RPT Play Therapy Theories & Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'therapeutic powers of play' as described by Charles Schaefer refers to:
- The legal authority of play therapists to diagnose
- The specific change agents inherent in play that produce therapeutic outcomes (Correct answer)
- The physical health benefits of outdoor play for children
- The degree of training required for RPT credentialing
Correct answer: The specific change agents inherent in play that produce therapeutic outcomes
Schaefer identified over 20 therapeutic powers of play — core change agents such as self-expression, direct teaching, and stress inoculation.
Question 2: When integrating mindfulness into play therapy, a therapist might MOST appropriately use:
- Strict behavioral contracts to increase session focus
- Sensory-based play activities that anchor the child in present-moment awareness (Correct answer)
- Interpretive techniques that uncover past unconscious conflicts
- Directive role-plays scripted entirely by the therapist
Correct answer: Sensory-based play activities that anchor the child in present-moment awareness
Mindfulness-integrated play therapy uses sensory play, breathing games, and body-awareness activities to cultivate present-moment attention.
Question 3: Group play therapy is CONTRAINDICATED for children who:
- Have mild social skill deficits
- Are severely aggressive and likely to harm other group members (Correct answer)
- Show generalized anxiety in peer relationships
- Have experienced a single acute traumatic event
Correct answer: Are severely aggressive and likely to harm other group members
Severe aggression is a primary contraindication for group play therapy because it poses safety risks to other children and disrupts the therapeutic environment.
Question 4: The 'use of self' in play therapy refers to the therapist's ability to:
- Disclose personal trauma to build rapport with the child
- Employ their own authentic responses and presence as a therapeutic tool (Correct answer)
- Perform play alongside the child to model appropriate behavior
- Maintain strict emotional neutrality in all interactions
Correct answer: Employ their own authentic responses and presence as a therapeutic tool
The therapeutic use of self involves the play therapist intentionally using their own personality, responses, and presence to facilitate the child's growth.
Question 5: Which play therapy approach MOST directly incorporates neuroscience principles such as bottom-up processing and the role of the subcortical brain in trauma?
- Classic Adlerian play therapy
- Theraplay
- Synergetic play therapy (Correct answer)
- Bibliotherapy-based cognitive play therapy
Correct answer: Synergetic play therapy
Synergetic play therapy (Norton) explicitly integrates neuroscience, focusing on bottom-up nervous system regulation before cognitive processing.
Question 6: A play therapist using 'puppet play' as a projective technique is PRIMARILY relying on which therapeutic power of play?
- Stress inoculation
- Projection and symbolization to facilitate safe emotional expression (Correct answer)
- Behavioral rehearsal for skill acquisition
- Attachment activation through sensory contact
Correct answer: Projection and symbolization to facilitate safe emotional expression
Puppet play leverages projection — the child externalizes and expresses feelings through the puppet that may be too threatening to own directly.
Question 7: In the context of play therapy supervision, 'parallel process' refers to:
- Running two play therapy groups simultaneously
- Dynamics in the child-therapist relationship mirroring those in the supervisor-therapist relationship (Correct answer)
- Using identical techniques across different theoretical orientations
- Simultaneous recording and live observation of a session
Correct answer: Dynamics in the child-therapist relationship mirroring those in the supervisor-therapist relationship
Parallel process describes how relational patterns between child and therapist unconsciously replicate themselves in the supervisory relationship.
RPT Play Therapy Theories & Techniques 5
The concept of 'therapeutic powers of play' as described by Charles Schaefer refers to: