Gestalt play therapy is a technique that uses play to allow children to express their problems in a symbolic manner and is based on the principles of gestalt therapy which is phenomenological (the aim and the methodology are awareness), based on existential dialogue, and holistic in its understanding of the interdependence between the individual and his or her environmental field. Blom (a company director for the Foundation for the Development of Emotional Intelligence in Children, South Africa) presents a practitioner's guide to utilizing gestalt play therapy, as founded by Violet Oaklander, in psychotherapeutic practice. She provides chapters on building the therapeutic relationship and treatment planning, contact-making and building self-support, emotional expression, and termination of therapy. She also addresses special issues for therapy with grieving and traumatized children and children in middle childhood years with HIV/AIDS. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)