Kristin Meany-Walen

Clinical Assistant Professor of Counseling

Kristin Meany-Walen smiling

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Kristin Meany-Walen

Clinical Assistant Professor of Counseling

 

In addition to being a clinical assistant professor at UNI, Dr. Meany-Walen maintains a private counseling practice in Cedar Falls. Prior to her current position, she began at UNI as an adjunct faculty member. Previously, she was a faculty member at the University of North Texas and a mental health coordinator with the Waterloo Community School District.

Dr. Meany-Walen is a leading researcher in Adlerian play therapy. She led the first study of Adlerian play therapy, which was instrumental in the approach being recognized as an evidence-based treatment by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Education

PhD—Counseling, University of North Texas

MA—Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of Northern Iowa

BA—Psychology and Sociology, Upper Iowa University

Teaching Interests
  • play therapy
  • children & adolescents counseling
  • counseling skills
  • group counseling
  • internship and practicum supervision
Research Interests
  • Adlerian play therapy
  • school-based counseling
  • working with families
  • wellness
  • supervision
Professional Accomplishments

Books

Kottman, T., & Meany-Walen, K. (2018). Doing play therapy: from building the relationship to facilitating change. Guilford Press.

Kottman, T., & Meany-Walen, K. (2016). Partners in play: an Adlerian approach to play therapy. American Counseling Association.

Book Chapters

Ceballos, P. L., Carnes-Holt, K., & Meany, K. K. (2019).  CPRT preadolescent model. In S. C. Bratton, & G. L. Landreth (Eds.), Child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT) treatment manual. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537986

Ceballos, P. L., Meany-Walen, K., & Carnes-Holt, K. (2019). Adapting CPRT for parents of preadolescents. In G. L. Landreth, & S. C. Bratton (Eds.), Child-parent relationship therapy (CPRT). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537948

Ceballos, P. L., Bratton, S. C., Meany-Walen, K. (2017). Play/activity therapy. In Levesque, R. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of adolescence. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_334-2

Meany-Walen, K. K. (2017). Puppet play in Adlerian therapy. In A. A. Drewes, & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), Puppet play therapy. Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315181349-8

Meany-Walen, K. K. (2017). Adlerian play therapy: Practice and research. In R. L. Steen (Ed.), Emerging research in play therapy, child counseling, and consultation. IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-2224-9

Publications

Dillman Taylor, D. L., Thompson, K. A., Russell, B., & Meany-Walen, K. (2022). Fostering a university partnership using play therapy in schools: Lessons learned. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000156

Dillman Taylor, D., Meany-Walen, K. K., Nelson, K. M., & Gungor, A. (2019). Investigating group Adlerian play therapy for children with disruptive behaviors: A single-case research design. International Journal of Play Therapy, 28(3), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000094

Gavin, S., Meany‐Walen, K., Murray, M., Christians, A., Barrett, M., & Kottman, T. (2019). Play therapists’ attitudes toward using technology in the playroom. International Journal of Play Therapy, 29(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pla0000104

Lindo, N. A., Ceballos, P., Meany-Walen, K. K., Pronchenko, Y., Blalock, S., Opiola, K., Miller, L., Parker, M., Chung, C.-F., & Ojiambo, D. (2019). Teacher–child relationship building: trainers’ perceptions of a play-based intervention. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 5(2), 161–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2019.1586416

Meany-Walen, K. K., & Kottman, T. (2019). Group Adlerian play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 28(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000079

Meany-Walen, K. K., Cobie-Nuss, A., Eittreim, E., Teeling, S., Wilson, S., & Xander, C. (2018). Play therapists’ perceptions of wellness and self-care practices. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27(3), 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000067

Teeling, S., Eisenman, A., Semler, K., & Meany-Walen, K. (2017). Creative Interventions to increase counselor-in-training wellness. Counseling & Wellness: A Professional Counseling Journal, 6, https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/3001/1/Teeling_etal_Creative_interventions.pdf

Lindo, N. A., Opiola, K., Ceballos, P. L., Chen, S. Y., Meany-Walen, K. K., Cheng, Y. J., Barcenas, G., Reader, E., & Blalock, S. (2016). The impact of supervised filial therapy training on attitude, knowledge, and skills. The Family Journal, 24(3), 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480716648696

Meany-Walen, K. K., Davis-Gage, D., & Lindo, N. A. (2016), The impact of wellness-focused supervision on mental health counseling practicum students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(4) 464–472. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12105

Meany-Walen, K. K., & Teeling, S. (2016). Adlerian play therapy with students with externalizing behaviors and poor social skills. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(2), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000022

Meany-Walen, K. K., Teeling, S., Davis, A., Artley, G., & Vignovich, A. (2016). Effectiveness of a play therapy intervention on children’s externalizing and off-task behaviors. Professional School Counseling, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-20.1.89

Dillman Taylor, D., & Meany-Walen, K. K. (2015). Investigating the effectiveness of Adlerian play therapy (AdPT) with children with disruptive behaviors: A single-case research design (SCRD). Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 1(2), 81–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2015.1081519

Meany-Walen, K. K., Bullis, Q., Kottman, T., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2015). Group Adlerian play therapy with children with off-task behaviors. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 40(3), 294–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2015.1056569

Meany-Walen, K. K., Kottman, T., Bullis, Q., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2015). Effects of Adlerian play therapy on children’s externalizing behavior. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(4), 418–428. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12040

Carnes-Holt, K., Meany-Walen, K., & Felton, A. (2014). Utilizing sandtray within the discrimination model of counselor supervision. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 9(4), 497–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2014.909298

Meany-Walen, K. K., Bratton, S. C., & Kottman, T. (2014). Effects of Adlerian play therapy on reducing students' disruptive behaviors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 92(1), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00129.x

Meany-Walen, K. K., Lindo, N. A., Opiola, K., Chung, C.-F., Chen, S. Y., Cheng, Y. J., Yousef, D., & Turley, E. (2014). Therapeutic play: Undergraduate students’ perceptions of the process and outcome, of supervised play-based training. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4(14). https://ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_14_December_2014/4.pdf

Meany-Walen, K. K., Carnes-Holt, K., Barrio Minton, C. A., Purswell, K., & Pronchenko-Jain, Y. (2013). An exploration of counselors' professional leadership development. Journal of Counseling & Development, 91: 206-215. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00087.x

Bratton, S. C., Ceballos, P. L., Sheely-Moore, A. I., Meany-Walen, K., Pronchenko, Y., & Jones, L. D. (2013). Head start early mental health intervention: effects of child-centered play therapy on disruptive behaviors. International Journal of Play Therapy, 22(1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030318

Ray, D. C., Lee, K. R., Meany-Walen, K. K., Carlson, S. E., Carnes-Holt, K. L., & Ware, J. N. (2013). Use of toys in child-centered play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 22(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031430

Lindo, N. A., Chung, C.-F., Carlson, S., Sullivan, J. M., Akay, S., & Meany-Walen, K. K. (2012). The impact of child-centered play therapy training on attitude, knowledge, and skills. International Journal of Play Therapy, 21(3), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028039

Edwards, N. A., Sullivan, J. M., Meany-Walen, K., & Kantor, K. R. (2010). Child parent relationship training: Parents' perceptions of process and outcome. International Journal of Play Therapy, 19(3), 159–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019409