Gestalt Play Therapy With Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents

Gestalt play therapy is a process-oriented, experiential therapy that focuses on the integrated functioning of all aspects of the child: senses, body, emotions, and intellect. This chapter describes the integration of principles of gestalt play therapy, trauma-focused treatment, and elements of story writing in co-creating a trauma narrative with a client who has been the victim of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). An account of how these elements were unified into a cohesive therapy process in which the child incorporates a “making sense” of his experience while also finding renewed strength and support from the therapist, family, and community is provided. This chapter additionally includes an overview of the basic tenets of Gestalt play therapy as well as a literature review.