The Guide to Play Therapy Documentation and Parent Consultation

The Guide to Play Therapy Documentation and Parent Consultation, 2nd edition, guides play therapists through the case documentation process-from the initial inquiry through intake session, diagnosis, treatment planning, session notes, and termination summary. The book places a special focus on writing session notes, an area in which play therapists often request training. The chapters identify play themes, explore clinical theories and case conceptualization, and guide play therapists from the playroom to paperwork. The authors include examples of case notes and treatment plans completed from a variety of theoretical perspectives, and a new case study illustrates strategies for connecting with challenging parents, addressing difficult topics at different ages and stages (how to talk about sex, screen time, co-parenting, etc.), and much more. The book also includes a thorough discussion of ways to structure parent consultations to facilitate the therapeutic process. The new edition also includes a discussion of artificial intelligence, its potential benefits, and concerns around its use. Expansive appendices provide many case examples and tips to explain and demonstrate documentation, and the authors provide forms and templates in the text and on the book's website.

Linda E. Homeyer, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, RST-C/T, retired from Texas State University after 30 years as a play therapist and sandtray therapist. Linda continues to write, provide training and professional consultation, and play in the clay in Texas. Mary Morrison Bennett, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, has more than 20 years of experience in play therapy. A former associate professor at Texas State University, she is in private practice in Texas, where she continues to speak and write on play therapy.

Part I: Documentation and Parent Consultation 1. Introduction 2. Inquiry through Intake Summary 3. Initial Parent Consultation 4. Diagnosis and Treatment Plan 5. Treatment Phase: Session Notes 6. Ongoing Parent Consultations 7. Termination Part II: Looking Further 8. Parents Who Challenge Us 9. Difficult Parenting Issues 10. A Deeper Look at Play 11. Finding a Theory 12. Professional Growth Considerations