Supervision Can Be Playful

This refreshingly playful comprehensive resource will be helpful for the novice and seasoned supervisor alike. I can see applying new techniques within supervision sessions, and with the addition of current topics, this will not be a one-time read but rather a resource to return to. -- Lisa Remey, LPC-S, RPT-S™?, owner, Bluebonnet Center for Play Therapy
This book is a gem that should be mandatory reading for every supervisor. Supervision Can Be Playful: Techniques for Child and Play Therapist Supervisors, Second Edition is jam-packed with amazing resources and interventions from the top experts in the field. It expands the way I do supervision and I now feel equipped with the tools to provide competent, creative, and playful supervision with even the most challenging case. I am grateful that this book exists. -- Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S, owner, Main Line Play Therapy
For those of us on the front lines of teaching and mentoring the rising generations of play therapists, the idea that a second edition of our beloved Supervision Can Be Playful has been in the works is exciting news. Taking a look inside, I was further thrilled to see the sheer breadth and depth of this extensively updated second edition, including the amount of new material, expanded focus on a global perspective, and cultural humility in supervision. The editors have taken care to invite a very skilled group of authors to go beneath the surface of the supervision relationship and incorporate themes of trauma, attachment inclusion, and creativity in this important role. Absolutely required reading for play therapy leaders and practitioners everywhere. -- Ann Beckley-Forest, LCSW-R, RPT-S, licensed clinical social worker, registered play therapy supervisor
By utilizing this essential book authored by Drs. Drewes and Mullen, supervisors can effectively address critical considerations, navigate various situations, and understand the impact of clinical supervision. The incorporation of play-based activities rooted in neurobiology knowledge enables supervisors to provide comprehensive guidance to diverse supervisees while safeguarding against burnout. Each chapter, structured around specific theoretical approaches, incorporates case examples to enhance comprehension and lay a strong foundation. With a significant portion of new chapters and the remainder updated, the information is current and readily applicable. -- Akiko J. Ohnogi, PsyD, clinical psychologist, Ohnogi Psychotherapy and Counseling
This book is a gift to the play therapy community. The wealth of expertise that the contributors share in this book offers an indulgent smorgasbord of theory, a reminder of the importance of referring to a diverse range of frameworks when developing play therapy practice and supervision. It provides a deep dive into the role, purpose, and necessity of supervision in therapeutic work, exploring the complexity and beauty of 'this space between us', as Hawkins and Shohet (Supervision in the Helping Professions, 2012) describe it. The reader is asked to consider the central function of supervision, drawing comparisons with the wisdom of the Aboriginal communities as they call for Dadirri: 'a process of listening, reflecting, observing the feelings and actions, reflecting and learning'. The theory is interspersed with fresh, playful ideas for supervision practice such as the wonderfully named 'Supervisionland'. However, what really makes this book stand out from the crowd is its recognition of the vital role that play therapy supervision holds in building cultural humility and safety in supervisees and, in turn, their clients. This book strongly argues that cultural humility and safety is a lifelong process of self-development as therapists, rather than a set of techniques or strategies we can become 'competent' in. It also argues the need for play therapists to 'de-center' themselves to combat bias and develop cultural humility as a way of being with our clients, which is inherently respectful, curious, and open. As Rise Van Fleet reminds us, for supervision, 'it's all about the relationship'. -- Ruth Lazarus, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services; Sussex NHS Partnership Foundation Trust; Held in Mind CIC; former chair, British Association of Play Therapists

The first edition, published in 2008, was an excellent resource for play therapy supervision, but knowledge has advanced in the field since that time, and this second edition offers much more. It is bound to become the primary source for play therapy supervisors and supervisees, both novice and experienced. It includes all things necessary to provide evidence-informed creative, relational supervision. Experts in the field have edited this volume, and well-known and respected academics and practitioners address a wide variety of topic areas. It will be the 'go-to' for certification preparation, especially when combined with O’Connor, Schaefer, and Braverman’s Handbook of Play Therapy (2015).
