Childhood Trauma: A Theoretical Case Comparison Emphasizing Play Therapy - Paperback

by Marta Garrett (Editor), Maelisa McCaffrey (Editor)

Featuring contributed chapters written by a collection of experts in the field, Childhood Trauma: A Theoretical Case Comparison Emphasizing Play Therapy presents a case-based exploration of childhood trauma through the lens of multiple theoretical frameworks. Using the case study of Annie, an eight-year-old girl with a history of trauma and exposure to school violence, the book guides mental health students and practitioners in examining play-based and verbal intervention strategies that address complex clinical presentations in children.

Organized around Annie's experience, the book begins with core theories of child development and attachment, then explores trauma-informed approaches. Subsequent chapters investigate a range of play therapy modalities-including child-centered, cognitive-behavioral, ecosystemic, Adlerian, Jungian, Gestalt, solution-focused, narrative, and an emerging non-Western approach-explicitly comparing how each framework informs clinical understanding and intervention. The text concludes with guidance on integrating multiple theoretical perspectives, anchored to the single case for practical application.

Childhood Trauma is suitable for courses and programs in counseling theory, clinical mental health, child and adolescent therapy, and trauma-informed practice. It is designed for academic settings where a broad, comparative approach to theory and intervention in child trauma supports clinical learning and professional development.