Recipient Organization
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
1620 STANDLEY DR ACADEMIC RESH A RM 110
LAS CRUCES,NM 88003-1239
Performing Department
Family And Consumer Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The primary purpose of the proposed study is to test the efficacy of specific techniques and curricula in family play therapy, in order to develop best practices for serving the needs of families in New Mexico. A secondary objective is to add to the literature about family play therapy. While much emphasis has been placed on training for child-centered play therapy, there is a gap in the literature with regard to best practices for training family play therapists. Additionally, it is important to increase the empirical literature that lends support for specific family play techniques.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
TITLEFamily Play TherapyJUSTIFICATIONFamily stress is understood to be an experience that occurs when a family is challenged by the environment in a way that "overtakes their individual or collective resources and threatens the well-being of the family" (Hobfoll & Spielberger, 1992, p. 99). Across the lifespan, families experience normative and non-normative stressors. Normative stress includes challenges such as financial planning and management, work/family balance, boundary negotiations, parenting, and interpersonal strife. Non-normative stress is that which is not expected as a part of the family developmental lifespan such as chronic or serious illness, trauma, ambiguous loss, interpersonal violence, and child abuse. As individuals and families present in therapy to address normative and non-normative stressors, family therapists must determine the most appropriate clinical approach to address the needs of the entire system. Many of the existing therapeutic approaches, while successful with adults, are not conducive to working with children. Use of such approaches can necessitate the exclusion of some members of the family, the children may be asked to not participate at all or may simply be given something to keep them quiet during sessions. However, as Keith and Whitaker (1981) remind us, "families change less and more slowly when children are not part of the therapy" (p. 244). Thus, it is important that family therapists, especially those who work with families with children, are trained in the theory and strategies of family play therapy.Play therapy is an approach to therapy that is structured and theoretically based, it's focus is to build on the normal communicative and learning processes of children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983). When children do not have the verbal skills or language to express themselves, play therapy is a tool that can be used to help them express and process their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991). When working with a family, "play techniques can engage parents and children in enhanced communication, understanding, and emotional relatedness, and can assist clinicians in their important work, and thus should be considered a viable and pivotal part of the family therapy work" (Gil, 1994, p. 42).Training to become a play therapist typically is completed during or after earning a master's degree in a clinical mental health field such as marriage and family therapy, counseling, or social work. The certification required 150 hours of specific training in play therapy, and 500 hours of supervised play therapy experience. There is no specific certification for family play therapists, although clinicians may choose to target their own training and practice with families rather than only children. PREVIOUS WORK AND PRESENT OUTLOOKAs a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, I have had the opportunity to work with individuals, couples, and families in various clinical settings for the past 13 years. In addition to maintaining my licensure, I have begun completing the required training in order to pursue certification as a registered play therapist. I believe in play therapy and have seen empirical support, as well as anecdotal support, for its use with children and families. I have had the opportunity to interact with many play therapists locally, within the state, and nationally. I have been concerned, however, with the primary focus of play therapy being child-centered rather than family-centered. In fact, within my local area I know each of the play therapists personally and while several of them do operate from a family systems perspective, none of them provide family play therapy.In 2013, I was provided with an opportunity to assume directorship of NMSU's Family Resource Center (FRC). The FRC provides fun, creative, and educational activities for students and their families at NMSU and Dona Ana Community College (DACC). Additionally, the FRC offers free family therapy services, provided by second year master's students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, under the supervision of myself and a colleague. At the time that I assumed responsibility for the FRC, additional space became available for our use. With the support of my department head, I adapted that space into the Center for Family & Child Play Therapy. This center is housed in student family housing, adjacent to the Family Resource Center. The aim of this center is to provide master's students the opportunity for training and experience in providing family play therapy, and to provide therapy to populations who might not otherwise have access to such specialized services (i.e., students and their families).The primary purpose of the proposed study is to test the efficacy of specific techniques and curricula in family play therapy. A secondary objective is to add to the literature about family play therapy. While much emphasis has been placed on training for child-centered play therapy, there is a gap in the literature with regard to best practices for training family play therapists. Additionally, it is important to increase the empirical literature that lends support for specific family play techniques.
Project Methods
All data collected will first undergo review by the NMSU committee on research with human subjects. Once approval is granted, informed consent will be obtained. Regarding methodology, both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used. The Outcome Rating Scale is quantitative in nature and will be analyzed using statistical measures. Interviews with play therapists or students will be qualitative in nature, the research has expertise in qualitative methods and use of Atlas.ti as a qualitative research tool to analyze the qualitative data.