Play Therapy in Hong Kong Schools: Views from School Personnel and Play Therapists

Play Therapy in Hong Kong Schools: Views from School Personnel and Play Therapists

School-based play therapy has been widely implemented over the past two decades. It is, however, a relatively new service in Hong Kong school settings, and its implementation has not yet been empirically investigated. These case studies of one local and one international primary school in Hong Kong looked into how play therapy was implemented in school settings from the views of school personnel and play therapists. The aim of this study was to understand their perceptions of school-based play therapy in Hong Kong and to explore the differences in the implementation between the local and international primary schools. Qualitative data collected from interviews revealed that although the implementation of play therapy differed slightly between the local and international schools, the overall experience of the school personnel and their support provided in relation to the service were generally positive. The findings also suggested that the implementation was not fully affected by the cultural background and the nature of the schools, but rather by the understanding of the value of play and play therapy among school stakeholders. Implications for further studies and practice are discussed.