Play therapy: the children's views

Carroll, J. (2002). Play therapy: the children's views. CHILD AND FAMILY SOCIAL WORK. 7, 177-188.

A qualitative study on children's reactions to non-directive play therapy. Interview questions pertained to how the children felt about their introduction to play therapy, their relationship with the therapist, the therapeutic processes, their likes and dislikes in therapy, and the termination of their therapy. Children's responses varied greatly, but several basic themes emerged. Notably, while children universally enjoyed their relationship with the therapist greatly, they were largely unable to pinpoint what aspects of the therapist's behavior were most helpful. The children appreciated the provisions of food at the beginning of therapy and described their sessions as being importantly "fun". Many seemed to dislike explicit "talking about their feelings". This is a truly fascinating project, but unfortunately only a small sample size was acquired. More research on this is needed.