Virginia M. Axline (1911–1988)

Boy, do there need to be more books like this one. This book is just one long case study, but in detailing the sessions, and her conceptualization of the client, Axline clearly lays out how play therapy helps children feel repressed emotions, and empowers them to be their authentic selves. Plus- Dibs is awesome, as are all children.

I hear too much that without a change to the family system, and working with the parents, that children are incapable of growth, and of being more whole and healthy. This book proves that stance is horseshit. Must read for anyone who does therapy with children.… (mer)

This book has helped me a lot in my practice, as a general overview of play therapy, and to reconnect with the founding principles of the work. I skip around in it, some of the sections seem superfluous, but it does have a lot of transcripts from sessions along with Axline's analysis of what happened in the treatment, which can be useful in understanding how she perceived the work she was doing, and how she would go about judging 'good therapy' (child-centered) with 'bad therapy'. Well worth reading for clinicians who work with children.… (mer)

5-year-old Dibs is a little boy with problems. His powers of speech are limited and he fights and scratches. His parents are convinced he is mentally defective.

Dibs’ father is a brilliant scientist and his mother is a cold intellectual.

Dibs attends an exclusive private school but they have not been able to help him. Finally, it is decided that the author, a psychologist, begin to see Dibs for play therapy sessions.

The book shows us how Miss A., as Dibs calls her, conducts these sessions, and how he begins to open up and find himself.

The basics of this therapy are that Miss A, never intrudes her personality on the boy but merely repeats what he says back to him, or rather comments what he says and does with his own words. All the sessions are held at Miss A’s place, where the playroom is fully equipped with interesting materials, and it is always Dibs that decides what to do with these. He is permitted to do what he wants and Miss A. does not command or instruct him to do anything, the only exception being that at the end of the hour-long session Dibs must be prepared to stop the play and be collected by his mother.

The only time Miss A. tells Dibs not to do something is when he is about to drink something harmful.

Miss A. realizes that Dibs is not retarded but on the contrary highly intelligent and creative and his problem stems rather from emotional neglect, his parents being overly intellectual, cold and distant.

Dibs begins to freely express his negative feelings, particularly towards his father, who ignores him, and frequently plays with burying a father doll in the sand pit in the play room.

Dibs gradually develops his speech and his teacher and mother report that his behaviour is improving; his father begins to speak to him.

This is a wonderfully formulated, edifying story that provides us with considerable insight as to how best to raise children, particularly those with emotional problems.… (mer)