Uses of Children's Make‐believe Play in Family Therapy:theory and Clinical Examples

Abstract

A theoretical framework for developing, describing and analyzing family‐therapeutic techniques involving make‐believe play is presented and illustrated by clinical examples. This theoretical framework includes specifications of the therapeutic goals served by the technique and its procedural details (the therapist's position and roles, the method of intervention, the sources of play content and means, and the amount of planning) and an analysis of its rationale (the properties of the make‐believe play involved, the targets of the intervention in the family system, the expected changes and their causes). This framework draws on a definition of the concept “make‐believe play,” a model for the analysis of make‐believe play symbols and a model of family systems, which are briefly sketched in this article, preceding the presentation of the theoretical framework itself.

Multicultural trends and toys in play therapy.

“…Different types and sizes of animal families might also be useful. Ariel (1985) stated that children and families often feel more comfortable or safer expressing themselves with less realistic representations of family members. Many children use animal families in the playroom to represent their own families.…”

“…al., 1993; Glover, 1999, 2001; Glover & Landreth, 2000; Inciler, 1993; Kao & Landreth, 2001; Kerl, 1998, 1999; Martinez & Valdez, 1992; Shelby & Tredinnick, 1995). Because the family cultural environment affects the nature of play in therapy (Ariel, 1985, 1996; Levy-Warren, 1994), understanding child rearing practices within a cultural context may be helpful in both determining goals of therapy and interpreting the child’s play (Glover, 1999, 2001; Kao & Landreth, 2001).…”

The Theory, Structure, and Techniques for the Inclusion of Children Infamily Therapy: A Literature Review

“…Some ideas for role play include the role reversal, the double, multiple parts of the self, and talk show (Blatner, 1994). As the family enacts various events or uses role play, the therapist may ask questions, direct interactions, or make comments, acting as a reporter, involved audience provoker, or director (Ariel, Carel, & Tyano, 1985).…”

Dialogical inquiry: multivocality and the interpretation of text

“…One potential application of dialogical inquiry is to support teams of researchers experiencing impasse or homeostasis in their analysis of data. The concept of impasse has been used in therapeutic encounters, where a family or social group is unable to break free from fixed interactions (Ariel et al, 1985). Such impasses may also be imagined in a research team, where members become stuck in their interpretation of data due to various issues including theoretical positions that seem incompatible; historical disputes in or between disciplines; rigidity, or monologism, of one or multiple members; or historical relationship difficulties, or coalitions between specific team members.…”