Search

School counselors are uniquely qualified to meet the increasing mental health needs of students within the school setting. Play therapy is an evidence-based intervention used by school counselors to address the mental health needs of youth. Job demands require school counselors to provide goal-focused and time-sensitive interventions. Accordingly, this article describes how to utilize play therapy within the ASCA National Model and provides examples for elementary school counselors implementing play therapy interventions with students. A case example illustrates individual play therapy goal setting.

The three-factor model structure of the School Counseling Program Implementation Survey was tested with a national sample (N=275) of school counselors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested a modified two-factor model was the most appropriate fit. Implications and future research for the school counseling profession are discussed.