Play-Based Interventions for Childhood Anxieties, Fears, and Phobias

Athena A. Drewes, Psych, RPT-S, is a licensed child psychologist, certified school psychologist, and registered play therapist and supervisor. She is Director of Clinical Training and the Psychology Doctoral Internship at Astor Services for Children and Families in Poughkeepsie, New York. Since the 1970s, Dr. Drewes has utilized an integrative play therapy approach with children and adolescents experiencing a range of clinical issues in school and in outpatient and inpatient settings. She is a past board member of the Association for Play Therapy and founder and president emeritus of the New York Association for Play Therapy. She has published numerous books on play therapy and is a frequently invited guest lecturer in the United States and internationally. Charles E. Schaefer, PhD, RPT-S, until his death in 2020, was Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. A pioneering play therapist, he was Cofounder and Director Emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy, which recognized him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Schaefer published more than 100 research articles and over 70 professional books, including Prescriptive Play Therapy; Play-Based Interventions for Childhood Anxieties, Fears, and Phobias; and Essential Play Therapy Techniques.