The Association for Play Therapy recently bestowed its Research Award to a team that includes a College of Education and Health Professions faculty member and two college alums.

The researchers, Kristi L. Perryman, Samantha Robinson, Timothy K. Schoonover and Julia Conroy, won the award for their article, "Psychophysiological Insights into Child-Centered Play Therapy for Trauma: A Case Study."

One of the study's main goals was to make progress towards developing treatments that could help children who have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences. Researchers analyzed the heart rate of a child who had experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences during play therapy sessions to gauge what responses to trauma the child had developed.

"I am very excited and honored to be recognized with this award by the Association for Play Therapy," Perryman said. "Children in Arkansas experience an adverse childhood experience more frequently than in any other state, and the lifelong impacts of childhood trauma are tremendous in terms of mental and physical healthcare and costs."

APT's Research Award is awarded to published research that "significantly develops, promotes or advances the value of play, play therapy and credentialed play therapists."

Perryman said the project was a group effort that would not have been possible without the help of all her team members.

"This type of study is very labor intensive, with multiple physiological measurements for each second during the session, and it would have been impossible to conduct without the efforts of this research team, as well as consulting with other professionals from around the country," she said.

Co-author Robinson is an associate professor of statistics and data sciences at the U of A's Center for Agricultural Data Analytics. She previously worked in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the College of Engineering's Data Science program.

Alumni Conroy and Schoonover graduated from the College of Education and Health Professions in 2021 with doctorates in counselor education and supervision. 

Conroy now works as a licensed professional counselor at the Joshua Center, and Schoonover serves as an assistant professor in Northern Illinois University's Department of Counseling and Higher Education.

In addition to her role as an associate professor of counselor education, Perryman is the director and founder of the Office of Play Therapy Research and Training in the College of Education and Health Professions. She was also recently named chair-elect for APT's Board of Directors, where she will aid in advancing APT's mission to support the professional development, research and credentialing of those dedicated to the growth of play therapy.

Those interested can learn more about the Office of Play Therapy Research and Training by visiting their website.