Children ages 6-12 undergo major developmental changes. During this period, known as middle childhood, they develop a more advanced sense of self, emotion regulation skills, and self-confidence. They become less dependent on their parents and learn to form connections with peers. They also learn to follow rules and reach achievements through sustained effort. Because of these social, emotional, and cognitive developments, play therapy with these children looks different than with younger children. This book helps therapists provide developmentally appropriate, effective play therapy for children in middle childhood. It presents a broad range of play interventions, showing how play therapy can be used with school-age children and their parents to address internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, relational deficits, and autism spectrum disorder. For each intervention presented, the authors explain the theory and research supporting it and provide an illustrative case example. Readers will learn to choose treatment goals and strategies that are informed by the child's developmental needs.
About the Author: Athena A. Drewes, PsyD, MA, RPT-S, is director of clinical training and of the APA-accredited predoctoral internship program at Astor Services for Children & Families, where she also serves as a clinician specializing in complex trauma with foster care children.
Dr. Drewes is a licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist, and registered play therapist supervisor. She is past director of the Association for Play Therapy, founder and past president of the New York branch of the Association for Play Therapy, and renowned national and international speaker and presenter. She is author, editor, and coeditor of 10 play therapy books, as well as numerous journal and magazine articles and presentations. She is currently adjunct professor, Western Connecticut State University, Danbury.
Charles E. Schaefer, PhD, RPT-S, is professor emeritus of psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hackensack, NJ. He is cofounder and director emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy.
Dr. Schaefer is a renowned author and editor of more than 60 books and 100 research articles. Among his recent play therapy books are The Therapeutic Powers of Play (2nd ed.), Foundations of Play Therapy (2nd ed.), Empirically Based Play Interventions for Children (2nd ed.), and Play Therapy for Preschool Children.
Dr. Schaefer is founder of the International Play Therapy Study Group, which meets regularly in Wroxton, England. He maintains a private practice for children at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack, New Jersey.
