ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author considers some of the ways in which she have adapted her own practice to work safely and effectively within strict time constraints, and some more general thoughts about offering time-limited play therapy. She examines the advantages of short-term play therapy, as well as some potential dangers and contraindications to working in this way. The author offers some alternatives to individual play therapy which might be usefully considered. Financial limitations, waiting lists and organisational policies often limit the number of therapy sessions that can be offered to each child, meaning that therapists are required to work within much more time-limited conditions than they would like, or than they experienced during training. In many respects, non-directive play therapy is ideally suited to situations where limited time is available. Clients in long-term therapy can have something of a ‘latency phase’ in the middle, where the process settles into a comfortable routine.
