Relationship Play Therapy

by Clark E. Moustakas

Book Overview

In this work, child therapist, Clark Moustakas, demonstrates how play can be used to free children to express their tensions, conflicts and frustrations. Moustakas offers examples of children who suddenly became disturbed in their family or school life and tells how these children work out their fear and anger in just a few sessions. He also describes helping seriously disturbed children in their struggles to achieve emotional maturity, faith in themselves...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765700298
• ISBN13: 9780765700292
• Release Date: June 1997
• Publisher: Jason Aronson
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A valuable approach in a broad context

It is apparent to me that one reviewer here who is criticizing the book, did not receive his or her education at the very graduate school founded by Clark Moustakas. When Dr. Moustakas comes into the classroom for his annual lecture in play therapy with his plaid suitcoat and delivers moving words and then, in a very Morrie Schwartz kind of way, dances, and makes the class dance, you realize you are in the presence of a great spirit. Anyway, without receiving instruction on this theory outside of glancing at the book, I could understand this person's interpretation of this theory. But there really are emphases on limitations (the book even provides an examply), and you talk about disinhibition in children today, have you ever worked with foster children, they are not the disinhibited children you are describing? I also don't see the Freudian overlap, existential psychotherapy is different. It is about providing an atmosphere where the child can be authentic in ways that his typical environment does not allow him. When he feels comfortable to express this, feelings are identified and reflected back, and appropriate ways to express these feelings are then explored. Overall, this book offers a very human approach, and yes, it may be more appropriate for the intermediate play therapist, but the approach works more than you have confidence for when you hit that playroom for the first time but what I have learned through practicing the approach, is that you have to trust the process. If you go with it, you will see results.

Appreciation for a Founder

This text represents the final publication of the founder of Existential, and now called, Relationship Play Therapy. Moustakas's text is definitive in this theory of play therapy. The book is written in existential prose with specifics given to direct the therapist interested in this particular theory of therapy with children. To find this book valuable, the reader must believe in the child's capacity for self-determination and responsibility. In the present environment of behaviorial contracts and brief therapy interventions with little attention given to the developmental needs of childrem, Moustakas provides us with a refreshing return to seeing therapy as a committment to personal growth and development between therapist and client. The methodology and theory are meant to encourage personal responsibility and understanding that goes far beyond the immediate problem. The reader can be easily deluded by Moustakas's prose and writing style into believing that this is a simplistic theory. The application of the theory presented is beyond the lay person and requires training in psychotherapy to be effective. However, the reading and style of expression makes for easy understanding of a complex form of therapy.