Impacts of an intensive child-centered play therapy training workshop for school counselors

ABSTRACT

This mixed methods study examined the impacts of an intensive play therapy workshop that included a micro-practicum for 18 practicing school counselors. This study also explored school counselors’ experiences regarding their training for addressing mental health issues in schools and their experiences following the intensive play therapy workshop. Participants ranged in age from 28 years to 66 years. Fifteen (n = 15) participants identified as female while three (n = 3) identified male. Varying levels of clinical play therapy experience were represented in this study with 44.4% (n = 8) participants reporting having no prior clinical experience in play therapy, 33.3% (n = 6) reporting having under 1 year of clinical experience in play therapy, 5.6% (n = 1) reporting having 2 years of clinical play therapy experience, 5.6% (n = 1) reporting having 3 years of clinical play therapy experience, and 11.1% (n = 2) reporting having more than 3 years of clinical experience in play therapy. Results indicated that an intensive play therapy workshop with micro-practicum positively affects school counselors’ scores on the Play Therapy Attitude Knowledge and Skills Survey and School Counselor Self-efficacy scales.

KEYWORDS:

• Child-centered play therapy
• counselor training
• school counseling
• mental health
• self-efficacy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert Paul Maddox

Robert Paul Maddox II is an assistant professor in the counselor education program at the University of Wyoming. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). He currently serves as the Play Therapy Online Graduate Certificate Program Coordinator at the University of Wyoming, and he also coordinates the counselor education program's school counseling track at the University of Wyoming's Casper branch campus.

Kara Carnes-Holt

Kara Carnes-Holt is an associate professor in the counseling program at the University of Wyoming. She is a professional counselor, a registered play therapist, and approved play therapy supervisor (RPT-S). She is also the founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Center of Play Therapy Studies at the University of Wyoming.

Courtney McKim

Courtney McKim is an associate professor in the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy, and Design at the University of Wyoming. She teaches courses in Educational Research.