Overcoming school counselors' barriers to play therapy.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to survey members of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), who were also elementary school counselors, about their perceived barriers to implementing play therapy and the methods used to overcome barriers (N ϭ 359). The results indicate that although elementary school counselors find play therapy to be helpful, many experience barriers related to training, administration, time, resources, and space. Methods used by school counselors to overcome barriers included training, educating faculty and administrators about play therapy, willingness to use personal funds to purchase play therapy materials, and creative use of time. The authors raise awareness of the need for formal training of elementary school counselors in play therapy. Practical implications and further research are also discussed.

‘Putting themselves out there’ into the unknown: Dance movement psychotherapy as perceived by five educators and three pupils

“…The demands of the school day, time and space constraints and timetabled curriculum have been reported elsewhere as detrimental to facilitating creative therapies (Devereaux, 2017;Ebrahim, Steen & Paradise, 2012). Despite this inconsistency, pupils expressed that they wanted to have had more time to do DMP and to continue the following year.…”

Play Therapy Courses in School Counselor Training: A Content Analysis of Syllabi From CACREP-Accredited School Counseling Programs

“…Researchers and professionals have called for the increased use of play therapy interventions in school settings; however…a lack of training remains the primary barrier to the use of play therapy among school counselors (Ebrahim et al, 2012) .…”

“…. a lack of training remains the primary barrier to the use of play therapy among school counselors (Ebrahim et al, 2012).…”

Exploring dimensions of administrative support for play therapy in schools.

“…Providing counseling services in schools is no easy task and is influenced by complex sociopolitical factors including the current climate of academic accountability, competing school-wide priorities, time constraints, lack of play therapy training, and administrative “buy in” or support (Berkowitz, 2005; Blanco, 2010; Ebrahim & Steen, 2012). Several studies have identified both individual and systemic challenges facing school professionals as they attempt to practice play therapy (Bratton, 2010; Ebrahim & Steen, 2012; Ray, 2010; Ray et al, 2005; Shen, 2008).…”

“…Providing counseling services in schools is no easy task and is influenced by complex sociopolitical factors including the current climate of academic accountability, competing school-wide priorities, time constraints, lack of play therapy training, and administrative “buy in” or support (Berkowitz, 2005; Blanco, 2010; Ebrahim & Steen, 2012). Several studies have identified both individual and systemic challenges facing school professionals as they attempt to practice play therapy (Bratton, 2010; Ebrahim & Steen, 2012; Ray, 2010; Ray et al, 2005; Shen, 2008). Berkowitz (2005) argued that absence of administrative support may be the result of a lack of knowledge and suggested that if administrators come to recognize and support the positive effects of play therapy for children, then perhaps indirect issues such as lack of space, training, materials, and time to practice might be solved by the administrators themselves.…”