Drs. Maggie Parker and Ashley Stone published a manuscript entitled, "More Than Play: Benefits of Play Therapy Training for Undergraduates and Implications for Student Affairs" in the Journal of College Student Development.
In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:
Grounded in Carl Rogers's (1951) personcentered theory, play therapy is built on the belief that children are able to self-actualize and heal the self within a supportive relationship and that children are capable, creative, worthy of respect, and growth oriented (Landreth, 2012). Play therapy provides a differing perspective into how one interacts with, understands, and engages in relationships with not only children, but also people of all ages. The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate students' experiences in and perceptions of a play therapy course and to examine if the course assisted university students in developing their self-authorship by exploring the research question: How are students impacted beyond the classroom by an undergraduate play therapy course?