Client-centered Art and Play Therapy for Childhood Withdrawal: A Case Report Using the Play Therapy Dimensions Model

This case report presents the application of a client-centered approach integrating art and play therapy techniques to support an eight-year-old child exhibiting persistent withdrawal behaviors. Grounded in the Play Therapy Dimensions Model (PTDM), the intervention aimed to facilitate emotional regulation, social engagement, and self-expression. The therapeutic process was guided by non-directive principles, with creative modalities such as painting, sand tray play, and therapeutic storytelling forming the intervention’s core across 12 weekly sessions. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), supported by structured therapist observations and parental interviews. The child, initially characterized by anxiety, avoidance of peer interaction, and emotional inhibition, showed notable progress in emotional expression and social responsiveness. Artwork themes and metaphorical processing through storytelling reflected the child’s evolving internal world and emergent coping strategies. Neuropsychological and attachment-based theories were employed to interpret behavioral and expressive changes, highlighting the hemispheric processing of affect and the therapeutic utility of metaphor. The study underscores the effectiveness of client-centered play-based modalities in addressing internalizing difficulties among children and proposes the PTDM framework as a clinically useful structure for tailoring interventions.