Description

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Building a safe, accepting, and freeing relationship with a child in the play therapy experience is considered to be essential by practicing play therapists and all theoretical approaches to play therapy. A Practical Handbook for Building the Play Therapy Relationship is designed for practitioners, students, and play therapy supervisors who want a practical approach for learning or teaching the fundamental skills of building a therapeutic relationship in play therapy. It provides a step-by-step approach from structuring the play therapy session to therapeutic limit setting to termination-closure. This book involves the reader in learning and applying these key skills and is a must for practitioners and students of the play therapy process.

About the Author

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Maria A. Giordano, Ph.D., LMHC, RPT, is founder and director of the Parents Play Connection, an educational play program that helps parents learn skills to enhance their child's social-emotional and cognitive development. She is a former assistant professor in the Counselor Education department at Stetson University. Garry L. Landreth, Ed.D., LPC, RPT-S, is a Regents Professor in the Department of Counseling, Development and Higher Education at the University of North Texas and founder of the Center for Play Therapy, the largest play therapy training program in the world. Dr. Landreth is internationally known for his writing and work in promoting play therapy and was presented the prestigious Virginia Axline Distinguished Professional Award for his work in conceptualizing and advancing the child-centered approach to play therapy. Leslie D. Jones, Ph.D., LPC, RPT is a national certified counselor and a registered play therapist. She has over eight years of clinical experience in both agency and school settings. In 2001, she began teaching at the University of Central Florida as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program. Her area of specialization is play and filial therapy.