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This book describes how therapists can both facilitate constructive play therapy and intervene in posttraumatic play to help children who have been traumatized by abuse or neglect achieve a positive resolution. Traditional techniques of play therapy are reviewed for their application to this population. Throughout, numerous therapeutic aids are described to enhance the child's capacity to communicate verbally or symbolically. To help clinicians translate theory into daily practice, the book presents six detailed clinical vignettes that offer step-by-step guidelines for assessment and intervention in different situations of abuse or neglect.
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The Healing Power of Play This page intentionally left blank THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY Working with Abused Children ELIANA GIL, PH.D. THE GUILFORD PRESS New York London © 1991 The Guilford Press A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc. 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form in by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. This book is printed on acid-free paper Last digit is print number: 2019 18 1716 15 1413 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gil, Eliana. The healing power of play : working with abused children / Eliana Gil. p. cmIncludes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-89862-560-2. ISBN 0-89862-467-3 (pbk.) 1. Abused children—Mental health—Case studies. 2. Play therapy—Case studies. I. Title. [DNLM: Child Abuse—rehabilitation—case studies. 2. Play Therapy—in infancy & childhood—case studies. WS 320 G4632h] RJ507.A29G55 1991 618.92/891653—dc20 DNLM/DLC for Library of Congress 91-6706 CIP To Robert Jay Green, Ph.D., who chose me as his trainee recognized my capacity encouraged my intellect tells me to reach high always makes me laugh allows me to feel special This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments Writing this book was a stressful and happy experience. While writing, I was reminded of my child clients, the traumatic events in their lives, their incredible strength and hope, and the unique ways they coped. Their courage, resiliency, and joy amaze me and inspire me. I thank my many colleagues who inspire and stimulate me and I am greatly appreciative to my friends and family who stand by me as I tackle large and small projects. My gratitude to Toby Troffkin for her copyediting of the book, and my research assistants, David Farinella and Coco Ishi. Special thanks to my husband John, my source of strength and joy; my in-laws Norm and Eileen; my mom, Eugenia, and my brother Peter; my great kids Eric, Teresa, and Christy; my best friends, Teresa and Tony Davi, Melissa and Melinda Brown, Mary Herget, Kathy Baxter-Stern, Robert Green, Jeff Bodmer-Turner, Steve Santini, Lou Fox, Sue Scoff, my Wednesday group, and my colleagues at A STEP FORWARD. The clinical material presented in this book is a compilation of cases. To protect the confidentiality of my clients I have changed all identifying information. Where dialogue or vii viii THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY art work is provided, it is presented with the permission of the parents. A portion of the first chapter of this book entitled "The Impact of Child Abuse" was adapted from the first chapter ("Behavioral Indicators of Abuse") of my book Treatment of Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse, which was published in 1988. This material was adapted and reproduced with permission of Launch Press, Walnut Creek, CA. Contents The Abused Child: Treatment Issues 1 The Abused Child 1 Mediators in the Effects of Child Abuse 3 The Impact of Child Ab