3 Must Have Books for New Play Therapists

Learning play therapy can be like arriving on a totally new planet.  And if your grad program was anything like mine the traditional talk therapy approaches and theories for grownups definitely aren’t working with kids. 

If I flash back to some of my first kid sessions doing school based work, I can just see myself sitting across from a kindergartener asking “how was your week?”  They assured me they had the BEST day…. And after they returned to class I promptly learned that they had a pretty big dysregulated episode during morning meeting.  Think papers ripped chairs tossed kind of vibes.

It was that moment that I decided I needed more.  That talk therapy just didn’t work with kids - for SO many developmentally appropriate reasons. It’s not that this kid lied or wanted to be deceitful, it’s just that kids don’t have the abstract reasoning and verbal processing skills for talk therapy alone.  

Time also moves SO differently for kids.  They can become besties to enemies by lunch time. The choices they made in the morning? Whole new kid by lunch. They’ve moved on. 

AND for other kids they are desperately looking to meet needs with the grownups in their life and due to shame, perfectionism, or difficulty with confidence they will say or do things to seek approval.  Some kids just don’t want to talk about it.

All of this?

Perfectly normal! AND with the powers of play therapy talking about things in the way you typically would with an adult is not necessary for healing. 

So just like anything, the perfect trifecta for learning anything new is training, consultation/supervision and practice! 

If you are just starting out OR want to dive deeper into play therapy you have to grab this Free Guide HERE for the Play Therapy Free Resources Vault: 125+ Free Play Therapy Resources!

Beyond courses, free resources, and CEs, Play Therapy books are some of my favorite resources.  When I first started learning about Play Therapy, intervention and text books were my guide for when I was stuck and when I needed inspiration and confidence! 

I wanted to share my top 3 books that I think need to be on every play therapist’s bookshelf: 

Dibs In Search of Self 

Talk about a classic.  If you were ever skeptical or were wondering what play therapy is or how it helps this foundational text by Virginia Axline is a quick and easy read about the powers of nondirective play therapy!

Doing Play Therapy 

Terry Kottman and Kristin K. Meany-Walen hit an absolute home run with this book. This is the foundational text book that takes you from intake to termination.  And although Terry Kottman developed Adlerian Play Therapy she and Kristin are very open that the techniques and interventions can be applied to a multitude of theories! Lastly - the absolute icing on the cake - a quiz to help you learn more about what theories may be the best fit for you as a play therapist! 

Assessment and Treatment Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Families Volume Four: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Techniques

Honestly - anything by Liana Lowenstein!  Her intervention books were well-loved, dog-eared, and always within arm’s reach in my playroom. Her interventions are low-cost, high-impact, and a perfect fit for both new play therapists finding their footing and seasoned clinicians looking for fresh, practical ideas.  And this book? I might be a little biased - one of my own interventions is featured inside!

So- if you are new to play therapy or want to deepen your knowledge and experience consider adding one or all three of these books to your professional library!

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