Dalena Dillman Taylor, PhD, LPC, RPT, is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, past president of the North Texas Association for Play Therapy (2013–2014), and the play therapy certificate coordinator at UCF. Dr. Dillman Taylor graduated from the University of North Texas with doctorate of philosophy in counseling, with a specialty in play therapy in 2013. Dr. Dillman Taylor is a trained Adlerian play therapist and focuses her research on the effectiveness of Adlerian play therapy with children and adolescents who demonstrate disruptive behaviors or academic difficulties in the classroom and at home.
In This Episode:
Child Parent Relationship Therapy, also known as CPRT, was developed as an adaptation of the Gurney’s Filial Model. Garry Landreth adapted this model to be delivered in 10 weeks. This type of therapy teaches parents Child Centered Play Therapy skills in an experiential way. It strengthens the relationship between children and their parents and/or caregivers. This program helps parents step back and look at the child’ holistically while remaining focused on the relationship. CPRT sessions are designed for groups, so that parents can connect and realize that they are not alone while learning from each other. The group sessions are usually 2 hours per week, and after the 3rd week each parent and child (usually only one child at a time) have a special play session at home for 30 minutes to practice the skills. Each group session is designed intentionally to help them feel successful and proud of what they are learning, so only one main skill is focused on. The child centered play therapy skills are different from regular play time. They focus on allowing the child to lead in the play without teaching or disciplining, but rather deeply connecting on a meaningful way that can boost children’s self-confidence, self-esteem, feelings of self-efficacy, and so much more. The “Be With” attitudes are an important component of CPRT. I’M HERE, I HEAR YOU, I CARE, and I UNDERSTAND.” This is not to be confused with always agreeing with the child or being permissive, but rather embraces a strong element of presence without judgement – positive or negative. Dr. Dillman Taylor mentions Dr. Dan Siegel’s brain research with children. His work is so valuable when understanding what helps kids self-regulate their behavior and emotions. Dr. Dillman Taylor mentions Dr. Risë VanFleet as a great resource of how this approach can be adapted to work with individuals and couples. The CPRT manual is set up in a way that is convenient and packed full of knowledge and extras such as appointment cards, door hangers, assessments and much more. It’s important for parents to communicate to the child that the special CPRT playtime is important and valued. This type of therapy incorporates role play so that parents really get good practice with the use of some of the skills before they use it with their children. Dr. Dillman Taylor’s favorite rules of thumbs from the CPRT model are the following: (These are directly from the CPRT Manual)“Be a thermostat, not a thermometer! Learn to RESPOND (reflect) rather than REACT. The child’s feelings are not your feelings and needn’t escalate with him/her.”
“What’s most important may not be what you do, but what you do after what you did! We are certain to make mistakes, but we can recover. It is how we handle our mistakes that make the difference. “
Knowing how the brain works as it relates to behavior is so helpful. Dr. Dan Siegel has a wonderful “handy” model of the brain that can support this understanding with adults and children. Dr. Dillman Taylor has a CPRT Training coming up in JUNE 8-10th. It is a great training! If you are a therapist living in or near Orlando, or if you are traveling from afar, this training is so worth your time. It is one of the most valuable trainings that I have ever had the pleasure of attending. I highly recommend it. Click Here to RegisterResources
Mindfulness, Brain Hand Model by Dr. Dan Siegel’s Video
CPRT Training in June 2016 with Dr. Taylor
