Children naturally engage in play to help organize and make sense of their world. A trained play therapist looks beyond
the content of the play behaviors to understand the meaning behind the child’s play through symbolism and metaphor. For
those not trained in play therapy, it can be difficult to understand this language and to see play, not as random and
meaningless, but rather intentional and meaningful. Even for the trained play therapist, it can be difficult to ‘trust the
process’ in the face of therapeutic challenges and believe in the child’s innate ability to heal through play.

This presentation will invite the participant along the therapeutic journey with one child, over the course of three years of
treatment. The case example will show the ways in which the child uses symbolism and metaphor to make sense of her
internal world and slowly feel free to be herself. Each meaningful moment with this child, will be threaded together to
make a cohesive story that will illuminate key aspects of Child Centered Play Therapy theory, the Neurosequential Model
of Therapeutics, symbolic expression and the value of the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for growth and
change in the play therapy encounter.

Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
1. Describe a framework for understanding directive versus non-directive play therapy and identify when therapist
intervention may be clinically indicated
2. Apply Axline’s 8 Basic principles of play therapy into practice
3. Observe the course of treatment for a child receiving long term play therapy, and through example, will learn to
recognize the value of symbolism and metaphor in children’s play
4. Apply the format and principles used in the example treatment plan provided for creating Child-Centered Play Therapy
treatment plans in practice