The Power of Play Therapy featuring Dr. Maggie Parker {Recording}

Watch the recorded event:

With increasing rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), including the impacts of systemic racism and the global trauma of the COVID pandemic, the need to identify effective mental health treatments for children is critical.

Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate mental health intervention that uses children's natural communication and play for therapeutic benefit. While often excluded from identification as evidence-based treatment, researchers continue to demonstrate the efficacy of play therapy with children who experience a myriad of emotional difficulties and presenting concerns.

Dr. Maggie Parker, GSEHD Assistant Professor of Counseling and Human Development, will first discuss play therapy—specifically, Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), an often-misunderstood child mental health intervention—and the rationale for use with children. She will explore childhood trauma and development, and how play therapy can benefit children who struggle with the lasting impact of trauma. She will also provide an overview of her recent research using meta-analyses to understand the impact of CCPT on children referred due to disruptive behaviors and trauma exposure, both of which can create lasting academic, relational, and social/emotional difficulties into adulthood.

Ecology of Education is an annual series of lectures showcasing the innovative research of new and early career faculty at GW's Graduate School of Education and Human Development.