Play Therapy (APT) members are already fully licensed in their respective mental health disciplines (88%) and, therefore, seek play therapy training membership having obtained the RPT/S or School Based-Registered Play Therapist (SB-RPT) credentials (K. Lebby, personal communication, February 25, 2019).
Interdisciplinarity adds thought diversity and
many professions involved in the initial foundational training may make (Ashby & Clark, 2014; Peabody & Schaefer, 2016). Therefore, we believe a supporting evidence, and highlighting foundational content.
One foundational educational content area that we feel is essential to all play therapists, even preceding theoretical content, is a deep understanding of the therapeutic powers of play. Briefly, the therapeutic powers of play are the mechanisms in play that actually produce the desired change in a client’s dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors (Schaefer & Peabody, 2016). Indeed, the prominence of these of Play Therapy (APT, n.d). Just as an in-depth understanding of child development is foundational to play therapy, we argue that training in the therapeutic powers of play creates an understanding of why and
how play creates therapeutic change. We believe this foundational knowledge is a pre-condition to effective clinical decision making and treatment planning. Furthermore, we believe the therapeutic powers of play should be listed as one of the required core content areas of study in APT’s credentialing application for becoming an RPT/S or an SB-RPT, so that play therapists demonstrate full understanding of how play is the active force producing change that leads to positive treatment outcomes, regardless of theoretical orientation or preferred play therapy approach (e.g., directive, nondirective, combination).
based upon a review of the literature and play therapists’ clinical experiences. Later the list was expanded and revised to include 20 core therapeutic powers of play (e.g., Schaefer & Drewes, 2014). Based on following four categories: facilitates communication, fosters emotional wellness, enhances social relationships, and increases personal strengths (Schaefer & Drewes, 2014, see Figure 1). We encourage readers to explore each of these powers in depth and to receive ongoing training and supervision in how and when to apply therapeutic powers in their dynamic and ever-evolving, we believe this list of 20 is not exhaustive, review (Drewes & Schaefer, 2016).
• Self expression • Access to the unconscious • Direct teaching • Indirect teaching
FacilitatesFacilitates communication communication
Fosters emotional wellness
Fosters emotional wellness
• Catharsis • Abreaction • Positive emotions
• Counterconditioning fears
• Stress inoculation • Stress management
• Creative problem solving
• Resiliency • Moral development
• Accelerated psychological development • Self-regulation • Self-esteem
Increases personal strengths
Increases personal strengths
Enhances social
Enhances social
relationshipsrelationships
• Therapeutic relationship
• Attachment • Social competence • Empathy
Figure 1. The 20 therapeutic powers of play. Graphic adapted and reprinted with permission from Dr. Judi Parson, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
www.a4pt.org | September 2019 | PLAYTHERAPY | 5
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