Axline's Basic Principles of Non-Directive Play Therapy

Establish a sense of permission for relationships so that children can fully express their feelings freely

Pay attention to the emotions expressed by the child and reflect these emotions so that the child can gain a deeper understanding of their behavior

Keep deeply respecting your child's ability to solve problems and give them the opportunity to do it. Children's responsibility is to make selections and changes.

Please do not guide children's behavior or conversation even a little. Children will lead and therapists will continue

Please do not treat in a hurry. This is a gradual process that must be approved by therapists

Treatment is fixed in the real world only by determining the necessary restrictions and allows the child to recognize his / her responsibility in the relationship.

These principles emphasize the importance that practitioners can use the comprehensive "game tool kit" that the therapist will be able to follow children's leadership

* Axline is influenced by Carl Rogers' people-centered approach. She is considered the founder of game therapy without instructions. Her famous work "Dibs: In Self Self" written in 1964 explains how she can work with Dibs and how he can heal himself. Axline also affected the Violet Oaklander who extended Gestalt's treatment to symptomatic treatment and extended the concept of "tool kit" as described in her book "Windows to Our Children".

These principles are quoted directly from Virginia Axline (1969) Play Therapy. They are long-term necessities for undirected game therapy, but the term "therapist" in each statement is easily referred to as "parents" to help children grow to mental and emotional health "Or" Teacher ".

With over 60 years of influential work, Axline's contribution to guideless game therapy stands out. He is known as the founder of unspecified game therapy, and his work still influences game therapists in many ways. He believes that game therapists should have a small impact on their games and that customers must communicate through their games. Developing the ideas of Axline (1947) and Moustakas (1959), Landreth (2002) improved their theory and developed customer-centered game therapy. "In game therapy, Virginia Axline (1947/69) states that individuals have the ability to solve their own problems within themselves, that growth conditions are optimal in game therapy, and the child becomes independent "(Axline, 1955). She expressed importance of the therapist and made it possible for children to actively explore and investigate rooms and toys with the help of experience and human relations (Axline, 1955)

Game therapy can be divided into two basic types: non-instructions and instructions. Non-directed game therapy is a non-invasive way to encourage children to solve problems through games. Usually classified as psychotherapy. In contrast, educational game therapy is a method involving more structure and instruction from a therapist as children encounter emotional and behavioral difficulties throughout the game. It usually contains behavioral elements and the process involves more hints from therapists. Guided game therapy is more likely to be categorized as cognitive behavioral therapy. Both types of game therapy have at least some experience support. On average, the game treatment group improved 0.8 standard deviation compared to the control group.