Game Play: Therapeutic Use of Childhood Games

by Charles E. Schaefer (Editor)

The long-awaited revision of the only book on game play available for mental health professionals
Not only is play a pleasurable, naturally occurring behavior found in humans, it is also a driving force in our development. As opposed to the unstructured play often utilized in psychotherapy, game playing invokes more goal-directed behavior, carries the benefits of interpersonal interaction, and can perform a significant role in the adaptation to one's environment.
This landmark, updated edition of Game Play explores the advantages of using games in clinical- and school-based therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents. This unique book shows how playing games can promote socialization, encourage the development of identity and self-esteem, and help individuals master anxiety-while setting the stage for deeper therapeutic intervention in subsequent sessions.
Game Play
Therapeutic Use of Childhood Games
Second Edition
Features:
* New chapters on games in family therapy and games for specific disorders
* Techniques and strategies for using game play to enhance communication, guidance, and relationships with clients
* The different types of therapeutic games, elaborating on their various clinical applications

406 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1986

Reviews

[Brendan Rather]

This was a helpful reflection upon the nature of games (games of physical skill, strategy, and chance) and the populations to which these games are best presented for maximum therapeutic benefit. Games are portrayed as tools for simultaneously building rapport and facilitating growth with lasting impacts outside of therapeutic sessions.