About the project
Theory and studies of play: Play has been used as a mean and goal within Child Psychotherapy for many years (Klein, 1955)(Winnicott, 1971)(Fonagy& Target, 1996). There exist some quantitative studies of play in psychotherapy (Kernberg, Chazan & Normandin, 1998)(Halfon & Bulut, 2019). While there are many clinical papers on the topic, there are still few papers with systematic qualitative methodology in studying the phenomena of play in psychotherapy.
Study based on videotaped sessions: Four children aged 5-6 years old (one girl and three boys). Every session is videotaped. Treatment is mentalization based therapy for children (MBT-C).
Timeline: Two treatments are ended, two more planned ended this autumn. Single case conceptual analysis began. Reflexive thematic analysis across cases begin this autumn.
Objectives
Exploring the communication, types and meaning in the dynamics of play within the therapeutic relationship.
Outcomes
- Understand how play as a therapeutic factor is used as a vehicle of change and development in the therapy over time
- Explore changes in play and the therapeutic process over time within treatments and across treatments
- Understand therapist behavior and action
- Understand relational themes over time
- Potentially develop new conceptual understanding of process and of play within Child psychotherapy
Background
Modern research has demonstrated the significance of play for childrens development (Barish, 2020), especially for the development of affect regulation and mentalization (Fonagy & Target, 1996), and also for processing of trauma (Diaz & Lieberman, 2010). At the same time therapy through play is being practiced less within many health services.
Tools
Instruments: CBCL parents, CPTI
Method of analysis: Reflexive thematic analysis, which will consist of analysis of video-taped sessions.