Hidden Treasure: A Map to the Child's Inner Self

Hidden Treasure is a follow up to Oaklander's first book, Windows To Our Children. Most of the books available in working with this population are written from a traditional 'play therapy' point of view. The Gestalt Therapy-based approach provides a more effective method for psychotherapeutic work with children of all ages. The focus is on the relationship between the therapist and client, rather than observation and interpretation. It is a vigorous, dynamic approach.Violet Oaklander uses a wide variety of creative, expressive and projective techniques in her work, and each chapter reflects and exemplifies the use of this work in the service of therapy. The approach is applicable to a wide variety of ages, as well as individual, family and group settings. The book will interest child and adolescent psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, interns, school personnel as well as graduate-level students. Parents may also find it helpful, as well as adults who are interested in the child within.

About the Author :
Violet Oaklander has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology; a Master of Arts in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling; and a Master of Science in Special Education with emotionally disturbed children. She completed three years of training with the Los Angeles Gestalt Therapy Institute and has been certified since 1973. She taught emotionally disturbed children in the Long Beach, CA school district for six years, and from 1972 until 1999 maintained a full time private practice in Long Beach, Hermosa Beach and later in Santa Barbara, CA. She is certified by the Play Therapy Association as a play therapist supervisor, as well as with Play Therapy International. Dr Oaklander spent many years as an instructor for the extension program of the University of California at the campuses in Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and San Diego and has been an adjunct faculty member of Pacifica Graduate Institute located in Carpenteria, CA as well as the California Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara. She has traveled extensively throughout the country and the world giving training seminars on her approach to working with children and adolescents. Dr Oaklander's unique approach to working with children - which combines Gestalt Therapy theory, philosophy, and practice with a variety of expressive techniques - has won international recognition and she has received several awards for her cotribution to the mental health field.

Review :
'Hidden Treasure is an essential text for all play therapy practitioners and students. It is a work of great wisdom that distils the vast experience of Violet Oaklander's work with children of all ages and adolescents. The many, many practical examples fully illustrate the application of Gestalt principles in building successful therapeutic relationships to enable the children to discover their true inner selves. This inspiring work will surely become a major landmark in the field just as Windows to Our Children emerged some thirty years ago.' - Monika Jephcott, Prof. (IBECPT), President Play Therapy International 'Hidden Treasure will sit happily alongside Windows to our Children on the shelves of practitioners around the world. It offers a gentle and developmentally appropriate approach to helping children heal - and to helping adults understand children.' - Peter Mortola, PhD, Associate Professor of Counseling and School Psychology, Lewis and Clark College