Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 12-2-2023
Publication Title
The Korean Society of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Volume
39
Issue
4
Pages
299-328
Publisher Location
Korea
Abstract
This study explores Theraplay, a distinct approach within play therapy, to clarify the essence and meaning of play as it emerges in therapeutic contexts. Using a phenomenological methodology, the study applies free imaginative variation to uncover the essential structures of play in Theraplay. Drawing on Edmund Husserl's concepts of intentionality (Noesis-Noema), the analysis interprets video data to illuminate lived experience within therapeutic interactions. The study is further informed by existential and hermeneutic perspectives, including Martin Heidegger, Max van Manen, and Hans-George Gadamer, incorporating concepts such as the hermeneutic circle, epoche, intersubjectivity, and intertextuality. Findings identify key characteristics of play in Theraplay: multi-sensory engagement, play that extends beyond conventional boundaries, relational interaction, and parent-child play. The meaning of play is organized into three thematic dimensions: fundament, transition, and transcendence. The findings suggest that play in THeraplay operates primarily through relational power rather than solely as a therapeutic technique. Theraplay may function as a foundational or preparatory intervention that supports the implementation of other play-based or therapeutic modalities. The study also situates Theraplay within its historical evolution, noting a shift toward neurobiological, integrative, and developmentally prescriptive approaches aligned with children's brain development.
Recommended Citation
Hong, Rana and Shin, Hyunjung. Phenomenological Study on the Meaning of Play in Theraplay®. The Korean Society of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 39, 4: 299-328, 2023. Retrieved from Loyola eCommons, Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works, http://dx.doi.org/10.33770/JEBD.39.4.14
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
© Korean Society for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2023.
Comments
Author Posting © Korean Society for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2023. This article is posted here by permission of Sage Publications for personal use, not for redistribution. The article was published in Youth and Society, Volume 39, Iss.4, December 2, 2023, https://doi.org/10.33770/JEBD.39.4.14.