Early life
Virginia Axline was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Roy G. Axline and Helen G. Axline. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio.Academic career
After teaching elementary school for several years, Axline attended graduate school at Ohio State University where she began collaborating with Carl Rogers. She also studied at Columbia University Teachers College, and completed her doctorate in Education in 1950. She taught and did research at the University of Chicago for three years, then at Columbia University for seven years, and continued teaching at the New York University School of Medicine and School of Education before returning to Ohio State University. Once back in Ohio, Axline opened a private practice.Axline's Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
Virginia Axline is best known for her influence on child-centered play therapy (CCPT) which, unlike the standard treatments of the time, offers the child the opportunity for self-development, growth and social interaction. Some therapists use play therapy as a vehicle for diagnosis. A deep understanding of a child's underlying issues can be gained by watching a child's play. Both structured and unstructured play are encouraged. This provides the child opportunity for both behavioral and cognitive growth and development. A common technique used in play therapy is desensitization. Desensitization can help a child reprogram disruptive behaviors.Core principles
Axline identified eight core principles of CCPT: # The therapeutic relationship must be engaging, inviting, and warm from the beginning. # The child must be unconditionally accepted by the therapist. # The therapeutic environment must be totally non-judgmental for the child to feel uninhibited and willing to express emotions, feelings, and behaviors. # The therapist must be attentive and sensitive to the child's behaviors in order to provide reflective behaviors back to the child, this way he or she may develop self-awareness. # The child must be able to find solutions to his or her problems whenever possible. This way the child understands that they are solely responsible for the changes in behavior that he or she does not make. # Through dialogue and actions, the therapist acts as a shadow, allowing the child to lead the way through this therapeutic journey. # The therapist recognizes that the procedure is steady and should progress at the child's pace. # The only limitations are ones that ensure that the therapeutic process stay genuine and the child remain in the realm of reality, that he or she be aware of their purpose and role in the therapy. The value of play therapy is still debated to this day. Many experts believe that it is not possible to do effective therapy through non-directive means, arguing that therapy should be directed for the purpose of methodology, boundaries, and safety. Others argue that other available therapies and more effective for some children.Notable works
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Axline, Virginia American women psychologists 20th-century American psychologists Teachers College, Columbia University alumni Ohio State University alumni 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 1911 births 1988 deaths Teachers College, Columbia University faculty American women non-fiction writers American women academics