The interventions in this book have been categorized according to the phase of treatment. The initial section addresses assessment. Several interventions have been included to provide a variety of methods to collect information. Rock Paper Scissors, an assessment/rapport building game, is an assessment that can be utilized for varying lengths of time and across sessions. The Strength Genogram allows for the assessment of the child’s perception of family members’ strengths. The Adapted Puppet Sentence Completion Task provides sentence stems that elicit information about the child’s view of self, others, and the world. Both the Strength Genogram and the Adapted Puppet Sentence Completion Task build upon the work of earlier play therapists to allow for further information to be processed. My Life Scavenger Hunt is a show-and-tell activity that allows the therapist to understand family dynamics while providing a view into the child’s life. The information gathered with the assessments described in this book is beyond the typical scope of information that one can gather through standardized assessments. Used in conjunction with standardized tests, the clinician may have a deeper and broader understanding of the child or adolescent.

The Playful Treatment Planning section includes two treatment planning activities that allow for common metaphors for therapy to be used. The child is able to use the treatment planning as a time to express his or her views of presenting problems and hopes for therapy. The interventions also allow the therapist to describe what therapy is and provide a guide to the child that shows how the presenting problems can be addressed with interventions. Both treatment planning activities allow the child and family to visualize and verbalize their hopes for affective and behavioral change.

Several Feelings Identification and Modulation interventions are included in the following section. Most child and adolescent clients benefit from understanding their feelings. The interventions in this section allow for the therapist to address several affective issues. Understanding how feelings are shown by the child as well as others is addressed across most of the interventions. Measurement of the intensity of affect is addressed by Parachute Feelings Bounce-ometer, Abacus Feelings, Feelings Photo Shoot and Volcano of Anger. Emotional Memory and Feelings Photo Shoot promote understanding of the physiological reactions to feelings. Most also playfully teach coping skills for modulating anger.

Relaxation and Mindfulness interventions comprise the following section. The interventions provide playful methods of teaching relaxation to young children through adolescents. The Tighten and Relax Dance and Progressive Muscle Relaxation From Head to Toe: Game Playing to Shape PMR provide resistant young clients with games and play that promote learning the skills of relaxation. The Mindful Tasting intervention allows for a pleasant sensory experience that teaches about tolerating affect and mindfully experiencing and accepting situations.

Interventions related to emotions, thoughts, and behaviors include several interventions related to rational and irrational thoughts. These include I Shine, My View of the World, and Right Address/Wrong Address. The Magnetic Cognitive Triangle is an amazing tool for teaching about the cognitive triangle and assisting children and adolescents in expressing their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as well as discussing triggers. Several other interventions address common problems including improving sleep, problem solving and assertiveness.

Interventions for Processing Trauma are processed with interventions from the next category. The first, Nested Boxes, allows the child a visual of the therapeutic process and specifically addresses how the child will be prepared for processing the trauma. It is empowering for the child or adolescent who has experienced trauma in that it provides information, sets healthy guidelines about when trauma will be processed and allows the child to better understand what skills need to be developed in order to better cope with the trauma history. Normalization of sexual responses in some children who have been sexually abused is addressed in the Pfffft That Just What Bodies Do. Jack-in-the-box is an intervention that provides a safe example of in vivo exposure to innocuous stimuli. The Quilt to Safety and The Spider and the Fly allow for processing of trauma and enhancing the child’s safety.

The final section consists of four termination exercises. Three address building a supportive community to improve the child’s opportunities for support and safety in the future. Light My Path, My Contacts and 411, and My Safe Neighborhood interventions provide the child with information about who is available to support them. The Light my Path intervention may also reinforce the supportive people in the child’s team which may improve the likelihood that the child will be supported in the future. Putting the Puzzle Pieces of Resiliency Together is a termination intervention developed to help older children and adolescents consider their emotional condition prior to therapy and the gains made in therapy.

Organization of Interventions:
Each intervention is organized related to the following sections:
• Title,
• Treatment Theme,
• Treatment Goals,
• Treatment Modalities,
• Materials,
• Cost of Intervention,
• Discussion, and
• Procedure.

The treatment themes include assessment and rapport building exercises helpful for understanding the client better and developing relationship. The treatment goals articulate the purpose of the intervention. The treatment modality includes individual, family or group therapy. Some interventions may be modified to fit a different modality than that which is stated. The Recommended Age Range is suggested for clinicians. However, interventions are often helpful for children outside of the range. For example, many can be used with much older children and even adults. The discussion section allows for theoretical information related to the intervention. Similar interventions are discussed, as well as how the intervention contributes to the current literature. The procedure is a step-by-step description of how to implement the intervention. Adaptations may be helpful with individual children and adolescents.