ABSTRACT
Group play therapy in Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) can be as Dickens (1859) famously wrote one of “the worst of times”, and at the same time, one of “the best of times” (p. 9). TRC is largely populated by youth who suffer complex trauma deliberately inflicted in most cases by the people who are entrusted to love and care for them. The core element of trust in therapeutic relationships and especially in groups with peers are compromised by the cumulative impact of adverse childhood experiences. Youth are triggered frequently and unpredictably by trauma memories making the role of the group play therapist always challenging and never dull. Yet, a successful experience in group play therapy may be more validating and enriching than working with an individual therapist and especially in reducing shame, secrecy, and stigma so endemic to interpersonal trauma. Some of the rewards and challenges will be summarized in this chapter.
