Christian Bellissimo

Christian is a graduate of Seton Hall University and Rutgers University, with degrees in Psychology and Clinical Social Work. He is a New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Certified School Social Worker, and a Registered Play Therapist with the Association for Play Therapy. After more than 14 years of working with young children in a wide range of settings, including a public school system, a domestic violence agency, and private practice, Christian has learned the value of integrating the most influential adults into a child's therapy as soon as possible. His premise is that once the child's individual therapeutic needs have been met, the adult who spends the most time with a child is in a better position to create lasting change than a play therapist who sees a child an hour a week. With this objective in mind, he has written Universal Play Therapy, a user-friendly guide that can be easily applied by a parent, foster parent, or other relative at home, or a teacher or childcare professional in a classroom setting.