The effectiveness of play therapy: Responding to the critics

Abstract

Notes that play therapy has long been criticized for a lack of adequate research base to prove its efficacy. For 6 decades, while play therapists conducted small research studies, critics challenged the utility and efficacy of play therapy as a viable psychotherapy intervention. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of 94 research studies focusing on the efficacy of play therapy, filial therapy, and combined play therapy and filial therapy. The following electronic databases were used in the authors 3-yr search for studies on play therapy: PsycLit, PsycINFO, ERIC, FirstSearch, and Dissertation Abstracts. Meta-analysis revealed a large positive effect on treatment outcomes with children. Play therapy appeared effective across modality, age, gender, clinical vs nonclinical populations, setting, and theoretical schools of thought. Additionally, positive play therapy effects were found to be greatest when there was parent involvement in treatment and an optimal number of sessions provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Full text

International Journal
of
Play Therapy, 10
(1),
pp. 85 -108 Copyright
2001,
APT, Inc.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PLAY
THERAPY: RESPONDING TO THE
CRITICS
Dee
Ray
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Sue Bratton
Tammy Rhine
Leslie Jones
University of North Texas
Abstract: Play therapy has long been criticized
for a
lack
of
adequate research
base
to
prove
its
efficacy. For
6
decades,
while play therapists conducted small
research
studies, critics challenged
the
utility
and
efficacy
of
play therapy
as a
viable psychotherapy intervention.
The
purpose
of
this study
was to
conduct
a
meta-analysis
of
94 research studies focusing
on the
efficacy
of
play therapy,
filial therapy,
and
combined play therapy
and
filial therapy. Meta-analysis
revealed
a
large positive effect
on
treatment outcomes with children. Play
therapy appeared effective across modality, age, gender, clinical
vs.
nonclinical
populations, setting,
and
theoretical schools
of
thought. Additionally, positive
play therapy effects were found
to be
greatest when there
was
parent
involvement
in
treatment and an optimal number of sessions
provided.
Proving
the
effectiveness
of any
therapeutic intervention
is
essential
to the
acceptance
of
that intervention
as a
potential treatment
Dee Ray, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, RPT-S, Assistant Professor
in
the Department
of
Counseling
at
Texas
A&M
University-Commerce, Commerce,
TX. Sue
Bratton, Ph.D.,
LPC,
RPT-S,
Associate Professor
and
Clinical Director
in the
Department
of
Counseling, Development,
and Higher Education
at
the University
of
North Texas, Denton,
TX.
Tammy Rhine, Ph.D.,
Graduate Assistant
in the
Department
of
Counseling
at the
University
of
North Texas.
Leslie Jones, Ph.D., Graduate Assistant
in the
Department
of
Counseling
at the
University
of North Texas.
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