The Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children

Front Cover
Guilford Press, Mar 16, 1991 - Psychology - 210 pages
This book describes how therapists can both facilitate constructive play therapy and intervene in posttraumatic play to help children who have been traumatized by abuse or neglect achieve a positive resolution. Traditional techniques of play therapy are reviewed for their application to this population. Throughout, numerous therapeutic aids are described to enhance the child's capacity to communicate verbally or symbolically. To help clinicians translate theory into daily practice, the book presents six detailed clinical vignettes of trauma from among different types of abuse or neglect, including severe parental neglect, sexual abuse, neglect compounded by hospitalization, and one case features a child suffering from multiple personality disorder. Presenting step-by-step guidelines for assessment and intervention, these cases clearly illustrate treatment planning and how to tailor responses to the particular child.
 

Contents

Treatment Issues
1
MEDIATORS IN THE EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE
3
THE IMPACT OF CHILD ABUSE
7
CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS
12
THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA
19
Application in Work with Abused Children
26
THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PLAY THERAPY
28
THE TECHNIQUES OF CHILD THERAPY
34
A Child with Multiple Traumas
127
CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS
129
THE BEGINNING PHASE OF TREATMENT
130
THE MIDDLE PHASE OF TREATMENT
134
DISCUSSION
142
A Child Traumatized by a Single Episode of Sexual Abuse
144
CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS
147
THE BEGINNING PHASE OF TREATMENT
149

DIRECTIVE VERSUS NONDIRECTIVE PLAY THERAPY
35
The Treatment of Abused Children
37
APPLICATION OF ESTABLISHED CHILD THERAPIES TO WORK WITH ABUSED CHILDREN
51
THE TREATMENT PLAN
52
Clinical Examples
83
A Child Traumatized by Severe Parental Neglect
85
PRESENTING PROBLEMS
87
TREATMENT PLANNING
90
BEGINNING PHASE OF TREATMENT
91
MIDDLE PHASE OF TREATMENT
96
TERMINATION
102
DISCUSSION
104
A Child Traumatized by Sexual Abuse
106
CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS
108
MIDDLE PHASE OF TREATMENT
118
DISCUSSION
124
THE MIDDLE PHASE OF TREATMENT
152
DISCUSSION
156
A Neglected Child Traumatized by a Hospitalization
158
CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS
163
THE BEGINNING PHASE OF TREATMENT
164
THE MIDDLE PHASE OF TREATMENT
167
DISCUSSION
174
A Child Traumatized by Severe Sexual Abuse
177
THE BEGINNING PHASE OF TREATMENT
179
DISCUSSION
190
Special Issues
192
CLINICIAN SELFCARE
193
CLINICIAN SAFETY
194
References
197
Index
205
Copyright

Other editions - View all

The Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children
Eliana Gil
Limited preview - 2012
The Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children
Eliana Gil
No preview available - 1991

Common terms and phrases

abuse and neglect abused child activity Anna Freud Antony anxiety asked bottle boys caretakers child abuse child sexual abuse child therapy Chinese checkers clinical clinician countertransference defense Denise developed discuss dissociation doll draw drug emotional environment experience family therapy fear feelings foster home foster mother foster parents Gabby Gabby's girl Glennis Gustavo he/she helplessness his/her hospital hurt hypervigilant impact incest interactions intervention Johnny Johnny's kids Larry Laurie Laurie's learned Leroy Leroy's looked Masturbation multiple personality disorder nondirective PHASE OF TREATMENT physical abuse picture play therapy playroom posttraumatic play problems reenactment relationship reporting law response Sand Tray Therapy seemed sessions sexual behavior sexually abused children Sgroi Sharlene Sharlene's social worker SOCIAL/FAMILY HISTORY sometimes talk techniques tell therapeutic therapist things tion told toys trauma traumatic event treatment plan verbal victims week worried Yeah York

References to this book

About the author (1991)

Eliana Gil, PhD, is senior partner in a private group practice in Fairfax, Virginia, the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education, which provides therapy, consulting, and training services. She is also Director of Starbright Training Institute for Child and Family Play Therapy in northern Virginia. Dr. Gil has worked in the field of child abuse prevention and treatment for nearly 40 years. A licensed marriage, family, and child counselor; approved marriage and family therapy supervisor; registered play therapist; and registered play therapy supervisor, Dr. Gil has served on the Board of Directors of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and the National Resource Center on Child Sexual Abuse, and is a former President of the Association for Play Therapy. She is the author of "The Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children"; "Play in Family Therapy"; "Treating Abused Adolescents"; "Helping Abused and Traumatized Children: Integrating Directive and Nondirective Approaches," and other acclaimed books and video programs on child abuse and related topics. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, Dr. Gil is bilingual and bicultural.

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children
AuthorEliana Gil
Editionillustrated
PublisherGuilford Press, 1991
ISBN0898624673, 9780898624670
Length210 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Family & Relationships / Abuse / General
Psychology / Developmental / Child
Psychology / Psychotherapy / Child & Adolescent
  
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