Ethical Considerations in Play Therapy With Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents

This chapter discusses the ethical challenges of working as a play therapist with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. While these challenges exist in addition to the fundamental ethical considerations inherent in all play therapy work, this chapter focuses on the complexities of assessing competence across roles in treating clients who have experienced sexual abuse. The chapter explores the two different roles of play therapists as treating clinicians and as forensic evaluators, how these roles may overlap, the importance of role delineation, and the appropriate training and supervision needed for each to engage in ethical practice. Finally, the chapter highlights the importance of emotional competence and concludes by underscoring the necessity of careful attention to ethical concerns in working with this population.