A Therapist's Guide to Child Development

Praise for the first edition:

“What a wonderful new resource for play therapists and others who work with children. It is truly ‘extraordinary’! Dr. Ray and her coauthors have found a very usable, focused way to describe the development of each childhood year. This is unusually detailed, very helpful, and insightful! The handouts for parents are an added plus and add to making this book a winner! And a new supplementary textbook for my classes!

Linda Homeyer, PhD, LPCS, RPTS, distinguished professor emerita, Texas State University

“A Therapist’s Guide to Child Development is an essential addition to the play therapy literature. This edited book does a masterful job of integrating the classic works in child development with the work of play therapists. The structure of the book is makes it an easy-to-read resource, as the chapters are organized by age, and each chapter has the same sections. This book is a must have for play therapists, parents of young children, and students.”

Phyllis Post, PhD, LPCS, RPT, professor of counseling and director of the Multicultural Play Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

“Dr. Ray’s book is a practical resource that all child counselors and counselors-in-training should own! Dr. Ray integrates and applies developmental theories, clinical expertise, and brain research to developmentally appropriate work with children birth to 12. This text will be one that child therapists will reference again and again in their work with children, parents, and teachers.”

April Schottelkorb, PhD, LPC, RPT-S, Big Sky Pediatric Counseling & Consulting, Kalispell, Montana

“Dr. Ray specializes in play therapy and this book is aimed at therapists and counselors working in this field. There is an impressive list of contributors from academic, mental health and counseling backgrounds who each contribute a chapter to the book […] This is a very interesting and useful guide to child development, which helps the reader to understand what is ‘normal’ at each age and stage of childhood.”

SEN Magazine

Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, is regents emeritus professor in the Counseling Program and director emeritus of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. She is co-owner and play therapist at EmpathyWell, PLLC, in Highland Village, Texas.