Essay On The Role Of Parents In Family Therapy

THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN THERAPY
The parent’s role is to support therapy. For instance, parents learn to say “Why not talk to the doctor about this? He may have some good ideas.” Parents serve therapy in ways that the child is not ready to undertake. They have no advance readiness for the use of a professional in the handling of their adjustment problems. One cannot expect a child to report on dreams, problems, parental discipline, or stresses. All that one can expect to work with at the beginning of therapy with a child is his ability to play, symbolize, remember and create fantasy; complicated by defenses that obscure memory content such as repression and symbol formation. Presentation of the child’s experiences, the exposition of his history. and reports on current experiences require the input of parents, teachers and caretakers. Sessions and telephone contacts with parents are necessary if the therapist is to get the whole picture. Access to an answering machine near the playroom can serve well to

The dream of a child has less power to carry secrets. It would be better to ask about the topic introduced in the dream or to be guided by the dream content to focus on that which is important in the therapeutic play content. For instance a three person dream containing a threat to the child could suggest that the therapist introduce dolls or clay figures to be used in play. An oedipal fear fantasy involving parental equivalents could evolve. This approach can be used by therapists working with children who have not yet reached the capacity to get the main idea from a narrative or a dream.. Endlessly detailed goalless reports of dreams, as long as twenty minutes, occur,. The therapist can select play-things offered as a way of focusing on a content aspect of an endless