Current Trends in the Use of Limits in Play Therapy

Abstract

The present study respresents a replication and extension of 1961 and 1963 investigations by Ginott and Lebo designed to identify trends in use of limits for play therapy. Therapists of different orientations, sex, or years of experience were notably similar in their patterns of limit setting for play therapy. Statistically significant differences were found between therapists of different orientations for only seven of the 54 limits. It was found that, of the 54 limits, relatively few were "never" used and that a t least half of the limits were reported as used "ordinarily." The most widely used limits pertained to protection of playroom equipment, safety and health, and physical attacks upon the therapist; least used limits were those associated with symbolic expression. Results of the present investigation closely approximated those of Ginott and Lebo, although a notable decrease in the number of differences between therapists of different orientations was found over the 19 years between the investigations. * Received in the Editorial Office on January 8, 1981, and published immediately at Requests for reprints should be sent to the third author at the address shown at the end of Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Therapeutic limit setting in the play therapy relationship.

“…The scope of acceptable behavior is broader in play therapy than in most other settings. Play therapists of all orientations and all levels of experience permit children to display many behaviors that are otherwise socially unacceptable, such as yelling obscenities in the playroom (Ginott & Lebo, 1961, 1963Landreth & Wright, 1997;Rhoden et al, 1981). Rhoden et al (1981) replicated Lebo's (1961, 1963) original studies and found that play therapists in 1981 selected limits similar to those selected by their predecessors 20 years earlier.…”

“…Play therapists of all orientations and all levels of experience permit children to display many behaviors that are otherwise socially unacceptable, such as yelling obscenities in the playroom (Ginott & Lebo, 1961, 1963Landreth & Wright, 1997;Rhoden et al, 1981). Rhoden et al (1981) replicated Lebo's (1961, 1963) original studies and found that play therapists in 1981 selected limits similar to those selected by their predecessors 20 years earlier. They also found that play therapists did not differ in their limit-setting choices as a function of gender or years of experience.…”

Therapeutic Limits from an Attachment Perspective

“…Limits therefore are viewed as addressing both the practical restrictions of the therapy process and children's therapeutic needs. Protection of playroom and contents is deemed essential to the process, because loss/damage of possessions may influence therapists' acceptance of children, diminish playroom stock and raise financial considerations (Bixler, 1949;Rhoden, Kranz, & Lund, 1981). Temporal limits, such as duration and frequency of sessions, are also important because they reduce the potential for disruption to the therapeutic process (Ginott, 1976;Landreth, 1991;West, 1992).…”

“…When to set limits, how to set them and at what point, has been explored frequently in the child therapy practice literature (e.g., Haworth, 1982;Landreth, 2002). Ginott and Lebo's (1963) original research into trends in limit setting in play therapy and later replications indicated that limits on children's behaviour compromising the safety and health of children and therapists were widely used (Landreth & Wright, 1997;Rhoden et al, 1981). Non-directive practice asserts that most limits should not be set until needed.…”

“…In this context, studies have found that child therapists are least likely to set limits on children's symbolic expressions. They distinguish between symbolic destructive acts and overt aggressive acts, with therapists permitting feelings to be expressed both verbally and symbolically (Ginott & Lebo, 1961;Rhoden et al, 1981;Wilson & Ryan, 2005). This permissiveness in symbolic and verbal expressions of feelings is based on therapists' core belief that symbolic expression facilitates catharsis, and the release of previously overwhelming feelings.…”