Table Of Content“ Play Therapy and Expressive Arts in a Complex and Dynamic World: Opportunities
and Challenges Inside and Outside the Playroom ” co-edited by Isabella Cassina,
Claudio Mochi, and Karen Stagnitti is an innovative and much-needed book.
It takes us into the realm of today’s complex world addressing crisis situations,
Covid, tele-health and the need for being in nature. Readers are treated to the
expertise of internationally renowned authors who offer in-depth practical and
useful guidance for working with children and adults. This is a much-needed
addition to the professional library of beginner and experienced clinicians alike.
Athena A. Drewes , PsyD, RPT-S
L icensed Psychologist and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor
Founder and President Emeritus of the New York
Association for Play Therapy
P ast Director of the Association for Play Therapy
Ocala, Florida , US
This exciting book by a distinguished group of contributors takes play therapy
outside of its comfort zone to telehealth, crisis-disaster areas, high-risk coun-
tries, refugees and asylum seekers, while enlisting the healing power of nature.
This excellent book is urgently needed!
David A. Crenshaw , PhD, ABPP, RPT-S,
author, Clinical Psychologist
Play Therapy and Expressive
Arts in a Complex and
Dynamic World
This book offers cutting-edge expertise and knowledge in new and developing
play therapy, therapeutic play, and expressive arts for families and children in
crisis and challenging situations.
The book focuses on the use of play therapies in complex and dynamic
situations such as pandemics, post-disaster conditions, crisis, migration,
poverty, and deprivation. Evidence in the book is rooted in theory and contains
examples of direct clinical experiences of play therapy approaches by the authors
from across six continents, offering innovative methods to apply expressive arts
modalities across different situations. It highlights the need to understand the
context and needs of the children and families in their particular situations and
provides examples of application of therapeutic principles and techniques in
individual and group settings and within schools and communities.
With reflections and guidance on how to support children in reaching their
potential in a variety of difficult contexts, the book will be key reading for
scholars and researchers in the fields of play therapy, expressive arts therapies,
and creative psychotherapy, as well as professionals in these areas.
Isabella Cassina is Social Worker specialised in International Cooperation
(IHEID Geneva) and Migration and Registered Therapeutic Play Specialist
(APT Italy). She is International Speaker, Head of Project Management, and
Trainer at the International Academy for Play Therapy (INA) in Switzerland.
Claudio Mochi is Clinical Psychologist, Child and Adolescents Psychotherapist,
and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor.
Karen Stagnitti is Emeritus Professor at Deakin University, Australia, Occupational
Therapist, and Play Therapist.
Routledge Research in Early Childhood Education
This series provides a platform for researchers to present their latest research
and discuss key issues in Early Childhood Education.
Books in the series include:
Local Literacies in Early Childhood
Inequalities in place, policy and pedagogy
Helen Victoria Smith
Early Childhood Education in Germany
Exploring Historical Developments and Theoretical Issues
Edited by Bianca Bloch, Melanie Kuhn, Marc Schulz, Wilfried Smidt,
and Ursula Stenger
Early Childhood Teachers’ Professional Competence
in Mathematics
Edited by Simone Dunekacke, Aljoscha Jegodtka, Thomas Koinzer,
Katja Eilerts and Lars Jenßen
Decisions and Dilemmas of Research Methods in Early
Childhood Education
Edited by Anne Keary, Janet Scull, Susanne Garvis and Lucas Walsh
Play Therapy and Expressive Arts in a Complex and
Dynamic World
Opportunities and Challenges Inside and Outside the Playroom
Edited by Isabella Cassina, Claudio Mochi, and Karen Stagnitti
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
education/series/RRECE
Play Therapy and Expressive
Arts in a Complex and
Dynamic World
Opportunities and Challenges Inside and
Outside the Playroom
Edited by Isabella Cassina,
Claudio Mochi, and
Karen Stagnitti
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Isabella Cassina, Claudio Mochi and
Karen Stagnitti; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Isabella Cassina, Claudio Mochi and Karen Stagnitti to be
identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for
their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Cassina, Isabella, 1984– editor. | Mochi, Claudio, editor. |
Stagnitti, Karen, editor.
Title: Play therapy and expressive arts in a complex and dynamic world :
opportunities and challenges inside and outside the playroom / edited by
Isabella Cassina, Claudio Mochi, Karen Stagnitti.
Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge,
2023. | Series: Routledge research in early childhood education |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022009405 (print) | LCCN 2022009406 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032169378 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032172323 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003252375 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Play therapy.
Classification: LCC RJ505.P6 P5282 2023 (print) | LCC RJ505.P6 (ebook) |
DDC 618.92/891653—dc23/eng/20220528
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009405
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009406
ISBN: 978-1-032-16937-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-17232-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-25237-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003252375
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of contributors ix
Introduction 1
ISABELLA CASSINA
1 Applying the therapeutic power of play and
expressive arts in contemporary crisis work:
a process-oriented approach 6
ISABELLA CASSINA AND CLAUDIO MOCHI
2 Integrating creative arts modalities in the playroom
and outside: live and remote interventions 28
STEVE HARVEY
3 Recovering lost play time: principles and intervention
modalities to address the psychosocial wellbeing of
asylum seekers and refugee children 50
ISABELLA CASSINA
4 Tele-Play Therapy: principles of remote interventions
using the therapeutic powers of play 69
KATE L. RENSHAW AND JUDI A. PARSON
5 Learn to Play Therapy in high-risk countries:
the example of Nigeria 96
CLAUDIO MOCHI AND KAREN STAGNITTI
6 Nature-based Play Therapy interventions in the digital age 120
MAGGIE FEARN
viii Contents
7 Play and expressive arts to enhance professional
development and personal growth in
challenging contexts 138
CLAUDIO MOCHI, STEVE HARVEY, AND ISABELLA CASSINA
Index 159
Contributors
Isabella Cassina, MA, TP-S, CAGS (Expressive Arts Therapy), PhD Can-
didate, is Social Worker specialised in International Cooperation (IHEID
Geneva) and Migration and Registered Therapeutic Play Specialist (Asso-
ciation for Play Therapy Italy (APTI)). She is International Speaker, Head
of Project Management, and Trainer at the International Academy for Play
Therapy (INA) in Switzerland.
Maggie Fearn , MA DATP, MA HIPPT, is Humanistic and Integrative Child
Psychotherapist, British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT) Play Thera-
pist and Clinical Supervisor, Senior Lecturer, University of South Wales and
the Children’s Therapy Centre, Eire. She is affiliated with Senior Fellow
Higher Education Academy. Her clinical practice with children and their
families is developmental and trauma informed. Her research explores the
evidence base for Nature-based Play Therapy interventions.
Steve Harvey, PhD, RPT-S, BC-DMT, RDT, is currently consulting in
schools and is an adjunct faculty member in the Clinical Psychology Depart-
ment at the University of Guam. He has been an active contributor to the
integration of expressive modalities in Play Therapy. He helped pioneer the
field of Family Play Therapy.
C laudio Mochi, MA, RP, RPT-S, is Psychotherapist, Director of the train-
ing program at the INA in Switzerland, and Founder of the APTI. He has
conducted trainings and projects in the disaster mental health field interna-
tionally and presented on Play Therapy and trauma in six continents and
over 20 countries.
J udi A. Parson, PhD, MA Play Therapy, is Paediatric Qualified Registered
Nurse, Play Therapist/Supervisor, Discipline Lead, and Senior Lecturer
in Play Therapy. She is affiliated with Deakin University. As an academic,
she has authored/edited over 30 publications, continues to provide clinical
and research supervision, and offers Play Therapy services, face-to-face and
online.
