Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Vita: p. 105. Thesis director: Carol J. Erdwins. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Aug. 28, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-104). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed December 4, 2006). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 498-526).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 28, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-74).

No abstract available / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Acadia University, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-82). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No abstract available / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The aim of the research study was to explore resilience in refugee children, using a Gestalt approach to play therapy. The hypothesis, was that a Gestalt approach to play therapy could promote resilience in Refugee children. A literature review was conducted. This revealed that unaccompanied refugee children were unique because they need to deal with trauma, loss and change while having to adjust to living in a new country and many have to learn to speak a new language. The research method was a multiple case study and an intervention research model was used to implement the research. Schoeman's Working Model was used as the Gestalt play therapy approach. Attributes of resilient children were used to measure the results. The researcher concluded that play therapy with a Gestalt approach may promote resilience in refugee children because it increases the numbers of protective factors in a child's life. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The aim of the research study was to explore resilience in refugee children, using a Gestalt approach to play therapy. The hypothesis, was that a Gestalt approach to play therapy could promote resilience in Refugee children. A literature review was conducted. This revealed that unaccompanied refugee children were unique because they need to deal with trauma, loss and change while having to adjust to living in a new country and many have to learn to speak a new language. The research method was a multiple case study and an intervention research model was used to implement the research. Schoeman's Working Model was used as the Gestalt play therapy approach. Attributes of resilient children were used to measure the results. The researcher concluded that play therapy with a Gestalt approach may promote resilience in refugee children because it increases the numbers of protective factors in a child's life. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The researcher wanted to explore the experiences of children who removal by a social worker either to an institution or to foster homes. The researcher wanted to find out if the behaviour of absconding could be explained by using systems theory, contructivism, cybernetics and person- centered theory. The researcher hypothesized that children abscond from alternative care as a means of communicating with the social worker involved as well as any other person significant in their lives. The study wanted to explore how these children perceived their involvement in the decision making process of their removal. The researcher only interviewed children who had absconded from the alternative care placements. The study found that all the children interviewed perceived that they were not involved in any way in the process of removal. They all saw their removal as a form of punishment for something they did wrong, but they did not get an opportunity to discuss with their parents or significant others. They also perceived their absconding as an effort to rectify the situation. A lot of anger and suspicion towards social workers was encountered during the study. In terms of the theories mentioned above, these perceptions are the children’s own reality, which might differ from the realities as created or perceived by social workers. It is hypothesized that social workers who use the Child Care Act 74/83 and its regulations in the removal of children, do it to protect the children from risky situations as their job responsibility requires. This study indicates that the children did not experience removal as protection. Instead of children feeling protected in the alternative care, they felt blamed, judged and unhappy about their removal and excluded from the process. The researcher made a few suggestions that could be considered when social workers removing children to alternative care. It is recommended that social workers involve the children and their parents or significant others in the entire process of deciding the future of any children in their (parents’) care. However, if removal is deemed necessary, just telling or informing children that they will be removed for their own safety is not enough. Children might not perceive the situation as dangerous. Instead, they might see the social worker as posing a danger to them and their families and thus try to shut the social worker and what s/he says out of their minds. Findings safe ways to involve children and families in the decisions about their future may require of social workers to revive their academically acquired knowledge in this respect. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Sciences (Mental Health))

Parental alienation is described as a child’s unreasonable rejection of one parent due to the influence of the other parent combined with the child’s own contributions. This phenomenon arises mainly in families of divorce where elevated levels of parental conflict, and care and contact disputes lead to increased tension and antagonism between the parties. The perspectives of family counsellors, who conduct assessments of children from families of divorce to make best-interest assessments for contact and care arrangements or to formulate and implement interventions, on parental alienation, were explored in this qualitative study. A literature study was undertaken to define parental alienation and to place the phenomenon in a South African context, specifically with reference to children’s legislature, and care and contact issues. From this, a theoretical framework for the study was constructed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight family counsellors in the Western Cape to explore their experience of the problem. Seven themes were identified, by which the perspectives of family counsellors regarding parental alienation were described in detail. The themes are: Theme 1: Parental alienation during divorce Theme 2: Characteristic properties of parental alienation Theme 3: False accusations during parental alienation Theme 4: Assessing for parental alienation Theme 5: Interventions for parental alienation Theme 6: Parental alienation in the judicial context Theme 7: Needs of family counsellors regarding parental alienation / Psychology / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)