Theraplay (R) - The Practitioner's Guide

Acknowledgements; Foreword; Part One INTRODUCTION; 1. Introduction; 2. Theraplay General Principles; Part Two NUTS AND BOLTS; 3. Intake; 4. MIM; 5. Theraplay sessions: getting prepared; 6. Theraplay session with children; 7. Working with parents; 8. Complex parents; 9. Theraplay outtakes-what no one ever tells you; Part Three BECOMING A THERAPLAY PRACTITIONER; 10. Developmental phases; 11. Overcoming common barriers to practising Theraplay; 12. The Theraplay supervision process - A journey of a lifetime; 13. MIM assessment form completed example; 14. Dyadic session supervision form completed example; 15. Sample Phyllis Booth supervision feedback notes; 16. How do you know youve reached Foundational level: TTI session 8 guidelines; Part Four RESOURCES; 17. Sample session plans for various types of children; 18. What Lies Underneath a Parents Defensive Statement; 19. Intake guidelines; 20. When should you talk about stuff in Theraplay?; 21. Example of combining approaches; 22. Thinking about sensory regulation and Theraplay; 23. What is Theraplay-«? A Brief Guide for Parents; 24. List of Theraplay activities; Glossary; References

In Theraplay: The Practitioners Guide, Vivien Norris and Dafna Lender skillfully and comprehensively explain the essential principles of Theraplay. Theraplay is an efficient mode of therapy for children that seamlessly incorporates within a play environment several elements that are shared with models of psychotherapy. In the Guide, we learn about efficient exercises that are effective in enhancing the childs ability to regulate state can be delivered as games; we learn that Theraplay is rooted in developmental science (e.g., attachment theory) and is consistent with contemporary neuroscience (e.g., Polyvagal Theory). From a Polyvagal perspective Theraplay respects the biobehavior state of the child, applies therapist initiated social engagement strategies to trigger a state of safety in the child, and promotes synchronous reciprocal interactions as a neural exercise that increases social flexibility and improves emotion regulation. It is through this development of the childs ability to feel safe and secure that is key to Theraplays efficacy and functionally illustrates the attributes of Theraplay as a model therapy for children.