Eliana Gil reminds us in the foreword, 'There is no greater responsibility, no greater privilege than to participate in the helping profession of mental health. We rely on supervision and cling to the hope that it will bring us a deeper understanding of the clinical decisions that we make.' My most memorable professional years were spent supervising therapists in training, offering them roots and the means to grow. The alliance formed in supervision is a precious one of resonance, attunement, and empathy—the supervisory relationship becomes a safe place that encourages openness, risk-taking, and personal as well as professional growth. Through supervision, we create the next generation of ethical, competent, research-grounded play therapists.
This valuable source of updated information will strengthen training, teaching, and clinical supervision through hands-on, creative, culturally sensitive methods for play therapy supervision, tailored to those working with children and in specialty areas such as attachment development, group therapy, trauma, teletherapy, and neurodivergence. This timely publication needs to be made available in academic libraries, child welfare offices, training clinics, treatment centers, and private practices. Play therapy and supervision are both art- and science-based, and this volume will add to the field's credibility, professionalism, and expertise.

-- Patricia Pernicano, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist; author of Metaphorical Stories for Child Therapy: Of Magic and Miracles
What a worthwhile book! It fills an arena that has been left impoverished in our field: how do supervisor and supervisee create a parallel universe of play between them that mirrors the playfulness of the therapy with the child? Focusing on both the content and process of supervision, this is a book that will be much read and cherished by all play therapists and their supervisors. -- Steven Tuber, PhD, ABPP, City College of New York; author of Attachment, Play, and Authenticity: Winnicott in a Clinical Context and co-author of Starting Treatment with Children and Adolescents
This comprehensive book will be absolutely ravaged by play therapy supervisors! I imagine many colorfully highlighted pages as the reader progresses through such a valuable offering. Drewes and Mullen have gathered the very best international thinkers, writers, and supervisors to address contemporary topics across diverse settings, inclusive practices, and differing delivery modalities. This book is a testament to the complexity, privilege, and responsibility that encircles the dynamics between supervisor and supervisee. Clean off a corner of your desk because this second volume should never be more than arm's length away. -- Mary Anne Peabody, EdD, LCSW, RPT-S, University of Southern Maine
A must-have text for all play therapy supervisors. This comprehensive text is well structured and accessible, and it practically considers a broad range of relevant issues for supervisors of play therapists. -- Jacki Short, director, Sydney Centre for Creative Change
Supervision Can Be Playful: Techniques for Child and Play Therapist Supervisors, Second Edition provides a rich breadth of knowledge and practice-based guidance to inform supervisory work. Thoughtful reviews of up-to-date literature, along with practice implications and illustrations, are clearly presented across many important and topical areas, such as engaging in ethical and culturally aware supervision practice, providing trauma-informed supervision, and supervising remotely. Throughout this book, the importance of play-based learning in supervision is foregrounded. Some chapters are of specific relevance for supervising child and play therapists, but I found many inspiring illustrations of creative supervision practice that could be applied for supervision across the helping professions, supporting us to maintain vitality, curiosity, creativity, and resilience in our work. -- Aisling McMahon, chair of professional diploma in clinical supervision, Dublin City University
This book is an incredibly useful resource for play therapy supervisors both new and seasoned. It helps guide the supervisor with many interventions to gain insight with work with their client in multiple ways, such as art, music, sand, and writing, targeting many learning styles. There has been careful care and attention to the additions to this book from renowned professionals, and a portion on telehealth and secondary trauma has been added as well—a must-have post-pandemic. -- Kristen Melcher, LMHC, RPT-S, CCPT-S
This text is a must-have resource for play therapists around the world. International contributors have provided valuable insight into the importance of the relationship between supervisor and supervisee so that those who visit our play spaces feel heard, seen, and held on their healing journey. -- Theresa Fraser, Maritime Play Therapy Centre, Changing Steps Child and Family Counselling
