Research shows that a positive relationship between student and teacher has significant positive effects on students’ socio-emotional and behavioral health (Ansari et al., 2020; Chen & Lindo, 2017; Rucinski, 2018; Wang et al., 2016). Research also supports the efficacy of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) to address children’s socio-emotional and behavioral issues in schools, including CCPT-based interventions like filial therapy and Child-Teacher Relationship Therapy (CTRT), delivered by parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals (Bratton et al., 2005; Van Fleet et al., 2013). CCPT or CTRT training is not always available for teachers and paraprofessionals, especially in economically disadvantaged or rural areas, so researchers and practitioners have developed brief forms of training. Using a pre-test, post-test design, we examined the efficacy of a one-day CTRT training for 34 preschool teachers and paraprofessionals. We evaluated the impact of the brief training on participants’ scores on the Play Therapy Knowledge- Attitudes- and Skills Survey (PTKASS; Kao & Landreth, 1997) by conducting a paired-sample t-test, finding statistically significant improvement and a large effect size for scores on each subscale after participants completed the training. We discuss limits of this pilot study and implications for future research.

Blalock, S. M., Goble, P., & Mozier, K. (2024). Teacher professional development training: Utilizing child-centered play therapy skills in the classroom. International Journal of Play Therapy, 33(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000209

Play Therapy Primary Areas:

Seminal / Historically Significant Theories
Skills & Methods
Special Topics

Sarah M. Blalock PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S

Appearances