Trauma and Play Therapy

Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S, is the founder and clinical director of Nurture House, a treatment center serving families in middle Tennessee, and the creator of TraumaPlayTM, a flexibly sequential play therapy model targeted to help children heal from trauma. She is an adjunct instructor of psychiatric mental health at Vanderbilt University, trains and consults for organizations around the world, and is the author of multiple books, chapters, and articles on child therapy, including the Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse and Play Therapy with Traumatized Children: A Prescriptive Approach.

"In this beautifully written and highly accessible text, Goodyear-Brown draws on her vast clinical experience and the latest research in trauma recovery, attachment and neuroscience to articulate her TraumaPlay model. This components-based model helps clinicians select interventions based on treatment needs to help children integrate difficult experiences and move toward healing. This groundbreaking text, enhanced by illustrative case examples, is a must-read for play therapists and anyone working with children. I could not put it down!"—Sue C. Bratton, PhD, professor emeritus and director emeritus of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas "Brilliant! The author’s description of how to tailor trauma interventions to both best practice parameters for treating trauma and the needs of the individual child is masterful. An essential read for both beginning and advanced child therapists."—Charles E. Schaefer, PhD, RPT-S, professor emeritus of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University and cofounder and director emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy"Trauma and Play Therapy demonstrates the healing power of therapeutic relationships with children who are challenged by a wide range of behavioral, psychological, and interpersonal concerns that result from traumatic stress. This user-friendly book synthesizes major trauma-informed concepts within vivid case examples and personal stories that translate theory into practice. Readers will enjoy learning more about an integrated play therapy model that offers numerous practical applications that can be immediately applied to work with children of all ages."—Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute

• List of Figures. Foreword, Eliana Gil. Preface. Acknowledgments 1. Titration in Trauma Work: Using the Play Therapist’s Palette 2. The Neurobiology of Trauma and Play: Understanding the Playroom as a Neurochemical Boxing Ring 3. Need Meeting to Enhance Regulation: Feeding, Touch, and Sensory Integration 4. Bigness, Smallness, and Containment: The Use of Space and Presence in Play Therapy 5. Metaphor and Medium 6. Playing the Affective Accordion: Titration in Aspects of Emotional Literacy 7. The Nature of Play 8. Humor, Novelty, and Shared Delight 9. Holding the Hard Story: Narrative Nuance Index.