History of Play Therapy

The first part of the course focuses on the evolution of the field of play therapy, from its origins in the early works of main figures in the psychoanalytic movement, including Hermine Hug-Hellmuth, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, and D.W. Winnicott through the contributions of scholars from other orientations, including David Levy, Virginia Axline, Clark Moustakas, and others. Convergences and divergences in theory and practice are examined to understand the evolution of the modern practice of play therapy. In the second part, the chief controversies that remain today are discussed, such as directive vs. non-directive approaches, together with recent and anticipated future developments in the field associated with rapid changes in technology and social structure.