Incorporating Mindfulness in Adlerian Play Therapy

Abstract:In recent years, there has been growing empirical evidence of the benefits of mindfulness practices for physical and mental health. While this research has focused primarily on adults and adolescents, there is evidence to support these interventions with children. This article describes how mindfulness and gratitude practices can be integrated into Adlerian play therapy (AdPT) as a developmentally appropriate intervention to promote insight and awareness. The article includes a description of how mindfulness interventions may be incorporated at each phase of AdPT, a case example involving mindfulness interventions as part of an AdPT group for 8- to 10-year-olds, and lessons learned by the authors in incorporating mindfulness interventions in AdPT.