This significantly expanded edition of Drewes and Mullen’s already impressive book is as, the authors intended, truly 'inclusive and encompassing', bringing a rich, contemporary, and importantly global perspective to the scope of supervision issues. It will be an immensely valuable resource for clinical supervisors to refer to for up-to-date thinking on how to support their supervisees, whether they are in training or fully qualified play therapists, and to discover fresh ideas for play-based approaches to enhance their supervisory relationship. The 30 expansive chapters draw on the diverse expertise and wisdom of high-profile play therapists from around the world, all of whom are responsive to current pressing societal needs for practitioners who are aware of ethical and cultural sensitivities and who can adapt their clinical and supervisory practice to different populations and contexts, including remote working and systemic collaborations. Many chapters also contain accessible and practical ideas of experiential activities for use in supervision to make the experience more playful, creative, and relational, and thus more effective. -- Lisa Gordon Clark, BAPT-accredited play therapist; former programme convener, Play Therapy MA, University of Roehampton, London; editor, British Journal of Play Therapy
I wish I had this book when I first began supervising. Wow! It offers such great insights for why a student might be feeling stuck with a client and then suggests practical interventions to use in supervision. -- Clarissa Salinas, The University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley
Supervision Can Be Playful is an insightful collection enriched with the wisdom and learning of the authors. I am already using their creative techniques to guide and reflect on the supervision process and in doing so, deepening what I bring to my supervisees as I facilitate and accompany them on their journeys as play therapists and also my own practice and how I use my own clinical supervision space. -- Sara Greig, InsideOutside Therapy, Scotland
This second edition is an invitation to access creativity in all its forms when holding the supervision space. It promotes the need for humility, open-mindedness, curiosity, playfulness, and joy to maximize the depth and discoveries that creative supervision can engender. -- Jess Jäger, MBAPT, Lewes Play Therapy
A very necessary, concise yet broad range of topics covered in this play therapy supervision book. This will make an excellent resource to assist supervisors working with a diverse range of supervisees. I was particularly excited and pleased to see the chapter relating to healthcare professionals because I was trained as a hospital play specialist in the 1980s, prior to MSc Play Therapist, and I supervise play therapists working with oncology and life-limiting diseases. A really exciting and valuable collection of topics covered within this book. -- Shirley Fenwick, BAPT registered play therapist and clinical supervisor
This book skillfully combines theory and practice with a variety of detailed case examples demonstrating how the use of playful interventions in supervision can foster the professional identity development of both beginning and experienced play therapists. Using a hands-on, creative approach, this excellent resource and guide convincingly argues about the value of expressive and creative arts as effective tools in facilitating the professional growth of play therapy practitioners. -- Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, BCD, RPT-S, Distinguished Professor and James R. Dumpson Chair in Child Welfare Studies, Fordham University
This book is a passionately written, comprehensive, and valued contribution to the field of supervision and play therapy. Each chapter combines the wisdom and expertise of many extraordinary clinicians, thereby opening the door for those of us who are supervisors and for those intending to become supervisors to expand our approaches and deepen our personal development. -- Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D., LMFT, Author, Speaker, Trainer
I have been waiting for a book like this for 20 years! In my role as a play therapy supervisor, it has been frustrating not to have a guide for my practice in that area. Now I have one. Mullen and Drewes have gathered a potpourri of incredibly helpful chapters that cover everything from supervision models and cultural competence in play therapy supervision to the special considerations in supervising specific populations to facilitating self-awareness in the play therapy supervisee. They even include techniques for infusing the supervision process with fun. What more could you want? -- Terry Kottman, Ph.D., RPT-S, founder, The Encouragement Zone; author, Partners in Play: An Adlerian Approach to Play Therapy and Play Therapy: Basics and Bey
Practical advice for enhancing the supervision process by creative and playful interactions. A must-read...