REVIEW Working with Parents in Play Therapy:


A Resource Guide for Play Therapists By Ahou V. Line Routledge, 2026 ISBN-13: 978-1032802596


Working with Parents in Play Therapy: A Resource Guide for Play Therapists presents a comprehensive framework for effectively engaging caregivers throughout the play therapy process. Emphasizing parent involvement as critical to the positive therapeutic outcomes, the book draws on research and clinical practice to illustrate how play therapists build collaborative relationship through consultation, psychoeducation, and ongoing communication.


The text explores theoretical, ethical, and precritical considerations for parent engagement across various play therapy approaches. It reviews evidence demonstrating that caregiver involvement strengthens therapeutic alliances, improves treatment adherence, reduces attrition, and enhances child outcomes. It also addresses barriers to engagement, including therapist self-doubt, commination challenges, countertransference, and limited professional training, while encouraging increased self-awareness and cultural humility.


Key concepts include understanding parent perspectives, strengthening


the parent-therapist alliance, and using structured consultation models that support caregivers while maintaining the child’s central role in treatment. The author emphasizes transparency, collaboration, and 


        recommendations for conducing parent consultations, fostering caregiver engagement, and integrating family systems into treatment planning to improve outcomes for children, caregivers, and the therapeutic process.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Alec Bustos, MSW, MEd, LCSW, is a First-Generation Latinx therapist in private practice, licensed in Nevada and California. Fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language, he specializes in children and teens facing trauma, depression, anxiety, and neurodivergence, and is passionate about collaborating with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ families. bustoshalec@gmail.com





  


 


      


  





    


    


   8 | PLAYTHERAPY | September 2026 | www.a4pt.org


 


 


  


 


 





 


 


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