self. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

Bolton, G. (2010). Reflective practice: Writing for professional development (3rd ed.). London, UK: Sage.

Campbell, J. M. (2000). Becoming an effective supervisor: A workbook for counselors and psychotherapists. New York, NY: Routledge Taylor & Francis.

Campbell, M. M., & Knoetz, J. J. (2010). Play as a therapeutic process in child-centered play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 19(4), 222-234. doi: 10.1037/a0021030

Crenshaw, D. A., & Kenney-Noziska, S. (2014). Therapeutic presence in play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 23(1), 31-43. doi: 10.1037/a0021030

Florey, L. (1976). Development through play. In C. E. Schaefer (Ed.), Therapeutic use of child’s play (pp. 61-70). New York, NY: Jason Aronson.

Frank, L. K. (1976). Validity of play. In C. E. Schaefer (Ed.), Therapeutic use of child’s play (pp. 71-77). New York, NY: Jason Aronson.

Higgins-Klein, D. (2013). Mindfulness-based play-family therapy: Theory and practice. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

Holt, J. (1982). How children learn. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley. (Original work published 1967)

Kenney-Noziska, S. G., Schaefer, C. E., & Homeyer, L. E. (2012). Beyond directive or nondirective: Moving the conversation forward. International Journal of Play Therapy, 21(4), 244- 251. doi: 10.1037/a0028910

About the Author B. Allegra Magrisso, LCSW, RPT owns and operates a private practice for children and families in Evanston, Illinois. Her graduate work focused upon infant and parent development and she has authored a children’s picture book titled When Sarah Laughed. allegramagrisso@yahoo.com

www.a4pt.org September 2014 | PLAYTHERAPY 15