Are you a counselor educator seeking high-quality, practical teaching tools focused on work with children and adolescents? The materials featured here are designed to bridge theory and practice while supporting excellence in counselor education across training programs.
This page includes simulated counseling videos with children and adolescents, a growing syllabus library, recommendations for current textbooks, and curated legal and ethical resources relevant to child and adolescent counseling. Together, these resources aim to support instruction, supervision, and curriculum development while promoting best practices and professional standards. ACAC will continue to expand this collection to reflect emerging research, evolving legal considerations, and the diverse needs of counselor educators and their students.
Child and Adolescent Counseling Best Practices (Jacoby et al., 2026)
Legal and Ethical Resources
Articles and Webpages:
Books:
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Counseling Children and Adolescent Course Resources
Textbook Library:
Counseling Children (9th ed.)
by Donna A. Henderson & Charles L. Thompson
ISBN: 978-1285464541
Counseling Children and Adolescents
by Victoria Kress, Ph.D., Matthew Paylo. Ph.D., & Nicole Stargell, Ph.D.
ISBN: 978-0134745138
Child and Adolescent Counseling: An Integrated Approach
by Brenda Jones, Ph.D. & Beth A. Durodoye, Ed.D.
ISBN: 978-0826147639
Child and Adolescent Therapy: Science and Art (3rd ed.)
by Jeremy P. Shapiro
ISBN: 978-1-394-23073-0
Counseling Children and Adolescents (5th ed.)
by Ann Vernon & Christine J. Schimmel
ISBN: 978-1516531196
Counselling Children: A Practical Introduction (6th ed.)
by Kathryn Geldard & Rebecca Yin Foo
ISBN: 978-1529669039
Counselling Adolescents: The Proactive Approach for Young People (5th ed.)
by Kathryn Geldard, David Geldard, & Rebecca Yin Foo
ISBN: 978-1526463531
Counseling Children and Adolescents: Working in School and Clinical Mental Health Settings (2nd ed.)
by Jolie Ziomek-Daigle
ISBN: 978-1032532455
Supplemental Classroom Books:
by Garry L. Landreth, Ed.D.
Foundational text that highlights the central role of the therapeutic relationship in play therapy.
A Practical Handbook for Building the Play Therapy Relationship
by Maria Giordano, Ph.D., Garry Landreth, Ed.D., & Leslie Jones, Ph.D.
Practical handbook on building the play therapy relationship offers a comprehensive guide for therapists seeking to establish strong, trusting connections with young clients through play therapy.
Partners in Play: An Adlerian Approach (3rd ed.)
by Terry Kottman, Ph.D. & Kristin Meany-Walen, Ph.D.
Provides an in-depth exploration of using Adlerian principles in play therapy.
The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Play: Brain-Building Interventions for Emotional Well-Being
by Theresa A. Kestly
Drawing on interpersonal neurobiology, the book explains how play supports attunement, neural integration, healthy attachment, and resilience. It is organized into three sections covering the foundations of play and brain development, therapeutic play practices, and the role of play in families, clinics, and schools.
Advanced Play Therapy: Essential Conditions, Knowledge, and Skills for Child Practice
by Dee C. Ray, Ph.D.
Comprehensive guide that delves into the advanced concepts and techniques of play therapy.
Cultural Issues in Play Therapy (2nd ed.)
by Eliana Gil, Ph.D. & Athena A. Drewes, Psy.D.
Explores how children’s cultural identities shape the challenges they bring to therapy and the ways they express themselves.
by Dee C. Ray, Ph.D., Yumiko Ogawa, Ph.D., & Yi-Ju Cheng, Ph.D.
Each chapter helps expand play therapists’ cultural awareness, humility, and competence so they can work more effectively with children of diverse cultures, races, and belief systems.
Dibs in Search of Self
by Virginia M. Axline, Ed.D.
Seminal work in child psychology that tells the true story of a young boy named Dibs who engages in play therapy.
The Healing Power of Play: Working with Abused Children
by Eliana Gil, Ph.D.
Explores how play therapy can be an effective method for helping children who have experienced abuse.
Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children
by Cathy A. Malchiodi, Ph.D.
Provides a comprehensive collection of creative therapeutic techniques for helping children who have experienced trauma.
Creative Arts and Play Therapy for Attachment Problems
by Cathy A. Malchiodi, Ph. D. & David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D.
Explores therapeutic techniques that use creative arts and play to address attachment issues in children.
A Practical Guide to Play Therapy in the Outdoors: Working in Nature
by Alison Chown
A resource that explores the benefits and methods of conducting play therapy sessions in outdoor settings.
Podcasts:
General Counseling Podcasts
This podcast is a great resource for learning how to help children and teens thrive in a complicated and challenging world. It’s filled with helpful information about ADHD, Autism, Neurodiversity, Depression, Online Safety, and so much more.
This is an educational podcast designed for counselling students and practicing therapists. It explores counselling theory, ethical practice, and real-world clinical issues while breaking down complex concepts in an accessible and practical way for learners and professionals. Episodes often include segments on professional development, therapeutic skills, and current topics in counselling practice.
This podcast is designed for counseling students who are navigating grad school. Daily coursework and other relevant counseling topics are explored. Guests are fellow students and licensed professionals.
Explore the transformative power of play therapy—from practical tips for therapists to inspirational stories for anyone interested in nurturing growth through play. We’ll help you understand the ‘why’ behind what we do and the skills we use when working with children to help them heal and grow.
Explore how trauma, attachment, and personal life stories shape people’s emotional and relational experiences. Through teaching and interviews, the podcast examines how experiences such as abuse, grief, and family-of-origin wounds affect the heart and mind while offering insights into healing, restoration, and personal growth.
School Counseling Podcasts
This is a podcast dedicated to energizing high school counseling programs while reminding you of how much you love your job! This podcast will give you the confidence you need to implement actionable ideas into your high school counseling program… all while having a little fun along the way!
This podcast provides practical, easy-to-implement strategies for busy school counselors. Episodes typically feature short, actionable discussions and guest interviews covering topics such as classroom lessons, small groups, behavior management, and program organization to help counselors support more students while maintaining balance in their roles.
This podcast offers candid, research-informed discussions about the realities of working as a school counselor. It focuses on topics such as role clarity, student behavior, advocacy, and building effective counseling programs while questioning common practices and encouraging counselors to think critically about their work. The podcast aims to provide practical insights and honest conversations that help school counselors feel supported and more confident.
Simulated Counseling Videos
Simulated Counseling Videos
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