Book Reviews

Abstract

Short-Term Play Therapy for Children by Kaduson and Schaefer is a compilation of techniques by 18 experts in the filed of play therapy. The book emphasizes the fact that play therapy is a powerful modality for assisting children with a variety of psychological disorders. The essential emphasis of this book is to provide suggested techniques in play therapy that promoting brief play therapy.With the continued emergence and reliance on managed care by corporate America, mental health practitioners are becoming more adept at providing short-term therapy. As the editors and contributors note in the book, short-term play therapy is difficult since the establishment of a relationship with the child is a foundational building block to success. The approaches presented in this tome are ones that can be adapted and used with the various incarnations of play therapy. It does not seem that any of the techniques are designed solely for on e theoretical orientation. The approaches presents in the book are appropriate and applicable for the majority of theoretical applications including Cognitive-Behavioral, Gestalt, Structured Play Therapy, Filial Play Therapy, Theraplay, and many others. The techniques presented in this volume are appropriate for play therapy with children, family play therapy (which is becoming increasingly more popular) and group play therapy. The short-term approaches presented in this book are applicable to a wide range of issues and disorders. Among the psychological disturbances are anxiety disorders (i.e. fears and phobias), grief, traumatic experiences, oppositional behaviors in the classroom, and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder.For the novice or individual inexperienced in the field of play therapy, these approaches allow the clinician to see how play can be used in a timelimited manner. Children do not have the developmental capabilities to communicate as older children adolescents, or adults do. Children communicate through play. While play therapy is not appropriate or advantageous for all